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.

If you are lucky enough to have Clive and Ali pet sit for you, you are in for a real treat.  They are a delightful, conscientious, and professional couple.

On our trip they gave us regular updates.  Ali even discovered our dog Ayla had worms and they took the initiative to call the Vet and get her medication.

When we returned the house was spotless, sheets washed, and Ayla was a happy dog. They had even bought her treats!

​We hope our paths cross again as they are the best pet sitters we’ve had. 

77

Extract from post sit email

Clive and Ali came for a second time to care for Grace and Isabel, our two Labradors, so that we could visit family in the states for a fortnight.

Our ‘girls’ were obviously very happy to see them again and we left knowing they were in good hands.

While we were away our plans changed suddenly and we had to return to the UK for a business meeting. We were home for a few days then left again.

Clive and Ali were wonderfully accommodating and flexible during this stressful period, taking the dogs with them to stay in our tiny holiday cottage so that we didn’t have to worry about them.

​We hope that Clive and Ali continue their nomadic life for some years to come. They are not only the best house/dog sitters we could ever ask for, they are genuinely lovely people and we all look forward to seeing more of them.

Clive and Ali came for a month to care for our two Labradors whilst my husband and I were in Africa. From our earliest emails and first ‘meeting’ on Skype I had the feeling that all would be well, which was very important given we would be out of reach for most of the month. 

A couple of weeks before I was due to leave Clive came to meet me and see the house, discuss arrangements, schedules etc and stayed for most of the day, which included a dog walk where clearly he immediately bonded with our ‘girls’ and I felt my initial impressions were spot on.  

​Clive and Ali came and house sat for us for the second time in January for 3 weeks.  Our two dogs greeted them enthusiastically and obviously remembered them.  We returned to the most beautifully cleaned house and dogs who were content, happy and beautifully cleaned too.

Clive and Ali kept in touch with us while we were away and it was lovely to see a video of our dogs playing in the park with them via e-mail.

​They coped with a blocked drain without fuss only informing us on our return.  It’s so nice to return to a warm house with the dogs in it and some basic essentials after a 24 hour journey knowing you can just relax rather than dash around.

We have recommended Clive and Ali to friends as they are extremely professional and care very much about their job.  They are currently undertaking a sit at some friends locally.  They are returning to us in September for another four weeks and we would have no hesitation in recommending them.

If you’re new to house sitters, give it a try with Clive and Ali as they understand what works about housesitting.  It is no exaggeration to say that we can allow ourselves to travel for longer periods knowing that all is taken care of at home.

Clive and Ali have our contact details and we’re more than willing to speak to or e-mail replies to people who want references.

79, 54, 48, 40, 21

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.

What was great:

• Communication before the dates was quick and easy.  I never felt that they would back out or leave us hanging.
  
• Knowledge of usual expectations.  They knew more about what I wanted than I did. Really refreshing.
  

What was FANTASTIC:

• Communication during the time we were gone.  They made video updates for us and sent them to us while we were away!  Seriously!!!  It took so much worry off our shoulders…you have no idea.
  
• Cleanliness.  They left the house in better shape than we gave it to them.  And we cleaned the daylights out of the house before we left.  Our place isn't easy to keep clean either!  Especially with our dog and the beach and all the dirt that comes in.  
  
• Conversation.  Really nice to chat with them.  Very friendly and open. Approachable and sincere.
  

What was above and beyond any expectation:

• The professionalism and seriousness in which they took care of our dog.  I can't stress this enough - they look at pet sitting as a very serious responsibility and I felt that they lavished our dog with genuine affection.  Not fake, or "for us."  Our girl clearly took to them, was comfortable with them and didn't show signs of any stress at all when we returned.  They followed her schedule to a "T" and really concentrated on her as the focus of their stay.  Not to "visit" or play "tourist."  It was so different from any other pet sitter we've ever had.  
  

All this being said, we would PAY Clive and Ali to watch our girl.  They are worth it by far and if you have the opportunity to have them house/pet sit for you, consider yourself more than just lucky.  Consider it a privilege.  Mahalo and Aloha!

Denise and Henrik Van Rzyin

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!