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Sitter available

Ecofriendly, energetic retired teachers expanding their horizon

United States

Testimonials

They have 5 testimonials (view below)

Pet experience

Dog(s), Cat(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s) – We had dogs for a period of 24 years. We also cared for a friends ’cat while they were on vacation. We raised a lost baby owl and a baby pigeon ….if that counts for anything.

Police check

They have a police check

Availability

From: 2 September 2023
Until: 31 December 2026

Occupation

Retired teacher/farmer

References

They have referees/references (view below)

About this sitter

Al taught fine arts and woodworking. He is an apiculturist and a pétanque enthusiast. He also grows fruits and vegetables and likes to fish. Arlette taught French and Spanish. She likes to cook, read, and swim. We are non-smokers, very sociable and have been COVID vaccinated.
We both enjoy the outdoors. Being nature-lovers, we are looking for house and pet sitting in houses located in proximity of places of interest: lakes, beaches, mountains, small towns, cities, museums, hiking trails ….

Why they want to house sit

We recently retired from teaching and we always enjoyed travelling. House sitting will enable us financially to visit various parts of the world and meet the people who live there.

Their experience

We did house sit for friends in Paris and in Brittany. We also have some experience as Airbnb guests, and we feel confident that we can be helpful in this domain. We are quite resourceful!
In the summer of 2015 we completed two house-sitting assignments: 3 weeks in La Jolla, CA where we took care of a house and a cat; 3 weeks taking care of 3 cabins in the rain forest of Dominica.
We spent 3 weeks around Christmas in Costa Rica taking care of a house and 2 dogs. We took care of a cat in Morro Bay in July and 2 large dogs in New Orleans in August 2016. In January 2017 we house sat for 3 weeks in a small indigenous Ecuadorian town at an elevation of 8000 feet. In June 2017 we kept a French bulldog and 6 parakeets in Southwest Florida. We house sat outside of Los Angeles in July 2017 and took care of 2 cats. In the summer 2018 we spend 2 weeks in the Redwood forest near Santa Cruz sitting for a dog, a cat and a bird. In January 2019 we were back in Costa Rica for 3 weeks keeping 3 dogs and a cat.
We are also members of TrustedHousesitters.com where you can see more references.

What can they bring to the assignment

Al, a jack-of-all-trades, has extensive experience with plants, gardening, carpentry and beekeeping. Arlette, born and raised in France, speaks fluently French, English and Spanish. We raised chickens, ducks, and rabbits. We are very comfortable around animals of all sorts.

Available to house sit

Belgium, Canada, Caribbean, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United States

Availability dates

From: 2 September 2023
Until: 31 December 2026

Do they charge?

They don't charge for house sitting services

Membership

MindMyHouse member since 2015

Personal details

Age: 76+ years old
Family status: Couple

Total sits

Total completed house sits: 5

Testimonials

Fantastic team of dog sitters !

Al and Arlette are very experienced, they know a lot about pets, nature (flora and fauna) and life in general. They did a great job with our 2 dogs who behaved better when we came back than when we left them ! They are both dynamic and calm, enthusiastic and thoughtful, crafty and cautious in addition to being nice, curious and able to adapt to their environment very quickly. I strongly recommend them !

Veronique, United States, 22 July, 2023

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

The Best house sitters for peace of mind

Al and Arlette arrive a couple days early per our request, which was invaluable. We left on our trip with complete confidence that our house and dogs would be well taken care of. We received daily photos of our dogs or updates on how things were going, which gave us complete peace of mind. They did an excellent job and we wouldn’t think twice of having them house sit again, if they wanted to! We had a couple more days after we returned with them which was so much fun. Great people and great house sitters! And now great friends as well.

Heather, , 23 August, 2021

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden
  • Handy around the house

Wonderful, trustworthy housesitters!

Al and Arlette were great housesitters and lovely people. Our next door neighbors got to know then while we were gone, and they told us what good care Al and Arlette took of our animals and house. We Skyped with them before we finalized things, and it was very helpful to get to know them and their varied interests--they're interesting, well-traveled people. They had great communication, keeping us updated on the cats and chickens and sending pictures. When our automated furnace said it was time to change the filter, Al even offered to go up in the attic and change it, though we didn't have him do it, but it's just an example of their great communication and willingness to go above and beyond. They left the house in beautiful shape and clean. Thank you, Al and Arlette!

Christine, United States, 19 August, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Handy around the house

Outstanding House and Pet Sitters

Al and Arlette were fabulous house sitters! They agreed to watch our house in Florida, including our dog and 6 parakeets, at very short notice. They stayed in touch with us throughout the trip and sent lots of pics of the pets which helped reassure us that all was well. They dealt with a crisis with a burst water pipe with great calmness. They looked after our plants and left the house much tidier and cleaner than we left it! They are very friendly and kind. They got along well with our neighbours. We would definitely use them again and recommend them in the highest possible terms.

Nicola , United States, 25 June, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Organised
  • Good at pet care
  • Reliable
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden

The best , cared for everything as if...

Al and Arlette overcame great obstacles in their plans to come and saty at our home in Ecuador, but they made it, and we went on our way to my sons wedding, family reunion etc. We didnt get to meet them bc of the changes in airline scehdules, but they were by all accounts ownderful, friendly, active and took great care of our lil farm. All was in perfect order upon our return, and we cant thank them enough! Come again!? Hugs, Lu and Jeff

Lulie, , 20 February, 2017

  • Tidy
  • Kept in contact
  • Friendly
  • Good in the garden

References

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Last updated: 2 September 2023