'​In future we are going to book our holidays for when they can sit for us so we can relax and enjoy the peace of mind they give us.

We cannot recommend Clive and Ali enough as house sitters, and can't wait for them to sit for us again; we have had friends sit for us before and there has always been a problem when we have got home, so to go away and know that was not going to happen was such a relief for us.

Clive and Ali are simply the best. I cannot recommend them more highly.

They came to see us a few weeks before we left on holiday and filled in a spreadsheet with all the details for the care of our house, dogs and chickens. A few days later they sent it back to us for verification. They really understood what was important to us and took it all on board.

We have a large and complicated house and two dogs who expect long and varied walks! They managed this and a security system effortlessly.

After we departed they sent us Whatsapps of the dogs on walks which was lovely and let us enjoy our holiday without worry.

On our return we came home to an immaculate house and very happy dogs. It was overwhelming!

They are truly kind and very organised people and if you are lucky to have them, then you have got the very best.

I feel they are part of our family now and the dogs definitely do too.

82

​Clive and Ali came to stay in our home for the month of February whilst we were abroad.

We were attracted by their professional background, international experience, and their evident love of animals.  

These attributes were confirmed during a face to face meeting with them two months before they were due to come.  

​Using their computer skills they created a detailed spread sheet of how the house works and our Labrador Max’s daily routine, all very impressive.

Whilst we were away they entertained us with “a day in the Life of Max” on You Tube, expertly done.  They also sent pictures and videos of Max and reports on what was happening at home.

We were so relaxed knowing they were in charge while we were away and on our return we found the house and Max in first class condition.

In summary, we were impressed with their professionalism as house sitters and we would not hesitate to recommend them. We hope they will be back again before too long.

3rd sit reference

This is the third time that Clive and Alice have sat for us and this year we actually planned our holiday around their availability!

Once again our dog Beau was excited to see them, brushing us aside in his eagerness to greet them. The bond they have developed is tangible, so we left for our holiday relaxed and assured that both Beau and our home were in safe, familiar hands.

The best advice we can offer anyone considering Clive and Alice as sitters is to book early to avoid disappointment!

We are pleased to have this opportunity to recommend Clive and Alice as reliable and trustworthy house sitters.

The Coopers looked after our home and much loved dog Beau for three weeks whilst we were on honeymoon in June 2010.

Beau is a young German Shepherd dog who came from a rescue situation.  He is a full of energy and very loving.  However, he is also quite a handful and needs a confident handler.  We found both Clive and Alice to be perfect companions for Beau -  generous with their affection and assured in their handling; there was instant rapport when they met.

We returned home to find our house spotless and our beloved Beau was happy, healthy and obviously cared for.

We would gladly work with Alice and Clive again and have no hesitation in recommending them to you.

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

This is the second reference we have written for Clive and Ali and we are pleased to do so.

Last time Clive sat for us because as a couple they were already booked when we approached them.  Luckily the other sit was in England and (with the other home owner's agreement) they were able to split up.  We couldn't believe it when the same happened this time around! 

Fortunately for us, Clive and Ali's existing booking was with another family that they had sat for previously and they agreed to "share" so we were delighted that Ali was able to help out.

All the good things we said in our original testimonial regarding Clive as a sitter apply to Ali too - with the added bonus that she even did my ironing!

We have our fingers crossed that in 2014 we'll manage to have both of them come to us at the same time!  We know now that we have to book early to avoid disappointment!

Clive sat for our two dogs (A German Shepherd & a miniature Schnauzer) for 11 days. 

He was truly amazing, we had a video clip sent to us whilst we were away. He kept to their routine, groomed them, walked them and loved them! 

I know the boys missed him once he was gone. We left him the use of our estate car so he could take the dogs out for long walks which he did. 

We had a quick turnaround when we got back but Clive had kindly left us a 4 page handover detailing everything you would ever want to know. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I have my fingers crossed he will be back to do it again!

Having sat for us before, we invited Clive and Ali to come back to sit for us again last February and were delighted that they were free to do so. 

Before coming to us they received a request to sit for another family that they had sat for before and they asked our permission to do a split sit. Our holiday this time around was only a short one and we knew that either of them would be more than capable of looking after our home and pets. 

Most importantly, we appreciated the respect shown to us in seeking our permission, so we agreed to the request and Clive came to us whilst Ali went elsewhere. It was such a relief knowing that once more our home was in secure hands and that our pets were being cared for by someone that they know and trust. 

Please see our earlier reference for a more comprehensive testimonial but in short, we consider ourselves lucky to have found Clive and Ali and we look forward to seeing them again.

When we discovered that our daughter had been accepted on an NHS programme to receive 8 weeks of medical treatment in The States we were faced with a dilemma. We didn't like the idea of putting Cookie, our Labradoodle, in kennels for 2 months or finding a temporary home for the three Guinea Pigs, whilst leaving the house empty for so long was a worrying prospect. Cautiously we discussed other possibilities and finding house-sitters seemed like an option worth exploring. 

After a Google search we found Trustedhousesitters.com and placed an advert. Within the hour we had the first of several replies – it was from Clive and Ali. All our initial fears about letting complete strangers into our home quickly dissipated as we read their response – it was clear from their experience, professionalism and flexibility that they would be the perfect people to entrust our home and pets to.

From the off communication from Clive and Ali was excellent. They recognised that this was new to us and helped us through the process. They also traveled a considerable distance to come and meet us (and the pets) face-to-face, before we had any agreement in place.

It was fantastic to be able to leave for our stressful 8 week trip to The States knowing that everything was in safe hands but it was even better receiving their regular video updates. Witty and fun, the fortnightly movie reports from the UK kept us entertained but more importantly reassured the children that all was well with the pets. We also kept in touch via live Skype calls which the children loved - it was great for them to see their pets in such capable hands and it was obvious during these calls that that Clive and Ali had created a really strong bond with Cookie.

When we returned the house was spotless, the pets well fed and we were also delighted to find the car valeted and full of petrol. Sadly our travel arrangements meant that we didn't get to see Clive and Ali on our return to thank them in person, but we have absolutely no reservation in recommending them to anyone looking for a house-sitter. We definitely hope to invite them in to our home again in the future.

Clive & Ali house-sat & cared for my Siberian Husky, Misha for 3 weeks in Sydney, Australia, while I went on an overseas vacation in March-April 2012.

This was my first experience of having ‘strangers’ stay in my home & take care of my pet, so I was very apprehensive at first, as Misha has not previously been separated from me for this length of time. However, Clive & Ali allayed my fears immediately when they came to visit us a couple of weeks before the house-sit date. The first time we met, I felt like I was chatting with old friends, & more importantly, Misha loved them from first sight.

They kindly offered to arrive at my home at 6:30am on my day of departure, & drive me to the airport – something I doubt most house sitters would do. So I bade farewell to Misha, knowing he was in excellent hands. During my absence, Clive & Ali took Misha walking twice daily, & even drove him to the beach for his morning exercise. They also groomed him daily. They emailed me regularly with the latest photos of Misha & themselves enjoying their time together, & posted 2 videos on Youtube for me to confirm that he was doing well. I was able to have a relaxing holiday, with the knowledge that Misha was having a great time as well, with his new aunt & uncle.

On my return to Sydney Airport, I found Clive waiting for me at 6am, to drive me home. He kindly offered to take Misha for his morning exercise while I was unpacking  – for which I was immensely grateful, as I was exhausted after my sleepless overnight flight.

I have no reservations whatsoever in recommending Clive & Ali to you as excellent house-sitters & pet-carers. They are honest, open, caring people who are able to communicate & bond with animals (& people) immediately. My only regret is that they have returned to the UK, as I was hoping to ask them to house-sit again for my vacation next year!

We were looking for house/dog sitter or 6 weeks while we went on holiday to Europe.

Our situation
Our situation is unusual as we have 8 Siberian huskies and a Finnish lapphund. The huskies are all either current or retired champion show dogs.  In addition we live on 2 acres most of which is grass.

There is a strict routine with the dogs that needs to be followed starting at 5.30AM with feeding and cleaning the kennels and in the afternoon feeding.  Every 10 days the show dogs need to be washed and blow dried.

The grass needed cutting about every 8 - 10 days.

Clive and Ali
We made contact through homecarers.com and with their experience and background we felt confident leaving our home and 9 dogs in their capable hands.

They came and stayed before we left so they could get to know the dogs and be familiar with the routine.  We found them very attentive and keen to do what ever we asked of them.  They are very easy company - friendly and personable and it was obviously clear by the way they interacted with my dogs that they love animals .

While we were away they emailed photos and private access YouTube links so we could see recent videos to make sure we knew everything was alright.  This was a professional touch and we were able to really enjoy our vacation without any concern about our dogs and property.

Coming home
When we returned we found that Clive and Ali had done an excellent job.  The dogs were in magnificent condition and you can see that they all adored Clive and Ali.  The routine and diet had been followed exactly with extra attention paid to each of them daily.

Our home was obviously well cared for too and on return we found the house to be very clean and tidy and the grass had been cut regularly.

Summary
Looking after this many dogs and such a large area is very demanding compared with the normal house sit.  Our dogs couldn’t have been better cared for if we had paid people to come and look after them. They genuinely did bond with each of the dogs and far exceeded our expectations.  

If they can do a great job looking after our 9 dogs, kennels, house and large grass area they can cope with any situation.

We would have absolutely no hesitation at all in recommending them to anyone including friends of ours with much loved and cared for show dogs. We would have them back again in a split second.

Please look no further, you will not get anyone better.

My husband and I travelled to Austria for a six week vacation (from November 29th 2010) and Ali and Clive were able to house sit for us while we were away.

During this time Ali and Clive cared for our beloved Bull Mastiff Banjo. He is 18 months old and weighs over 50kg. Despite his weight Banjo is very active and needs a lot of attention. 

Ali and Clive took very good care of Banjo and supplied us with photos and videos while we were away. This gave us peace of mind and we were able to enjoy our holidays. Banjo was very happy and in very good condition on our return.

Ali and Clive also took good care of our 3 bedroom home and maintained our gardens and the pool. Our home was kept clean, our mail collected and the gardens were tidy. Upon our return, we found everything in great order, and we were able to settle easily back into our normal routines.

We were very happy with the care and attention the couple showed to our dog and our property, and we would be pleased and confident to recommend them to anyone for a similar house sitting position. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details.