Responsible, tidy, non-smoking, experienced housesitters from Canada

About this sitter

MJ (Marjolaine) and J (Joseph) provide a delightful amount of dad jokes and eye rolls. MJ is a freelance post-production producer, pre-Covid globe-trotter and all-around girl scout. J is a writer (has he mentioned he’s a writer?), that loves to meet people but enjoys meeting animals even more (dogs, cats, cows, horses, they’re all friends, even the geese). We’ve been together three years but feel like we’ve been together much longer. We’re responsible, sociable, friendly, clean and fun.

Why they want to house sit

With the news being so glum all the time and travel restrictions lifting here and there, at some point in the last freezing horrendous despicable wretched Canadian winter we decided we wanted to live again: for MJ that means to travel, for J that means not freezing all the time and meeting all kinds of four-legged friends (we definitely don’t discriminate when it comes to number of legs).

After spending the past decade moving around and visiting many countries / regions of the world, we are enjoying more and more a slower pace of life, including when travelling. Housesitting is a great way for us to have a "home base" somewhere, while being able to go out and explore as much, or as little, as we want to. It's great to have pets to come back to at the end of the day, and really adds to the experience of being somewhere new.

Their experience

In 2023, Marjolaine and Joseph set off on a backpacking and caregiving adventure!

Over the years, we’ve taken care of, and become friends with, 12 cats and 10 dogs, in 7 countries on 4 continents.

We’ve adapted to the varying infrastructure of urban settings and rural homes in places like Saigon, Seoul, Bangkok, New Delhi, and the Thai and Spanish countrysides.

We’ve fixed water pumps, cleaned pools, tended gardens and taken care of cars for our hosts, and the reviews have been unanimous.

Most importantly, our hearts have melted for all our furry friends, and that wasn’t just because of the Delhi heat!

We are always impressed with the endearing determination of old timers like Ginger the Golden Retriever, Polly the Mongrel and Daisy the Mutt, whose diets, medication and walks are adapted to their elderly needs.

Likewise, we are dedicated enough that the boundless energy of young pups like Lando the jindo/lab mix, Kiki the Beagle and our maltese friend Cookie do not sit idly, so that the most energetic of mutts always get a good night’s sleep after full, stimulating days.

We are used to dynamic duos.

We’ve walked Lando and his friend Obi the sapsal/gae mix in a suburban park in Saigon, Vietnam, toured the gated neighborhood in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with Ginger and her acolyte Soda the Greyhound-like Temple Dog, and explored the Spanish countryside in El Gor with Polly and her buddy Zak the German Shepherd.

That’s not to say we don’t enjoy single-canine adventures!

We discovered the Chiang Khan farming district with Kira the Labrador, walked the streets of Bangkok with Daisy, climbed up the steep Seoul hills with Cookie, and contemplated the Lodi Gardens in New Delhi with Kiki.

While we love to explore our surroundings, discovering Gangnam, Old Delhi and the Loei province, we always prioritize the dogs’ well-being, and respect the schedules and routines that have been established by their parents over the years, so that when you come back, it’s like nothing’s changed, except the hearts of all involved.

As for the cats, well, they wouldn’t tell you, and they wouldn’t tell us, but we’re pretty sure they were happy we were there some times?

What can they bring to the assignment

We will provide excellent care for your pet(s) and home, and make sure you leave for your trip with peace of mind.