Shortly after this sad event, Clive saw our elderly dog falter and faint.  They rushed her to the emergency vet, where she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  Their quick action literally saved her life – only 30% of dogs survive acute heart failure.  They made multiple veterinary visits, sometimes recording the consultation to keep us in the loop.  They picked up prescriptions, worked out a thrice daily medication routine, and made sure that Maya got more frequent breaks outside because of the meds.  She was here to greet us and happy when we arrived home, thanks to them. 

We know that they did all of the same things we would have done, with just as much tenderness.  And somehow in the middle of all of this they put the finishing touches on our rescue chihuahua’s potty training, which had been a very slow process.  We are so grateful for their patience and caring relationship with our pets, no matter how trying.

Our home and car are always in tip top shape when we return, and they appreciate and enjoy our warm weather, sunshine, and desert environment.

We have referred them to others, creating a bit of competition for their services in Arizona.  We introduced them to many of our friends and they have met others in the area on their own.  They are such fun, sociable, and interesting people, and such great raconteurs, that they are much in demand during their time in Mesa. Our only disappointment is that we are always rushing away or returning home so don’t get to see as much of them as we’d like! 

Clive and Ali are fine people who have become cherished friends as well as house sitters.  We feel so fortunate that we found them and that they have been able and willing to return year after year.  We hope to continue that tradition!                                                           

This is the 6th occasion that we have been invited to sit by Joanna & Patrick.

We are always delighted to return to their lovely home in Dorset as we have developed a very strong bond with all of the animals.  In addition, Patrick and Joanna have now become good friends and we are already looking forward our next visit.

We have not asked them to write a reference for this most recent sit as they have already written two testimonials for us which you can read by clicking on the links below.

This was our 5th visit to Joanna and Patrick's lovely home in rural Dorset.

We only ever ask home owners to write a maximum of 2 references on our behalf which they have already written.  You can read these reviews by following the links below.

We like to think that the fact that we have been invited back so many times is testament in itself of the value Joanna and Patrick place on our house and pet caring services.  Indeed, like a number of other people, they now book their holidays around our availability and we are very much looking forward to returning to Stoke Wake later in the year.

5 times & counting!

Clive & Ali first came to sit for us in 2014 & they returned this year for the 5th time. 

Last year we recommended them to friends who booked them over Christmas & when they called in for tea we seized the opportunity to discuss our 2018 spring break.  Clive & Ali had a couple of weeks free just after Easter & since it’s a real treat for us to holiday with them in charge of our animals we decided there & then to arrange our trip around their availability!

Our home & our animals are very important to us so it is always reassuring to know that when we go away, the house, sheep, cats and dog are all left safe & sound in Clive & Ali's care.  Our dog Pipit is convinced that they are her own personal playmates - she would be devastated to know that there must be many other dogs who feel exactly the same!

If you have any hesitation about inviting sitters into your home, do yourself - & your pets - a favour; get in touch with Clive and Ali.  They are caring, friendly & highly competent people who will put your mind at ease instantly.  Contact them well in advance though as they are, justifiably, very highly sought after!

85, 71, 56, 43, 39

What a fantastic couple!

Quite simply dedicated to the well being of our animals and of our house.

We were updated regularly with photos and videos of the animals playing and loving their new found friends. This immediately put our minds at rest and allowed us to enjoy our break.

The animals clearly loved having them here and I would argue that the dog actually missed them when they left!

The house was cleaner than when we left it, and I can only hope that Clive and Ali are available the next time we are away.

​When you find a reliable and caring couple like these two, you want to have them back!

73

Mary Beth runs a small dog-minding business from home.  During our time here we look after a number of her regular clients.

They exceeded our expectations in all ways.  Every issue was handled with expertise and good humor.  They kept us informed through pictures and email, and guided us through concerns we couldn’t otherwise handle from a distance. You will see by their other house sitting experiences that they are champions in the field and their advice helped us prepare our home and pets for our extended absence. ​

Finally, again from all three of us

We so much appreciated how they kept us in touch with reports and photos . The videos are a sheer delight and great fun.  There Is no doubt they really love looking after animals and are completely dedicated to what they do . We have already recommended them to several friends.

Don't hesitate to book them if you need house sitters, your animals are in for a treat and you are in for the most worry free time away you have ever had.   We sincerely hope they are available next time we go away. They look after our animals better than we do ourselves!

A huge thanks to Clive and Ali for kindly agreeing to split up while we went off sunning it in South Africa.  

They were recommended by good friends of ours who were, co-incidentally, going away almost at the same time. They generously suggested that, if Clive and Ali agreed, we could share their services.  Thankfully they said yes, with Ali coming ahead to look after our little Jack Russell and three legged cat. Clive joined her for a few days before he had to leave to go on to their next house sit.

Clive and Ali were an absolute godsend!

We managed to meet up before we left, so could explain everything about the house, pets etc, which was good for both sides.  Everything ran smoothly and we were able to go away and know that we did not need to worry about anything.  

Ali kept in touch by email just enough so that we didn’t worry, sending pictures of happy animals.  It was lovely to be greeted by Ali’s smiling face after a long overnight flight,  and warm house and milk in the fridge.  

I would be very happy to recommend them to anyone wanting a relaxed holiday knowing their pets and home are being looked after so well.  I am trying to work out how we could go away again in October, so that they could come back, but if not,  I am sure we will be trying to go to South Africa again next February. 

Our extended family comprises: one border collie dog, two cats, three sheep and eleven hens – all of them much loved and very special with, from our perspective, their own special personalities and their individual needs.  Clive and Ali also are very special and took care of all of our pets and livestock in the best possible way.

On arrival at our home Clive and Ali carefully noted the routines for each pet and filmed us whilst we twittered on about how we went about things.  Our ‘what to do, when to do it and how to do it’ list was subsequently transferred onto a spread-sheet of activities and a video so that we could check that everything was as we wanted.

Regular communications by email and video followed throughout our vacation.  The videos were just a delight – very creative, fun and reassuring and so entertaining that they became something to which we looked forward – and not only by us but also the rest of our family who couldn’t wait for the next episode!

On our return the animals looked great, the house looked great and the larder and fridge was stocked with goodies and essentials so we had no need to rush out to the shops.

Clive and Ali became stars of our little local community as they took over some of our roles and joined in our village hall skittles team, bringing a whole new dimension to what used to be a ‘quiet’ night out.

We have no hesitation in recommending to you the superstars of the home-sitting profession.

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.

This was my first experience of using ‘Pet Sitters’ and Clive & Ali were fantastic at explaining everything.

After visiting and meeting ‘The Girls’ they asked for detailed lists so that all eventualities were covered – negating any problems.

The dogs thoroughly enjoyed long walks and cosy evenings, whilst the cats seemed to find sharing their bed a real treat!

Clive & Ali sent a short video which was a joy to see and emailed a resume of their stay so that ‘Jet Lagged’ I didn’t have to concentrate.

The house was immaculate on my return and they had even washed and made up their bed.

I cannot recommend Clive & Ali enough – in fact I am hoping to see them again before they head off in May

Clive and Ali looked after my pets while I was away in May. 

I have 2 dachshunds, a border terrier and a Siamese cat, so quite a houseful. I hadn't used pet sitters before, but Clive and Ali put me at ease straight away. We spoke over Skype originally, then met the week before they were due to sit.

I found them both to be great people - trustworthy and obviously really love animals. 

My 4 all took well to them in the time they were here and it was clear that they had had a great holiday too. Clive and Ali even sent me videos while I was away so that I could see how the pets were spending their days! My border terrier managed to loose some weight while I was away (she needed to and was on a diet) and all the pets looked in fab condition and really happy.

I would have no hesitation in booking Clive and Ali again to look after my pets and will definately recommend them to friends and family with pets who are going on holiday.