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Sitter available

Seven years minding horses, dogs, cats in US and Europe

United States

Testimonials

They have 4 testimonials (view below)

Pet experience

Dog(s), Cat(s), Horse/Donkey(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Tortoise/Turtle(s), Goat(s), Farm animal(s) – I administer medicine.

Police check

They don't have a police check

Availability

From: 5 February 2024
Until: 31 August 2025

Occupation

Writer of ancient history

References

They don't have referees/references

About this sitter

I'm a retired writer of ancient history who loves to take care of animals, travel and write. Don was a contractor, built houses, can fix anything. We look for places in Europe and the US with animals, typically staying for a month. We care for horses, dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, etc., water plants, administer medicine, weed the garden, mow the lawn, clean the house, repair things, keep in touch with the owners. Generally I rent a car to buy food for animals, ferry people to the airport, visit museums.

Why they want to house sit

We enjoy looking after animals, taking care of properties, fixing things, gardening, cooking easy meals, meeting new people. Locations tend to be away from cities. Free time allows us to visit local sights and check museums for old inscriptions.

Their experience

Jul 2022, 13 sheep, Graz, Austria
Jul 2021, 2 horses, 15 sheep in Graz, Austria
Jan 2020, 3 horses, 2 dogs, 3 cats in South Carolina
Dec 2019, 2 dogs in Ireland
Nov 2019, 3 horses, 1 dog, 3 cats in Ireland
Oct 2019, 2 horses, 1 dog in England
Sep 2019, 1 dog in Wales
Jul 2019, 2 horses, 2 dogs, 15 sheep in Graz, Austria
Jun 2019, 3 cats, 11 chickens in Germany
Dec 2018, 2 dogs, Kenturk, Co. Cork, Ireland
Oct 2018, 2 dogs, 2 feral cats, Monestier, France
Sep 2018, 2 sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, cat, La Chapelle Cecelin, France
Jul 2018, 2 cats, 2 budgies, Knoxville, TN
Jun 2018, 1 dog, Reading, PA
May 2018, 1 cat, Hopkins, SC
Mar 2018, 2 dogs, Shirley, Long Island, NY
Feb 2018, 4 horses, Carbondale, CO
Dec 2017, 2 dogs, Genoa, Italy
Oct 2017, 3 dogs, 4 cats, chickens, ducks, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Sep 2017, 1 dog, chickens, peafowls, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, Ireland
Aug 2017, 1 dog, Lucinges, France
Jun 2017, 3 dogs, Auvergne, France
May 2017, 2 dogs, Colne, Lancaster, UK
Dec 2016-Mar 2017, house sitting, Eugene, Oregon
Nov 2016, 1 dog, Caxton, UK
Oct 2016, 3 dogs, 2 horses, Peterborough, UK
Sep 2016, 1 dog, Capestang, France
Jul-Aug 2016, 5 cats, Roquebrun, France
Mar-Apr 2016, 4 horses, Carbondale, Co.
Sep 2014-May 2015, 1 dog, 5 cats, Athens, Ohio.
Jan-Apr 2014, 2 horses, Carbondale, Colorado
Sep-Dec 2013, 1 dog, chickens, goats, Cumberland Valley, Penna.

What can they bring to the assignment

Love animals! Experienced animal and house sitters with many references. Friendly, neat, orderly, no smoking, excellent health. Very good at fixing things, getting things done, organizing and supervising projects. Can fix tractors and cars, anything electrical, run chainsaws, brush cutters, mowers, etc. Weed, mow lawns, plant trees, prune flowers. Paint, plaster, stone work, roof of a house. Cook. Weather permitting, I like to jog with dogs as often as they wish. I speak Spanish, get along in Italian, French, Portuguese, read Finnish. Don speaks Ukranian and gets along in Russian, Bulgarian, Bosnian, Polish.

Last updated: 5 February 2024

Available to house sit

Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Availability dates

From: 5 February 2024
Until: 31 August 2025

Do they charge?

They don't charge for house sitting services

Membership

MindMyHouse member since 2014

Personal details

Age: 76+ years old
Family status: Couple

Total sits

Total completed house sits: 18

Testimonials

A california dream sitter come true

Stuart has it all. Reliable, cheerful, full of wit, very nice to chickens and other animals, respectful and very communicative, if it comes to information you need to know (or the latest menue of restaurants he has been to :-) ) Yes, go for Stuart, he is a very good choice, if not the best you can make, if it comes to your house and animals. We love love to see him again. Stay happy and healthy, Stuart - where ever you are.

sylvia, Germany, 19 January, 2022

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

Reasons for choosing Stuart.

Before meeting Stuart I can happily vouch for his communication skills . He responded quickly and clearly by phone and email. Once we had agreed to his “sit” he was flexible and willing to adjust his length of stay. Once he had arrived I was immediately comfortable with his way of interacting with my animals. He was both kind and respectful of my way/rules. He asked relevant questions seeking clarification regarding feeding and exercise. My dog is not okay to be left alone and I am happy to report that neighbours advised me that the dog was never left alone. As to his care for my home, he was excellent. Clean tidy quiet and although he was informed that he was free to eat anything and help himself to any alcohol he was very responsible and didn’t abuse our hospitality. As agreed Stuart arrived the day before and we had a very comfortable and relaxed day and evening getting along very well. A very amusing and interesting person.

Joan, United Kingdom, 19 January, 2022

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

Reference.

Stuart house sat for us in december 2018 and again in december 2019. We were obviously very happy with stuart in so far as we invited him back again the following year. Stuart loved our dogs and provided excellent care for them and our house while we were away.He is Reliable and trustworthy and we would recommend without hesitation. We would be more than happy to have Stuart here again should he wish to visit this part of the world again in his travels. Catherine.

Catherine, Ireland, 19 January, 2022

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

GREAT PLACE close to Graz /Austria

Highly recommended: STUART We already had the chance to have him for house-sits, taking care of house, property and all our animals summer 2019 and again for several weeks in 2021! Now we are looking forward to have him back summer 2022. Stuart, he really likes to be responsible for a property and to be with animals. During his house-sit he is managing everything inside and outside the house and he is friend with all animals. We got to know him as a very reliable, trustable and hard-working person. Last time he was together with his travel-friend Don. Both didn't mind to repair fences, cut fallen trees. They did a great job! To know what's going on at home and how are all animals doing we got many messages. *Great Stuart & Don being back 2022*

Ulrike, Austria, 19 January, 2022

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

References

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About this house sitter

MindMyHouse member since February 2024