Dean & Sharon
Dean & Sharon
Retired plumber/electrician and teacher, avid gardeners, animal enthusiasts
About Dean & Sharon
Dean and I live in the mountains of New Mexico in a small town on the Continental Divide Trail and at the gateway to the Gila Wilderness. We hike, garden, play pickleball, and are actively involved in the issues that shape our community and environment. We moved here from rural Alaska nearly four decades ago and quickly made it home, finding a ...
Dean and I live in the mountains of New Mexico in a small town on the Continental Divide Trail and at the gateway to the Gila Wilderness. We hike, garden, play pickleball, and are actively involved in the issues that shape our community and environment. We moved here from rural Alaska nearly four decades ago and quickly made it home, finding a diverse and supportive community in which to raise our two children.
Dean grew up on an Iowa farm and I grew up with pets in cities, so we have diverse animal care skills. We both love dogs and cats and enjoy encountering (mostly from a distance) the birds and other wildlife here in New Mexico. Although we don't have pets of our own anymore, we indulge ourselves in one neighbor's big orange tomcat named Nimrod and another one's remarkably furry prima dona girlcat named Rosie. Nimrod has staked out our back bedroom as his, while Rosie prefers to keep her visits to belly rubs in the back yard.
We haven't traveled outside the U.S. much, but Dean did work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica for 13 years and made many trips through New Zealand. We have a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson in NYC, which is one reason we would like to find a sit there. With family scattered far and wide, we have found that grand babies grow up much too quickly and would like to see him more often.
We are attentive to the details of caring for a home and the critters that make it a home, and we believe that we have the heart and skills to help make your time away from home less stressful.
Why we want to house sit
We enjoy traveling together, and house and pet sitting helps to make it affordable. We currently have no pets of our own; however, having animals in our life is something that we miss. The opportunity to meet and care for pets allows us to both travel and share the comfort of these loving animal companions.
Our experience
Having grown up on an Iowa farm, Dean has some residual skills with poultry and livestock. His skills as a steamfitter, acquired in the U.S. Navy, make him a handy guy to have if there is a plumbing problem, as do his electrical and HVAC skills. My skills as a teacher don't translate as obviously into house sitter, but my other career as wife and mother do. I am organized and know how to make a list and get things done, and I value a clean and orderly living space. I'm good with houseplants and garden extensively, mostly for the fresh, beautiful veggies it gives us. I love both dogs and cats and find their company enjoyable and uplifting. Over the past 35 years, I have cared for the pets of many of our friends. Many of these same pets I count as friends as well. When Satchmo, a sweet yellow lab, was at the end of his life, his owner called for me to come say goodbye. I lay on his bed with him, stroking his chin and head and letting him know how much I loved him for his goofy exuberance, his stubborn refusals to do all sorts of things, and his soul-filled eyes that said how much he loved people, no exceptions. We are new to house and pet sitting, but I believe we bring with us both the human and practical skills to do a good job.
External references (1)
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Susan Rice - Character Reference
31 January 2019
Dean, and his wife Sharon, have been trusted friends for over 25 years. They are totally reliable and responsible pet sitters. We have had a total of 2 dogs and 3 cats over the years and Dean and Sharon have loved them as their own. Both are organized and self sufficient humans, able to deal with...
Dean, and his wife Sharon, have been trusted friends for over 25 years. They are totally reliable and responsible pet sitters. We have had a total of 2 dogs and 3 cats over the years and Dean and Sharon have loved them as their own. Both are organized and self sufficient humans, able to deal with what ever situations arise. My husband and I travel extensively overseas, and are often gone over a month at a time. With great communication, any "emergencies" have been quickly resolved, and we always return home to happy pets and a clean and tidy house. I recommend them unconditionally, and would give them a 10 if I could... but a 5 is my star rating.
- 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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About Dean & Sharon
Dean and I live in the mountains of New Mexico in a small town on the Continental Divide Trail and at the gateway to the Gila Wilderness. We hike, garden, play pickleball, and are actively involved in the issues that shape our community and environment. We moved here from rural Alaska nearly four decades ago and quickly made it home, finding a diverse and supportive community in which to raise our two children.
Dean grew up on an Iowa farm and I grew up with pets in cities, so we have diverse animal care skills. We both love dogs and cats and enjoy encountering (mostly from a distance) the birds and other wildlife here in New Mexico. Although we don't have pets of our own anymore, we indulge ourselves in one neighbor's big orange tomcat named Nimrod and another one's remarkably furry prima dona girlcat named Rosie. Nimrod has staked out our back bedroom as his, while Rosie prefers t......
Dean and I live in the mountains of New Mexico in a small town on the Continental Divide Trail and at the gateway to the Gila Wilderness. We hike, garden, play pickleball, and are actively involved in the issues that shape our community and environment. We moved here from rural Alaska nearly four decades ago and quickly made it home, finding a diverse and supportive community in which to raise our two children.
Dean grew up on an Iowa farm and I grew up with pets in cities, so we have diverse animal care skills. We both love dogs and cats and enjoy encountering (mostly from a distance) the birds and other wildlife here in New Mexico. Although we don't have pets of our own anymore, we indulge ourselves in one neighbor's big orange tomcat named Nimrod and another one's remarkably furry prima dona girlcat named Rosie. Nimrod has staked out our back bedroom as his, while Rosie prefers to keep her visits to belly rubs in the back yard.
We haven't traveled outside the U.S. much, but Dean did work at McMurdo Station in Antarctica for 13 years and made many trips through New Zealand. We have a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson in NYC, which is one reason we would like to find a sit there. With family scattered far and wide, we have found that grand babies grow up much too quickly and would like to see him more often.
We are attentive to the details of caring for a home and the critters that make it a home, and we believe that we have the heart and skills to help make your time away from home less stressful.
Why we want to house sit
We enjoy traveling together, and house and pet sitting helps to make it affordable. We currently have no pets of our own; however, having animals in our life is something that we miss. The opportunity to meet and care for pets allows us to both travel and share the comfort of these loving animal companions.
Our experience
Having grown up on an Iowa farm, Dean has some residual skills with poultry and livestock. His skills as a steamfitter, acquired in the U.S. Navy, make him a handy guy to have if there is a plumbing problem, as do his electrical and HVAC skills. My skills as a teacher don't translate as obviously into house sitter, but my other career as wife and mother do. I am organized and know how to make a list and get things done, and I value a clean and orderly living space. I'm good with houseplants and garden extensively, mostly for the fresh, beautiful veggies it gives us. I love both dogs and cats and find their company enjoyable and uplifting. Over the past 35 years, I have cared for the pets of many of our friends. Many of these same pets I count as friends as well. When Satchmo, a sweet yellow lab, was at the end of his life, his owner called for me to come say goodbye. I lay on his bed with him, stroking his chin and head and letting him know how much I loved him for his goofy exuberance, his stubborn refusals to do all sorts of things, and his soul-filled eyes that said how much he loved people, no exceptions. We are new to house and pet sitting, but I believe we bring with us both the human and practical skills to do a good job.
Verifications
Verification level
Standard level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (1), 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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Poultry
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Farm animals
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Small pet
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
