Bringing home owners and house sitters together
Sitter available
Are You Looking for PEACE OF MIND?
Portugal
Testimonials
They have 2 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), Rodent(s), Pig(s), Goat(s), Farm animal(s), Other animal(s) – Our extensive experience allows us to provide Custom Pet Care tailored to all of your animals' requirements.
Police check
They have a police check
Availability
From: 8 Jan 2025
Until: 5 Apr 2026
Occupation
Former Manager; Full time house/pet sitter
References
They have referees/references (view below)
About this sitter
We are a retired multi-lingual Canadian couple with a home-base in Portugal. We have extensive (8+ years) house/pet sitting experience across the globe. We would love to provide you with the proven skills to ensure that PEACE OF MIND you are looking for.
We are NON SMOKERS, NON DRINKERS, health-conscious, and meticulous house sitters.
In our former lives, we were both managers: Doug in real estate and Johanne in childcare. You can be assured that your home and family will be very well cared for.
Johanne is fluent in French and English and is functional in Spanish. she is also learning Portuguese online.
Doug is determined to learn Spanish "poco a poco".
We find a couple of days overlap at the start of the stay works best to ensure an easy transition for you and your pets.
We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Mindfully
Doug and Johanne
P.S. Rural, off-the-grid settings are fine, and we will consider any location that is safe and clean.
Why they want to house sit
To be of service TO YOU !
We find it extremely heart-warming to provide homeowners and their pets with a successful, stress-free experience.
It is very rewarding to take care of your place "like it is our own".
+ years)
We are very flexible and travel light. Having spent considerable time traveling in developing countries, we adjust easily to local nuisances and lifestyles.
House sitting provides us with opportunities to spend time in new and amazing places becoming immersed in the language and culture.
Although we are now legal residents of Portugal, we are committed to continuing house-sitting as we love the lifestyle and caring for pets.
Their experience
From April 2016 to April 2024, we have successfully completed 94 house sits and cared for 100+ cats and 150+dogs.
Our very first experience was a 5-month assignment in rural Nicaragua. Our days were spent caring for 5 lovely dogs, a cat, birds, and chickens on a two-acre piece of property.
Here is what the home owners said:
"We have a fantastic couple that is currently pet sitting our 5 dogs, 1 cat, and 4 parakeets. They are truly animal lovers and we feel very fortunate to have found them to take care of our babies all summer while we are with the family in Michigan. We highly recommend Doug and Johanne to anyone wanting to leave their fur babies in good hands".
What can they bring to the assignment
To the owner we provide:
-a sense of trust, reliability, and security
-regular updates; news from home is so vital
-that Peace of Mind of knowing that your place and pets are in caring reliable hands
-gardening and plant care
-long-lasting friendships
-Our Guarantee that will return to a home as clean as when you left
To the pets we provide:
-love and attention
-regular exercise as required
-careful attention to dietary needs and medications
-the routine that they are accustomed to
-mindful obedience training if requested
There is always a willing pair of hands for petting and pampering.
Let's see if we are a good fit.
Doug and Johanne
www.joyfultravellers.com
Last updated:
16 Sep 2024
Available to house sit
Africa, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, 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, Netherlands, 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 Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
Availability dates
From: 8 Jan 2025
Until: 5 Apr 2026
Do they charge?
They don't charge for house sitting services
Personal details
Age: 66-75 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/25818
Testimonials
Excellent and experienced sitters
Doug and Johanne are both calm and clearly very experienced sitters; it was obvious from the outset that we were leaving our home and animals in good hands. They looked after our two large dogs, chickens and garden for several days whilst we were away. We came home to very happy animals and a spotless house. In fact, I don't think the dogs had really even noticed we'd gone! We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them to anyone lucky enough to get them.
Nigel, France, 28 Jan 2023
Experienced, responsible, and dedicated animal lovers
Doug and his wife Johanne cared for our 5 house cats, 1 dog and 2 garden (outdoor-only) cats for a little over a month end April-May 2022. What a fantastic couple -- not only organised, competent, and fully dedicated to the task, but personable and with a great sense of humour as well. Our 'family' is large, and the various members have their quirks, but D & J handled it all with aplomb, bonding easily with our (sometimes excitable) dog George, and quickly discerning the needs and personalities of each of our cats. They ferried George to the veterinarian for his monthly injection, made sure the outdoor cats showed up daily for the feedings, kept us up to date while we were away with texts and photos via WhatsApp, and greeted us with a spotlessly clean house and a serene household. They enjoyed and took full advantage of what our part of Italy had to offer -- and this is always gratifying. George our dog and the cats visibly sensed their absence after they left ... we take this as a very good sign. Cannot recommend Doug & Johanne highly enough! 20/10.
Robyn, Italy, 28 Jan 2023