Sara & Juergen
Sara & Juergen
Responsible, trilingual, mature house-sitters who love animals
About Sara & Juergen
UPDATE (October 2018): We will only be available to sit locally (in or near Munich) until Spring 2019. If you are not located in or near Munich, please reach out to us again anytime after May 2019. Thanks to all of the wonderful pet owners who contact us regularly with requests: We wish we could stay with and care for all of your lovely animals!...
UPDATE (October 2018): We will only be available to sit locally (in or near Munich) until Spring 2019. If you are not located in or near Munich, please reach out to us again anytime after May 2019. Thanks to all of the wonderful pet owners who contact us regularly with requests: We wish we could stay with and care for all of your lovely animals!
Now, about us: We both have traveled extensively and lived in countries other than our own for years at a time. I (Sara) have taught writing, editing, yoga, and fitness over the past 22 years and beginning in 2019 I am transitioning back to the work I love most: emotional and physical health and wellness coaching. Juergen works in the Munich area, and he will be traveling less because of it in the years to come. We both love to travel AND we love animals, and we look forward to watching over your property and taking great care of your animals while you are away, so that you have every confidence that all is well and can thoroughly enjoy your holiday.
Unlike many sitters, we take our role and responsibilities as sitters seriously and are not looking for a "free vacation." Thus, we prefer to do an even exchange (we provide you total peace of mind and excellent care of your pets and property in exchange for housing and utilities). But if you feel an additional fee is needed to cover high heating costs during a long-term sit, for example, please do tell us *in advance*. We can work with just about any fair arrangement as long as we know up front what our costs will be.
One thing you might like to know is that we pride ourselves on our tidiness. It's a personal endeavor of ours to have home owners return home to a shiny, clean home (and happy pets!), and we both make sure that gets done. Because the last thing you want to do when you return from traveling is clean your house or have to deal with someone else's mess. (On a side note, the last thing we both want is to sit in a messy, unkept home, too!)
Also, we do NOT smoke and we only care for pets in NON-smoking homes.
***Note that much of the feedback listed on this site is just for me (Sara), because I had been house-sitting solo up until we got married, and recently I have been doing more pet-sits alone because I have more flexibility to travel than J does. We did several sits together (in addition to those below) for which we don't have any written references; just ask us if you wish to see more references for Juergen.
Why we want to house sit
Our introduction says most of it: I can work anywhere with reliable internet service, and we both simply love animals. Personally, I have been told that I have an incredible eye for detail: When something needs caring for at your property, I'll notice it and take care of it. This quality is also useful when caring for animals: I realize straight away if a horse, dog, or cat is limping, or if a chicken is off her normal routine. Likewise, Juergen is a master of thinking of everything at once, so small details are not lost even while looking at the big picture (this skill likely comes from his training in building and cabinet-making: the whole AND the parts need equal attention). We would like to use our innate skills to help others rest easy while they leave their pets for a holiday, and we love to explore new parts of the world at the same time. It's really a win-win for both of us and the property/pet owners.
In addition, we recently settled into our first home as a married couple, but we still can't stop exploring new places and meeting new pets. I, especially, have itchy feet. Once a traveler, always a traveler, I guess!
Our experience
We have pet-sat together already in France, Italy, the UK, and Germany. I (Sara) have traveled and house/pet-sat for friends and "just-made" friends while in Italy, Ireland, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, and the USA, and I love all animals (although I have loved cats and horses since I was a baby). Juergen was an enthusiastic dog owner for many years, and he now sees that cats are totally cool since we sat for some lovable ones together--and cats simply adore him! And because of all of my phenomenal sitting experience, I have become one of those annoying people who stops people on the sidewalk to ask them about their dogs, tell them how beautiful the dog is, and get in a few loving head-pats for the dog if the owner allows.
In addition to simply loving being with animals, we both adapt easily to new places, we both have a lot of experience with older pets (and we love them so much), and we both have a "can do" attitude, even when we are in a new situation. My communication skills are top-notch (given that I hold an advanced degree in such, and I have taught writing for many years) and Juergen and I can speak English, German, and Italian, while understanding French enough to get by. Clear communication and a willingness to adapt to local ways of living are probably the most important qualities of a great house-sitter--next to responsibility, maturity, and a deep caring and respect for other people and animals, which we also have in spades. We want to be good neighbors at all times.
Reviews (21)
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Sophie - Haar, Germany
03 November - 04 November 2018
Sara and Juergen have been best in class dog sitter for us ! First of all, they are very easy to communicate with and they were very reliable. They took very well care of our dog Douy by trying to stick as much as possible to his daily routine and by walking regularly with him. They also managed ...
Sara and Juergen have been best in class dog sitter for us ! First of all, they are very easy to communicate with and they were very reliable. They took very well care of our dog Douy by trying to stick as much as possible to his daily routine and by walking regularly with him. They also managed very well our house : when we came back from our trip, the house was very clean and everything was perfectly like it was before. I would highly recommend Sara & Juergen to anyone who is looking for responsible pet/house sitter !
- 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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Martina - Dublin, Ireland
21 September - 30 September 2018
Sara was a fantastic house and pet sitter. Great commutation and gave frequent updates and pictures of my cats.
I recommend Sara and would be delighted to have her back to our home.Sara was a fantastic house and pet sitter. Great commutation and gave frequent updates and pictures of my cats.
I recommend Sara and would be delighted to have her back to our home.- 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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Meleni - Walton-on-Thames, United Kingdom
30 August - 06 September 2018
I’m so grateful to Sara for her care of Lily, my home and my plants whilst I was away. I came home to a very contented, happy cat in a spotless home. There really is no greater comfort when you’re away. Sara gave me complete confidence that she had everything under control and that’s exactly how ...
I’m so grateful to Sara for her care of Lily, my home and my plants whilst I was away. I came home to a very contented, happy cat in a spotless home. There really is no greater comfort when you’re away. Sara gave me complete confidence that she had everything under control and that’s exactly how it was. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Thank you Sara!
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
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About Sara & Juergen
UPDATE (October 2018): We will only be available to sit locally (in or near Munich) until Spring 2019. If you are not located in or near Munich, please reach out to us again anytime after May 2019. Thanks to all of the wonderful pet owners who contact us regularly with requests: We wish we could stay with and care for all of your lovely animals!
Now, about us: We both have traveled extensively and lived in countries other than our own for years at a time. I (Sara) have taught writing, editing, yoga, and fitness over the past 22 years and beginning in 2019 I am transitioning back to the work I love most: emotional and physical health and wellness coaching. Juergen works in the Munich area, and he will be traveling less because of it in the years to come. We both love to travel AND we love animals, and we look forward to watching over your property and taking great care of your animals......
UPDATE (October 2018): We will only be available to sit locally (in or near Munich) until Spring 2019. If you are not located in or near Munich, please reach out to us again anytime after May 2019. Thanks to all of the wonderful pet owners who contact us regularly with requests: We wish we could stay with and care for all of your lovely animals!
Now, about us: We both have traveled extensively and lived in countries other than our own for years at a time. I (Sara) have taught writing, editing, yoga, and fitness over the past 22 years and beginning in 2019 I am transitioning back to the work I love most: emotional and physical health and wellness coaching. Juergen works in the Munich area, and he will be traveling less because of it in the years to come. We both love to travel AND we love animals, and we look forward to watching over your property and taking great care of your animals while you are away, so that you have every confidence that all is well and can thoroughly enjoy your holiday.
Unlike many sitters, we take our role and responsibilities as sitters seriously and are not looking for a "free vacation." Thus, we prefer to do an even exchange (we provide you total peace of mind and excellent care of your pets and property in exchange for housing and utilities). But if you feel an additional fee is needed to cover high heating costs during a long-term sit, for example, please do tell us *in advance*. We can work with just about any fair arrangement as long as we know up front what our costs will be.
One thing you might like to know is that we pride ourselves on our tidiness. It's a personal endeavor of ours to have home owners return home to a shiny, clean home (and happy pets!), and we both make sure that gets done. Because the last thing you want to do when you return from traveling is clean your house or have to deal with someone else's mess. (On a side note, the last thing we both want is to sit in a messy, unkept home, too!)
Also, we do NOT smoke and we only care for pets in NON-smoking homes.
***Note that much of the feedback listed on this site is just for me (Sara), because I had been house-sitting solo up until we got married, and recently I have been doing more pet-sits alone because I have more flexibility to travel than J does. We did several sits together (in addition to those below) for which we don't have any written references; just ask us if you wish to see more references for Juergen.
Why we want to house sit
Our introduction says most of it: I can work anywhere with reliable internet service, and we both simply love animals. Personally, I have been told that I have an incredible eye for detail: When something needs caring for at your property, I'll notice it and take care of it. This quality is also useful when caring for animals: I realize straight away if a horse, dog, or cat is limping, or if a chicken is off her normal routine. Likewise, Juergen is a master of thinking of everything at once, so small details are not lost even while looking at the big picture (this skill likely comes from his training in building and cabinet-making: the whole AND the parts need equal attention). We would like to use our innate skills to help others rest easy while they leave their pets for a holiday, and we love to explore new parts of the world at the same time. It's really a win-win for both of us and the property/pet owners.
In addition, we recently settled into our first home as a married couple, but we still can't stop exploring new places and meeting new pets. I, especially, have itchy feet. Once a traveler, always a traveler, I guess!
Our experience
We have pet-sat together already in France, Italy, the UK, and Germany. I (Sara) have traveled and house/pet-sat for friends and "just-made" friends while in Italy, Ireland, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, and the USA, and I love all animals (although I have loved cats and horses since I was a baby). Juergen was an enthusiastic dog owner for many years, and he now sees that cats are totally cool since we sat for some lovable ones together--and cats simply adore him! And because of all of my phenomenal sitting experience, I have become one of those annoying people who stops people on the sidewalk to ask them about their dogs, tell them how beautiful the dog is, and get in a few loving head-pats for the dog if the owner allows.
In addition to simply loving being with animals, we both adapt easily to new places, we both have a lot of experience with older pets (and we love them so much), and we both have a "can do" attitude, even when we are in a new situation. My communication skills are top-notch (given that I hold an advanced degree in such, and I have taught writing for many years) and Juergen and I can speak English, German, and Italian, while understanding French enough to get by. Clear communication and a willingness to adapt to local ways of living are probably the most important qualities of a great house-sitter--next to responsibility, maturity, and a deep caring and respect for other people and animals, which we also have in spades. We want to be good neighbors at all times.
Verifications
Verification level
Standard level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (5), Identity & Document Check
All Standard Verification checks are carried out by a specialist 3rd Party
Animal Care Experience
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Dogs
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Cats
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Horses
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Poultry
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Sara and Juergen have done 22 house sits since 2013
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HaarGermanyNov 2018 -
DublinIrelandSep 2018
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Walton-on-ThamesUnited KingdomAug - Sep 2018 -
MunichGermanyJul - Aug 2018 -
EvanstonUnited StatesMay 2018 -
ChicagoUnited StatesApr 2018 -
CaerphillyUnited KingdomMar 2018 -
WokinghamUnited KingdomMar 2018 -
Moreton in MarshUnited KingdomDec 2017 - Jan 2018 -
EveshamUnited KingdomDec 2017 -
CheltenhamUnited KingdomDec 2017 -
LandshutGermanyAug - Sep 2017 -
ZürichSwitzerlandJul 2017 -
Bad IschlAustriaJun - Jul 2017 -
Frankfurt am MainGermanyApr 2017 -
HaileyUnited StatesDec 2016 - Jan 2017 -
MunichGermanyAug - Sep 2016 -
MunichGermanyMar - Apr 2016 -
Clermont-l’HéraultFranceFeb 2016 -
RipatransoneItalyDec 2014 -
CharlestonUnited StatesApr 2014 -
MontclairUnited StatesJan 2014
