Animal and nature lover

More information about this house sitter

Hi there, I'm Shannon. I'm an animal lover, professional house and pet-sitter and enjoy nature and taking in new scenery. I'm based in Melbourne and currently live in the south-east.

I've been house sitting and pet sitting for 10 + years at various residences for friends and acquaintances and I absolutely love animals! Yes, I do charge but it's a very affordable fee - see below!

While I can't promise to teach your dog new tricks or toilet train your cat on a human loo (Yes, have been asked this before!!) I will give your animals lots of love and attention. I am great at taking care of pets in a general sense, am empathetic to their needs, and am happy to provide references to demonstrate that.

Police check and WWC available. Written reference of my regular client is attached below.

Currently I am working from home several days a week in the legal sector, so I need access to good Wifi. I also work as a yoga teacher, and work weekends in my kids' business outside the home. I'd be at the home much of the time, but can't promise to be there 24/7.

PET-SITTING FEES:
After many years of free house-sitting, I now charge a fee, depending on the animals and their requirements.

The fee includes everything- meetings to go over what's required, moving in and out of the house, all animal care during the sit, one hour-long walk a day for dogs, lots of playtime, feeding, cleaning up after animals, security for your home and watering plants and garden, collecting mail, keeping the place clean, potential errands/vet trips - hopefully not required!

FEE DETAILS:
I charge $25 a night for a dog or $15 for a cat.
Additional animals are - $20 per dog or $10 per cat. I don't charge for farm animals, like chooks.

Bed-Time:
I'm happy to have animals sleep on the bed with me if they are okay with that, but if I want some space, it would be great if they have their own bed too.

Dog Walks:
I'm more than happy to walk your dog for up to an hour a day, and play with it as much as possible. I do work though, but usually from home.

Also, though I LOVE dogs, I am a small person and I'm not comfortable walking large or reactive dogs, for safety reasons. Labs and Kelpies, small to medium breeds, or older dogs are all usually fine.

Most of my pet-sitting work is now repeat clients and family friends, organized privately, though occasionally through this site and on a paid website.

I'm happy to discuss in detail more with you and see if the sit is compatible :) I welcome the opportunity to come and meet with you and your pets and we can decide if it's a mutual fit. Looking forward to meeting you.

Lastly I'm not ok with being recorded or watched on internal security cameras in the main areas, bedroom or any hidden cameras. It's come to my attention that these cameras record audio and this makes me uncomfortable.
I do phone counselling sessions as part of my job and so I also need to have client confidentiality. No issues with external cameras.

Testimonial
"Shannon has house-sat for our family on three occasions (now seven). She has lived in our home in Belgrave and provided care and companionship to our dog, two cats and rabbit. Shannon treats our pets with absolute care and attention. They all thrive under her care. Shannon genuinely enjoys her time in our home and neighbors have noted how friendly and conscientious she is.
Shannon also is very tidy and looks after our home well. Shannon gives us peace of mind when we are away, knowing that our home is secure and family pets will be happy and well cared for.
We have no hesitation in recommending Shannon and look forward to booking her for our next family holiday." Excerpt from written reference, from Camilla Radia-George, Belgrave. One Dog, 2 Cats, Rabbit, Chooks. Read more...