Ross & Jillian
Ross & Jillian
Recently Retired Active Mature Couple
About Ross & Jillian
Ross (67 Canadian/Australian) and Jillian (61 Australian) are semi-retired professionals; Ross has worked in nature conservation management and Jillian in human resource management for both government and private industry. We love bird watching and walking the dog(s) and giving the cat (s) cuddles.
Ross (67 Canadian/Australian) and Jillian (61 Australian) are semi-retired professionals; Ross has worked in nature conservation management and Jillian in human resource management for both government and private industry. We love bird watching and walking the dog(s) and giving the cat (s) cuddles.
Why we want to house sit
House sitting offers us the opportunity to have a variety of different experiences with the comforts of home and animal companionship. As home owners ourselves, we appreciate looking after another’s home and pets as we would expect our home and pets to be cared for. It also helps us to get to know other people, their communities, and their cultures.
Our experience
We have looked after other people’s homes and pets on many occasions in Australia, Canada, Mexico & US and can provide excellent references. We own our own home in the Australian Alps and appreciate the trust that people place in others in house-minding situations and the expectations they may have. When we recently worked for two years in Canberra for the Australian Government we also leased a garden apartment there and can provide a reference from the owner. In Canberra we cared for our neighbour’s beloved Labrador dog while her mum, a professional sports woman, was away.
We’ve cared for dogs and cats for most of our lives, together with the occasional native orphan animals - mostly wombats and kangaroos. Our last two pets, a 20 year old cat and our 14 year old dog have both gone to where all beautiful friends go when it is time. We miss them very much but looking after other people’s loved pets while their folks are away helps us get our animal fix.
As mature semi-retired professionals, we are responsible people who keep up with domestic duties to ensure that the house and outdoor areas are neat, tidy. Light indoor and outdoor maintenance is part of housekeeping so lawn mowing; gardening etc is all fine (after we walk the dog, or cuddle/play with the cat).
We are reliable, honest and trustworthy. Neither of us have had any criminal convictions and we have both been granted Australian federal government security clearances as part of our work. We have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows by by Rotary International for our services to our community. We have international driver’s licences, and as we live in the mountains we are experienced at driving in snow and ice if necessary. Ross, having grown up in Canada, can even shovel snow if he really has to! Jillian can look after swimming pools, swim like a fish and make a mean sandcastle or snowperson if that’s part of the deal!
She also speaks very basic Spanish, French and German.
We are non-smokers who enjoy a good whisky, a cold beer or a glass of wine. Having lived in both urban and remote environments we are comfortable and flexible about the locations in which we house-sit. We’re friendly and quiet, so we won’t get the neighbours off-side – actually, we’d like to make new friends too.
Reviews (4)
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Stephen - Kuala Rompin, Malaysia
05 June - 02 July 2017
Ross and Jillian were our first HouseSitters; so we were walking into unknown territory, which is not easy when dealing with your treasured home. I can say that our home was in better shape than when we left it; Ross made several valuable improvements in our absence. Jillian was thrown into the d...
Ross and Jillian were our first HouseSitters; so we were walking into unknown territory, which is not easy when dealing with your treasured home. I can say that our home was in better shape than when we left it; Ross made several valuable improvements in our absence. Jillian was thrown into the deep end with our dogs, as Shandy gave birth to 7 puppies on their very first day here. Jillian was truly marvellous with Shandy during the births and caring for her and all the puppies with feeding/etc. We could not have asked for a better 'Mid-wife' for them. Ross and Jillian were really superb in communicating with us during our absence; we felt they were in total control and dealt with all matters arising professionally and efficiently; so we managed to really enjoy our holiday. Ross and Jillian are the real thing - absolutely first class.
- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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Frank - Xcalak, Mexico
07 September 2016
Jillian and Ross have been outstanding house and pet sitters. We recommend them with the highest possible recommendations and would not hesitate to hire them again in the future. We gave them fives in every category as they truly deserve them and if you choose them for your house and/or pet sit, ...
Jillian and Ross have been outstanding house and pet sitters. We recommend them with the highest possible recommendations and would not hesitate to hire them again in the future. We gave them fives in every category as they truly deserve them and if you choose them for your house and/or pet sit, we know you will be as satisfied as we have been. We have had a number of different house sitters over the last four and a half years and most of them have been quite good, even excellent but Jillian and Ross are at the top.
- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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Response from Ross & Jillian
Dear Sherry and Frank. Thank you so much for your positive feedback. We appreciate this and the regular support you have given us during our 6 months of caring for your beautiful property in Mexico in your absence and your two darling dogs whom we have come to love as our own. When we accepted your offer of this assignment we thought we would be in for an adventure, and we weren't disappointed! While the remoteness of the property has at times been a challenge (especially during the hurricane!), we have loved the tranquility and beauty of this special place. We are now experts in pool maintenance, gurus at hurricane-tracking, and reasonable Spanish speakers - well, almost reasonable - thanks to the Mexican workers we have supervised here. Thank you also for providing us with such a pretty, comfortable and well-equipped living space. You've put a lot of thought and care into it, and it does make such a difference to us. And finally, we appreciate the trust you have placed in us by asking us to train the next house-sitters. It will be great to get back to Australia, but we know we will also miss our Mexican home, and especially our dear Sadie and Bella.
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Anne - Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
26 August - 06 September 2015
When we were asked to provide a reference for Jillian, we were very tempted not to - we would just like to keep her for ourselves! She looked after our 2 old collies as if they were her own and clearly they were both completely at ease and comfortable with her. The house was spotless and it was a...
When we were asked to provide a reference for Jillian, we were very tempted not to - we would just like to keep her for ourselves! She looked after our 2 old collies as if they were her own and clearly they were both completely at ease and comfortable with her. The house was spotless and it was a joy to come home to 2 happy dogs. Looking forward to her next visit as are the dogs.
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
About Ross & Jillian
Ross (67 Canadian/Australian) and Jillian (61 Australian) are semi-retired professionals; Ross has worked in nature conservation management and Jillian in human resource management for both government and private industry. We love bird watching and walking the dog(s) and giving the cat (s) cuddles.
Ross (67 Canadian/Australian) and Jillian (61 Australian) are semi-retired professionals; Ross has worked in nature conservation management and Jillian in human resource management for both government and private industry. We love bird watching and walking the dog(s) and giving the cat (s) cuddles.
Why we want to house sit
House sitting offers us the opportunity to have a variety of different experiences with the comforts of home and animal companionship. As home owners ourselves, we appreciate looking after another’s home and pets as we would expect our home and pets to be cared for. It also helps us to get to know other people, their communities, and their cultures.
Our experience
We have looked after other people’s homes and pets on many occasions in Australia, Canada, Mexico & US and can provide excellent references. We own our own home in the Australian Alps and appreciate the trust that people place in others in house-minding situations and the expectations they may have. When we recently worked for two years in Canberra for the Australian Government we also leased a garden apartment there and can provide a reference from the owner. In Canberra we cared for our neighbour’s beloved Labrador dog while her mum, a professional sports woman, was away.
We’ve cared for dogs and cats for most of our lives, together with the occasional native orphan animals - mostly wombats and kangaroos. Our last two pets, a 20 year old cat and our 14 year old dog have both gone to where all beautiful friends go when it is time. We miss them very much but looking after other people’s loved pets while their folks are away helps us get our animal fix.
As mature semi-retired professionals, we are responsible people who keep up with domestic duties to ensure that the house and outdoor areas are neat, tidy. Light indoor and outdoor maintenance is part of housekeeping so lawn mowing; gardening etc is all fine (after we walk the dog, or cuddle/play with the cat).
We are reliable, honest and trustworthy. Neither of us have had any criminal convictions and we have both been granted Australian federal government security clearances as part of our work. We have been recognised as Paul Harris Fellows by by Rotary International for our services to our community. We have international driver’s licences, and as we live in the mountains we are experienced at driving in snow and ice if necessary. Ross, having grown up in Canada, can even shovel snow if he really has to! Jillian can look after swimming pools, swim like a fish and make a mean sandcastle or snowperson if that’s part of the deal!
She also speaks very basic Spanish, French and German.
We are non-smokers who enjoy a good whisky, a cold beer or a glass of wine. Having lived in both urban and remote environments we are comfortable and flexible about the locations in which we house-sit. We’re friendly and quiet, so we won’t get the neighbours off-side – actually, we’d like to make new friends too.
Verifications
Verification level
Standard level
Animal Care Experience
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Dogs
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Cats
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Horses
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Poultry
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Farm animals
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Bird
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Ross and Jillian have done 4 house sits since 2014
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Kuala RompinMalaysiaJun - Jul 2017 -
XcalakMexicoSep 2016 -
CanberraAustraliaSep 2015 -
CanberraAustraliaAug - Sep 2015
