Of the 11 house sitters we've had Clive and Ali are, without a doubt, the best!

We have a large secluded property, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a fish in our household and from the outset we were impressed with Clive and Ali's professional approach; they travelled from their current house sit on another part of the island for a pre-sit meeting and from the questions they asked, the experiences they shared and their immediate engagement with our pets it was obvious that our home was going to be in good hands.  So much so that when the opportunity to extend our vacation dates arose we were able to do so without any concerns and were very grateful to Clive and Ali for altering their own travel plans to accommodate us.

We loved the videos they made of our animals and sent to us via YouTube while we were away - it was a great touch, especially appreciated by our children.  Our 18-yr old daughter had to travel home a day earlier than the rest of the family and thanks to the videos she felt confident in spending a day/night with Clive and Ali. She quickly relaxed in their kind and generous company before dropping them off at the ferry terminal the next day en-route to pick us up.

When we got home our greeting was joyful but we could tell that, although pleased to see us, all of the animals had been so well looked after that their greeting was not pitiful in any way.  Even our geriatric fish seemed surprisingly sprightly!  I took the dogs out for a run the next morning and was delighted to find that they were not only in fantastic shape but they also looked beautiful.  

The house looked great too; when I was out with the dogs my husband went from room to room admiring their care and when he spoke with the tenant in our adjacent property he too was full of praise for Clive and Ali.

We are truly thankful for Clive and Ali's hard work with our furry, finny loved ones and our possessions.

Our son graduates from high school in three years and we have already started the planning for this next extended family vacation.  Clive and Ali are an integral part of our plan and we are very happy that they have already agreed to sit for us!

In summary

We can honestly say that Clive and Ali are exceptional - they do more than just care for your home and pets - they care about them.

It's difficult to express our appreciation for Clive and Ali Cooper.

We organized for them to come to Vancouver Island and House/Pet sit for us for three months.  

Their references were glowing and a Skype interview went off grandly.  With our trip still 9 months away, we did hope that they wouldn't loose interest in coming to our part of the world.  To their great credit, they regularly updated us as to their whereabouts as they housesat through Europe and England prior to their trip to Canada. This regular communication put any fears to rest, and we felt that we got to know the both of them and their plans a little better. 

The day arrived and we picked them up at the Airport. We would have less than 24 hours to “hand over” our house and pets.  While we were excited about our trip, we felt some nervousness.  But not to worry.  Even though they were both jet lagged, their enthusiasm for their chosen lifestyle was unmistakable.  Their professionalism was evident as they asked pertinent questions about the house and pet, videotaped many of the instructions that we were providing them (in order to review later) and interacted with our two dogs in a way that can only be described as “dog friendly”.

So off we went, feeling confident, but still a little concerned that all would be well.  All concerns were put to rest within our first week away, as they sent us a video link demonstration of how they were feeding the dogs (many additives and meds) and harnessing them for their walks.  They asked us to confirm that they were doing everything the way that we wanted and the dogs were used to.  The “non verbals” in the video were also important to us, as the dogs were obviously relaxed and comfortable with both Clive and Ali.  All said, a great match.

Video and email updates continued every few weeks throughout our trip. The video's provided us with a way to see and continue to feel comfortable with both how the dogs and the house were being taken care of.  Clive and Ali captured our dogs so well on video (both sleeping and at play) that these are some of the best footage we have of either of them!

At one point, there was a health concern with our older dog.  Clive and Ali emailed and texted us to let us know and a quick Skype call that same day ensured that we were all on the same page. Fortunately all was (and remains well).  We appreciated their call and concern and the fact they would connect. 

On our return home, we found the two dogs to be happy and healthy and the house to be clean and well cared for.  It was evident that both dogs missed Clive and Ali's company after they left. We know that if our dogs could talk, they would give Clive and Ali a glowing reference (and ask them to stay longer).

In retrospect (and during our trip) we recognized that we were extremely lucky to have this couple house and pet sit for us.  They are wonderful, caring people who love pets and are careful and respectful of other peoples' homes and possessions. Their approach to housecaring and pet sitting is  professional in every way. 

We have no hesitance in recommending them to you and in fact have asked if they are available to come back in the future already. 

Please feel free to connect with either of us, we'd love to speak with you about our experience. You can contact us at ftmacdonald@gmail.com or on our cell at 778 426-0622.

Sincerely
Toni & Frank MacDonald