Animal & 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 charge for pet-sitting, but it's still way cheaper than putting your dog/cat in a kennel or animal boarding place, with lots more love and attention! :)

*AWAY December 19th to 30th so cannot take on any sits during this time.

I've been house sitting and pet sitting for 15 + years at various residences for friends and acquaintances and I absolutely love animals! I'm 100 % reliable and responsible, tidy and mature plus super experienced with looking after people's homes and animals.

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.

Currently I am working from home several days a week in the legal sector, so I need access to good Wifi.

I also teach yoga one to two nights a week, and work weekends in my kids' party business outside the home. Even though I can be busy, I always make plenty of time to play and connect with pets.

*I am not available for 24/7 pet care. If the sit is going to heavily interfere with my usual life or there are dramatic requests, I won't take it on, sorry.

Police check and WWC available. Written references below!

PET-SITTING FEES: WHAT IS COVERED

After many years of free house-sitting and having done a total of around 60 house-sits, I now consider myself a professional sitter and I charge a reasonable fee, depending on the animals and their requirements.

The fee includes everything - one initial meeting to go over what's required, moving in and out of the house which takes time, all animal care, one hour-long walk a day for dogs or a couple of shorter walks, lots of playtime (about an hour a day), 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: UPDATED 9/10/24

I now charge $30 a night for the first dog or$15 for the first cat. This price includes 1 to 2 walks for dogs and playtime!
Then additional animals are - $20 per extra dog or $10 per extra cat. I also give a decent discount on sits of 21 days or more and am happy to negotiate of course, if you are going away for a longer time and/or have more low maintenance pets.

I can usually manage two 30 minute walks a day, but sometimes only get time for one in the morning before work, or if it's raining heavily. DM me for a quote :) it may vary depending on the requirements.

KINDS OF ANIMALS
Happy to look after any kinds of animals, if I have had experience with them! I prefer dogs that are small to medium, including labs! I don't really want to take care of large dogs, or reactive dogs. I really like cats too, again prefer ones that are non-aggressive and are toilet-trained.

BED TIME
I'm happy to have some 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.
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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!

**Important! Please inform me if you have internal security cameras.
It's also important to communicate any potential issues with a sitter that may seriously impact their stay.

I'm also open to taking on well-paid sits in NSW! Dm for a quote).

Thanks for reading!!!

Testimonial 1
Hi Shannon, just wanted to say a huge thank you for taking such great care of Kosmo and our home. Kosmo seems so settled and happy & the house is spotless :) Kylie & Joe xxx

Testimonial 2
"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.

🐕❤️ FUN FACT! The three chocolate labs I've looked after many times (only 1 pictured now) were called Poppy George, Poppy and George! Also Winnie the black lab. And a blue heeler and a kelpie (not pictured here)
Cats pictured here are Max, Perri, Botsi and then Kosmo the labradoodle. I have many more photos! Read more...