Active, Retired, Non Smoking Animal Lovers

Monique & Allan

10 reviews

Join to Invite Monique & Allan

Monique & Allan from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

View All

Photos

Monique & Allan

Active, Retired, Non Smoking Animal Lovers

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

10 reviews

Join to Invite Monique & Allan

Sits for free

About Monique & Allan

We are a fit, non smoking couple, in our early
sixties, who have been house sitting since 2009,
and have excellent references.

Monique is a native of Northern France who resided in Germany for four years and Canada for over 30. She speaks fluent French, English and German, and is competent in Spanish.

Allan is a retired chef de cuisine and has many
interests such as; photography, writing and of
course cooking.

We have owned several homes over the years, as
well as a few rental properties and a Sailboat.

We are now retired, have sold all our property,
and travel full time. We enjoy this lifestyle
very much but--as certified animal lovers—miss
having pets.

House Sitting is, for us, a vacation from travel. We will spend lots of time with your pets and evenings in your home. We never party or stay out late.

Please check out our references if you are
interested in trustworthy, reliable house sitters

Why we want to house sit

Our lifestyle does not allow us to have pets, whom we love, and therefore we welcome the opportunity to care for those of others.

As full time travelers house sitting is not a vacation but the opportunity to have a "home away from home" where we can spend time with the pets and tend to the property.

It is also a way to visit a new "place" but not as tourists. With our language skills we feel very comfortable in foreign countries.

We really like pets and they are our priority when we house sit. We always organize our visits of the area around their walks, feeding and play time.

Our experience

We have done 19 house sits, in 13 homes and five countries.
We have cared for 10 Dogs ranging from puppies to aged, large and small, mutts to purebreds and breeds from Jack Russel to Bouvier. Some required medication, most got long daily walks, and a few were avid swimmers who got taken to the water daily and cleaned up afterwards.

We have cared for 15 different cats up to four at a time. As with the dogs they have ranged across a broad spectrum of ages and breeds. Some required medication to be given orally.

We have also taken care of two aquariums four chickens and two horses.

We have watched over 4 swimming pools. Three had sand filter systems and one a cloth sock. For cleaning them we have used the traditional hand vacuum as well as a barracuda and a tiger shark. We can do chlorine and Ph maintenance, as well as topping up, back washing, cleaning the pump filter and priming it if necessary. We take pride in maintaining a clean pool.

We have cut lawns, both large and small, using electric and gas push mowers as well as a riding mower (which is the only fun way to cut a lawn).

While we are not, personally, avid gardeners. We have now cared for many plants and have learned a great deal about gardening. We have sat vegetable gardens, countless potted plants, award winning back yard gardens and even one on the roof of a garage. Included in this were Roses, Orchids, African Violets, Cacti, etc.

We have owned several properties of our own and once spent four months, away from civilization, on our sailboat. We may not be able to fix everything but know how to monitor equipment and tell when it needs attention (Al is also pretty good with a roll of Duct Tape).

We are discreet, flexible and reliable people who will accommodate whatever pops up and try our very best at all times.

Reviews (10)

Diane - Colima, Mexico

01 August - 15 September 2016

Monique and Allan house sat for us in the country in Colima Mexico and did an excellent job caring for our two dogs. They were here in August and September, two of the rainiest months of the year, and handled it very well. They had use of our car, and handled that very well. They did what was ask... + More

Monique and Allan house sat for us in the country in Colima Mexico and did an excellent job caring for our two dogs. They were here in August and September, two of the rainiest months of the year, and handled it very well. They had use of our car, and handled that very well. They did what was asked of them and more. Thank you Monique and Allan!

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Monique & Allan

Thank you very much Diane and Rogelio for the excellent review. It was a pleasure to take care of your 2 very sweet dogs Emi and Moka. Spending time on your property surrounded by volcanoes and wildlife was interesting. It was a privilege to experience life in all comforts in the authentic surroundings of the Mexican countryside. Thank you for your generosity and for giving us the opportunity to get to know a very special aspect of Mexico. All the best.
Monique and Allan

- Less
Fiona - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

02 July - 18 July 2016

As first time users of this service, we could not have been more pleased with our experience. Monique and Allan looked after our cats with great care as well as the house and garden. We met the day prior to our departure. They asked insightful questions to ensure things were looked after exactly ... + More

As first time users of this service, we could not have been more pleased with our experience. Monique and Allan looked after our cats with great care as well as the house and garden. We met the day prior to our departure. They asked insightful questions to ensure things were looked after exactly as we wanted. While away, we also received very welcome updates by email. We would have no hesitation to have them housesit for us again.

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Monique & Allan

Hello Fiona,
It was a pleasure to house and cats sit for you. Thank you very much for trusting us. We hope to have the opportunity to take care of your home and cats again in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to write a reference about us.
Kind regards.
Monique and Allan

- Less
Yara - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

09 June - 19 June 2016

We were very happy with Monique and Allan as our house-sitters. Our home was spotless and the animals were happy and pampered when we got back! They took great care of our high maintenance bunny as well, going above and beyond to make sure they were doing everything right. We received regular upd... + More

We were very happy with Monique and Allan as our house-sitters. Our home was spotless and the animals were happy and pampered when we got back! They took great care of our high maintenance bunny as well, going above and beyond to make sure they were doing everything right. We received regular updates about his issues and they were very resourceful and took initiative in making sure he was comfortable. We would trust Monique & Allan to care for our pets again any day! It's obvious that they genuinely care and love animals, besides being very respectful and warm people. Thanks so much!

Organised

Reliable

Self-sufficient

Tidy

Pet care

Response from Monique & Allan

Thank you so much Yara and Nick for your great reference. It was the first time for us to take care of a bunny rabbit. We learnt a lot and grew very found of him. Your 2 cats were sweet and no trouble.
We would like to give you 5 stars for preparing your home and the manual for us. Your instructions were clear and thorough, your apartment was very clean. Thank you for all your time. It will be our pleasure to help you out another time and to take care of Fudge, Skip and Milkshake.
Finally, Allan and I think you are very dedicated pet owners and yet still so young and holding full time jobs.
Thank you again for your trust in us with your home and your furry friends.
Monique and Allan

- Less