Bringing home owners and house sitters together
Sitter available
Traveled cyclists and experienced animal sitters love to make new furry friends
Netherlands
Testimonials
They have 3 testimonials (view below)
Pet experience
Dog(s), Cat(s), Horse/Donkey(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Rabbit(s), Tortoise/Turtle(s) – I use to ride a horse for more than ten years (Peter)
Police check
They have a police check
Availability
From: 5 Apr 2024
Until: 31 Dec 2025
Occupation
Journalist, podcast maker
References
They have referees/references (view below)
About this sitter
My wife Nicole (55) and I (Peter de Ruiter, 62) are currently looking for 'regular' stays abroad. We both love animals and enjoy peace and nature. Currently we have a walking dog called Frenkie, a vizsla, for two days a week. We also have a former water mill in Auvergne, which we rent out, but it is not suitable for habitation in all seasons. www.countrycottagefrance.com
I am a writer and photographer (and now podcast maker) and do most of my work online. Nicole has worked for a long time at an international children's aid organization. We are well travelled and speak English, German, French and some Italian. Normally we cycle in Asia for four weeks in January. After a three-year pause because of corona, we enjoyed Sri Lanka in 2023. We love to meet the animals on these trips. in Sri Lanka we got 'acquainted' with lots of stray dogs, elephants, monkees, varaans, alligators and lots of birds. We recently took care of a lovely Berner Sennen and two cats in the north of Spain and are looking forward to two dogs and two cats in South Africa this fall - our first intercontinental trip in this respect.
Why they want to house sit
Because we want to get used to stay abroad for a longer time, and eventually move abroad. Also we love to take care of pets and enjoy their company for some weeks because we don't own them ourselves.
Their experience
We both visited 50+ countries and used to own dogs and cats some times in our lives. Our first housesitting was in France, Limoges, summer of 2022. See the photo of the dog Zorro. We also took care of two cats and two birds and the wonderful house itself, owned by two Dutch. In October we took care of a house near Malaga, Spain, with a dog (a Mastin) and a cat for three weeks. Actually, it was a B&B, but there were no guests at that time. See the photo by the pool. In 2023 we were dog sitting in Coin, Spain (near Malaga, May) and around Girona, northern Spain, in July/August. In the fall we will be in South Africa.
What can they bring to the assignment
Commitment and a sincere interest in and love for animals
Last updated:
12 Aug 2024
Available to house sit
Countries: Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Middle East, Monaco, Nepal, New Zealand, North East Asia, Norway, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South East Asia, South Korea, South Pacific, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam
Availability dates
From: 5 Apr 2024
Until: 31 Dec 2025
Do they charge?
They don't charge for house sitting services
Personal details
Age: 56-65 years old
Family status:
Couple
Membership
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References
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Sitemap
MindMyHouse.com – https://www.mindmyhouse.com/owners/sitter_listing/53673
Testimonials
The Best!!!
Peter and Nicole were absolutely fantastic from start to finish. From our initial phone call, where we got to know each other, to their arrival, they stayed in regular contact, keeping us updated along the way. They took exceptional care of both our home and all of our animals, which was no small task! Throughout our time away, they sent us regular updates and photos, giving us complete peace of mind. Thanks to their kindness and attentiveness, we could truly relax and enjoy our holiday, knowing our pets were in such loving hands. With a needy Vizsla, a nervous German Shepherd, and two cats, we had never been able to go away for more than a few days before. But thanks to Peter and Nicole, we were able to enjoy a two-week break without any worry – something we never thought possible! Thank you both from the bottom of our hearts.
Conor, Italy, 11 Oct 2024
Great sitters
Peter and Nicole were truly the best, I had an update through video or photo every day and my dog is just smitten with them. Not only did they provide great pet care, but they even worked in my garden and kept the house tidy. I just hope they're free next time I need sitters
Jacqueline , France, 22 Feb 2024
Great House Sitters
We had a WhatsApp interview with Peter and Nicole. They sounded like a good fit. Peter communicated often with us asking questions before arrival. He arrived a few days before our departure to get to know our animals and how we do things. Nicole arrived a week later and we only spoke to her on video call. Peter studied our country and area before arrival. Because we spent about 5 days with Peter before we left, we left home with a new friend. The day before we left there was a huge water problem, we had to leave Peter to supervise the solution and he kept us informed about the progress with texts and photos. We received almost daily updates about our animals with beautiful photos of them. We left sitter notes which they followed and letting us know when some of the important things were done. They took our 2 dogs for loooooong walks, the dogs are still missing them because they don't get to go for such long walks when we are here. They even made friends with our 2 very shy cats and sent us photos to show the one sitting on Nicole's lap (which she hardly does with me). They used our vehicle while we were away, as we are relatively remote and there is no public transport where we live. They used our vehicle with care. They had to do transport for our 2 staff members. We showed Peter the route we take before leaving, and there was no problem while we were away. I would recommend them for house sitting. They are 2 caring people, paying attention to detail and with great feedback.
Guilletta, South Africa, 10 Nov 2023