Heather & Stephen
About Heather & Stephen
I am a freelance writer and my husband, Steve, is a university professor. We are empty nesters (57 and 61) who have downsized from a Cape Cod in the country to a condo in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada—which means we are better situated to devote more time to travel! Steve and I are both former volunteer firefighters, with a situation...
I am a freelance writer and my husband, Steve, is a university professor. We are empty nesters (57 and 61) who have downsized from a Cape Cod in the country to a condo in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada—which means we are better situated to devote more time to travel! Steve and I are both former volunteer firefighters, with a situational awareness of health and safety.
Why we want to house sit
We both have a bit of insatiable wanderlust when it comes to exploring new environs—and are also a little ungrounded without animals, which makes house and pet sitting a perfect fit for us. This year we are looking to get away during the holiday season in December, a popular time for travel; a good time to enjoy another place and cover off the care of pets at the same time.
Our experience
We have looked after pets and homes for friends, family and beyond on numerous occasions.
One of our neighbours, Eva, has a Yorkshire terrier and a Sheltie, who are both blind. She had been looking forward to a two-week trip to the south of France but found out six weeks beforehand that the sitter booked months ago had a change of circumstance and could no longer look after her beloved pets. "The dogs are very serene and sleep a lot ," Eva had said on social media, looking for a replacement. "All they need is love and pats." When I sent her a message privately saying we could do it, that the dogs could stay at home given they knew the layout, she was thrilled: "Oh Heather—you’ve just removed a world of stress from me!!"
Farther afield in both distance and time, in Feb 2015 we were responsible for a farm owned by Shirley and Allan in Hawke's Bay, NZ. There were three cats, four dogs, several (exotic) birds, 30 or so chickens and approx 40 sheep. Plus two elderly pet sheep. In truth, the dogs looked after the sheep (and fortunately a neighbour looked after the unmentioned cattle.) As well as hanging out with the animals we loved having Shirley's library card for our occasional jaunts to a cafe in town.
We were happy to talk to Shirley and Allan daily or whenever they called to reflect on the day's activities; otherwise we typically provide regular updates with photos by email or text—whatever suits to offer comfort.
As a volunteer, I provide care for cats pre and post surgery in an ongoing TNR (trap, neuter/spay, return) program in my city, helping to reduce the outdoor cat overpopulation. All of which is to say I am not afraid to get my hands dirty, if warranted.
Reviews (3)
-
Lynne - Asheville, North Carolina, United States
13 December - 27 December 2018
Heather and Steve are simply WONDERFUL pet and house sitters. We were so happy to have them stay at our home for two weeks and wished we could have spent more time with them personally. Heather is a terrific photographer and writer and sent photos and commentary about our two cats almost on a d...
Heather and Steve are simply WONDERFUL pet and house sitters. We were so happy to have them stay at our home for two weeks and wished we could have spent more time with them personally. Heather is a terrific photographer and writer and sent photos and commentary about our two cats almost on a daily basis. These sitters seemed to enjoy their travel and time here in Asheville very much, and that also made us feel great about their stay. Conscientious, responsible, friendly, neat and great communicators. How good is all that? As I said, simply WONDERFUL!
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
-
Brian - Boston, Massachusetts, United States
15 December - 27 December 2017
Heather and Stephen were wonderful: communicative, thoughtful, responsible, kind, and friendly from the first introductory call until after the stay watching over our house and cat Zipper. Their love for animals was clear, and Zipper was very well taken care of. The house and yard were also in...
Heather and Stephen were wonderful: communicative, thoughtful, responsible, kind, and friendly from the first introductory call until after the stay watching over our house and cat Zipper. Their love for animals was clear, and Zipper was very well taken care of. The house and yard were also in great condition. We would be delighted to invite them back in the future!
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
-
Kevin & Sheila - Montpellier, France
12 February - 15 March 2017
Heather and Stephen did an excellent job. They were conscientious and cared well for both our cat, Mr. Darcy, and our home. We'd be happy to have them sit for us again.
Heather and Stephen did an excellent job. They were conscientious and cared well for both our cat, Mr. Darcy, and our home. We'd be happy to have them sit for us again.
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
About Heather & Stephen
I am a freelance writer and my husband, Steve, is a university professor. We are empty nesters (57 and 61) who have downsized from a Cape Cod in the country to a condo in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada—which means we are better situated to devote more time to travel! Steve and I are both former volunteer firefighters, with a situational awareness of health and safety.
I am a freelance writer and my husband, Steve, is a university professor. We are empty nesters (57 and 61) who have downsized from a Cape Cod in the country to a condo in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada—which means we are better situated to devote more time to travel! Steve and I are both former volunteer firefighters, with a situational awareness of health and safety.
Why we want to house sit
We both have a bit of insatiable wanderlust when it comes to exploring new environs—and are also a little ungrounded without animals, which makes house and pet sitting a perfect fit for us. This year we are looking to get away during the holiday season in December, a popular time for travel; a good time to enjoy another place and cover off the care of pets at the same time.
Our experience
We have looked after pets and homes for friends, family and beyond on numerous occasions.
One of our neighbours, Eva, has a Yorkshire terrier and a Sheltie, who are both blind. She had been looking forward to a two-week trip to the south of France but found out six weeks beforehand that the sitter booked months ago had a change of circumstance and could no longer look after her beloved pets. "The dogs are very serene and sleep a lot ," Eva had said on social media, looking for a replacement. "All they need is love and pats." When I sent her a message privately saying we could do it, that the dogs could stay at home given they knew the layout, she was thrilled: "Oh Heather—you’ve just removed a world of stress from me!!"
Farther afield in both distance and time, in Feb 2015 we were responsible for a farm owned by Shirley and Allan in Hawke's Bay, NZ. There were three cats, four dogs, several (exotic) birds, 30 or so chickens and approx 40 sheep. Plus two elderly pet sheep. In truth, the dogs looked after the sheep (and fortunately a neighbour looked after the unmentioned cattle.) As well as hanging out with the animals we loved having Shirley's library card for our occasional jaunts to a cafe in town.
We were happy to talk to Shirley and Allan daily or whenever they called to reflect on the day's activities; otherwise we typically provide regular updates with photos by email or text—whatever suits to offer comfort.
As a volunteer, I provide care for cats pre and post surgery in an ongoing TNR (trap, neuter/spay, return) program in my city, helping to reduce the outdoor cat overpopulation. All of which is to say I am not afraid to get my hands dirty, if warranted.
Verifications
Verification level
Basic level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (1)
Animal Care Experience
-
Dogs
-
Cats
-
Poultry
-
Farm animals
-
Bird
-
Small pet
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Heather and Stephen have done 3 house sits since 2016
-
AshevilleUnited StatesDec 2018 -
BostonUnited StatesDec 2017 -
MontpellierFranceFeb - Mar 2017
