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Sitter available

Exp. house/pet sitters, self funded retirees, 6 references, non smokers, home in Portugal

Portugal

Testimonials

They have 4 testimonials (view below)

Pet experience

Dog(s), Cat(s), Horse/Donkey(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Rabbit(s), Tortoise/Turtle(s), Guinea pig(s), Pig(s), Goat(s), Farm animal(s), Other animal(s) – Experienced with domestic animals, nurtured wild animals

Police check

They don't have a police check

Availability

From: 15 November 2024
Until: 11 June 2025
(see their busy times below)

Occupation

Self Funded Retirees

References

They have referees/references (view below)

About this sitter

House sitting and pet care have given us so much from travel to meeting other homeowners & hearing about their journeys. Best of all the unconditional love the animals have given us

This is our housesitting journey so far and the pets we have cared for:-
2024
COMING UP Valencia Spain from 10th April to 15th May for 2 rescue dogs
COMING UPDevon UK from 3rd June to 3rd October for one cat

COMPLETED:-
10th December 2023 to 28th January 2024 The island of Faial, The Azores for one dog Ms Martinha and 5 cats. 2 cats required medication

October 3rd to 18th 2023 a house/ pet sitting assignment in rural Spain ( near Antiequera ) Mr Dexter English Springer loving with a beautiful nature plus 2 house cats and 3 outdoor cats . One indoor cat Ms Mimmie required 2 injections a day over 3 days and ongoing medication - a brave girl
A reference is on this site

April 14th to end June 2023 2.5 months Vanantu South Pacific .Large estate on 2 acres of beachfront land with the responsibility for 2 rescue dogs. One German Shepherd Ms Millie 13 years ( on medication ) and a Staffordshire mix Ms Havannah 9 years. We also had the added responsibility to oversee 5 days per week one Gardner and two housemaids
A reference for this on this site

From October to December 2022 we were in Ithaki Island Greece a 10-week housesit / for 1 rescue dog and 16 cats! Up to 23 some days, all fed twice a day including 6 housecats. What a great experience this was. Cuddles 24/7
We have a reference & can email on request

April to June 2022, Next adventure Dusseldorf, Germany a 10-week house/ dog sit 3-year-old French bulldog called Sylvester required medication morning and night for a heart condition.
We have a reference & can email on request

Our first house sit Island Of Tasmania Australia was a real experience 3 years from 2018 to 2021 We set up a BnB called The Great House Buckland Tasmania for UK Owners and maintained a 9.8 score on booking.com with over 80 plus reviews. The BnB was within a 6-bedroom estate majestically located on a 200-acre rural property. We were able to turn our hands to all aspects of this estate. We nurtured & fed many wild animals that got to know us
We have a reference & can email on request.

From there we established our home in the Algarve 2021 Portugal and were able to continue what we love housesitting and pet care

We venture back to Australia, Sydney for a few months each year to look after our son's dog Mr. George a 5-year-old cocker spaniel while they are in Europe.

We look forward to being of continued service in 2024 and beyond

Why they want to house sit

Authentic travel opportunities, the love and care of animals. New experiences

Their experience

Yes, completed 6 house/pet sits todate From The Island Of Tasmania Australia (3 years), Dusseldorf Germany ( 2.5 months) Ithaki Island Greece ( 3 months) Vanuatu South Pacific (2.5 months) Spain rural (18 days) The Azores (7 weeks) Dec 2023 to Jan 2024
Coming up / confirmed 2024 Valencia Spain ( 5 weeks) Devon Uk ( 4 months)
4 references on Mind My House, 3 external references happy to forward on
Able to administer medication ie tablets and injections

What can they bring to the assignment

We maintain good communications with the Owners while they are away to ensure " their piece of mind" Most importantly quality time for your pets & property as we have no commitments and are financially independent We are not vocational tourists that would have a need to be out every day & night We are homeowners of 2 properties. Primary home, resident of Portugal We have both been pet owners i.e. dogs and cats for over a period of 35 years

Available to house sit

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Middle East, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates

Availability dates

From: 15 November 2024
Until: 11 June 2025

They have indicated that they are busy at the following times:
29 March 2024 to 15 November 2024

Do they charge?

They don't charge for house sitting services

Membership

MindMyHouse member since 2021

Personal details

Age: 56-65 years old
Family status: Couple

Total sits

Total completed house sits: 2

Testimonials

Beuatiful azores islands

It remains to be added that there was a need to go to the vet with 2 cats more than once and they had to take medication. All explanations were given and we felt at ease. They are great. By saying that Martinha didn't care, she didn't care about us, because she just wanted to chase Jeffrey. Once more, thank you

maria, Portugal, 29 January, 2024

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

Beautiful azores Islands

Leonie and Jeffrey have just left us and we already miss them. Martinha, (dog), didn't eat and before the match she didn't care at all about following Jeffrey... A couple that we felt like family. Extremely friendly and even though our English was difficult, we understood each other. When we arrived, my animals were great, very organized at meal times and very calm. Every day I had news and photos of the animals...A beautiful soup arrived. The house is impeccable...I hope to see you again and my animals too.

maria, Portugal, 29 January, 2024

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

Pet Loving Couple

Jeff and Leonie were a God-send! They did an outstanding job of looking after our pets and home. They are incredibly conscientious about providing a loving, safe environment for our pets. Our dog and cats loved them to bits, and it was very easy to see they were all very well taken care while we were away. We received regular pet updates and pet photos, and they looked happy and content. One of our cats needed medication and when we came home she was in great health due to the dedication that Leonie and Jeff gave Minnie every day. Above all, they are a warm, friendly, kind and considerate couple. We returned home to a clean house and a delicious welcome home meal, which was unexpected and delightful. We highly recommend them as first class pet sitters! Due to their love for pets, their devotion to taking care of them, and their love for fur babies, Jeff and Leonie are amongst our best pet sitters!

Paula, Spain, 23 October, 2023

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

Leonie and Jeff da Zilva

Great sitters!

Ingrid, South Pacific, 03 July, 2023

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

References

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Last updated: 24 March 2024