Stacy & Kelly

I genuinely enjoy traveling while loving and caring for other people’s pets which I've been doing for over 13years. I extract great joy from pet companionship (giving and receiving love from my furry friends). My partner Kelly often joins me on my house & pet sits and we really enjoy sitting together. We will be pet/house sitting together this fall, winter and into spring next year.

Biography:
I grew up in a small town in Manitoba with 2 sisters, one brother, and always a feline friend. I was extremely fortunate to have been raised with a strong understanding of integrity, morals, values and an incredible sense of grounded self-worth. Some of my most cherished memories are of the many furry friends I grew up with. I've always had a strong connection with animals, a gift I would consider to be one of my greatest blessings.

I worked my way through University getting my Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems in Texas. I lived in the States for 16yrs, 7yrs of those years working at Travelocity.com in Dallas as a Web Designer/Producer before I moved back to Manitoba to pursue Entrepreneurship and re-connect with my parents. What a blessing that was, because not long after, my Mom developed dementia and I had the opportunity to help my Dad care-give for her for many years. Thankfully Dad and I were able to keep her at home until near the end. She passed in the fall of 2019. Dad and I were both able to be with her to her last breath. Mom's legacy was 'unconditional love' and I feel fortunate for the opportunity to have been there for her after everything she had given me...so much love. Since Mom passed, I have been looking for more pet and house sits that allow me to travel around Canada now that I no longer have a parent to help care for. And I am fortunate to have my Dad's beautiful lakehouse as a home-base to stay in between sits and especially the summer which is beautiful on lake Winnipeg.
For years now I have been focusing on Video Production, allowing me the freedom to work from 'home' while traveling around, caring for other people's pets and homes.
I specialize in 'extended stay' 'live-in' Pet and House Sitting.

I love to walk daily, spend a lot of time outdoors exercising and love being in nature. I earned my certification in Massage Therapy in Dallas, and another certification in Fitness Instruction in Manitoba while building a large local clientele for pet and house sitting. I have extensive house & pet sitting experience, with many clients, and I'm happy to give many references upon request.

For 13yrs I have been and mostly am still am charging for my local professional pet & house sitting services for which I am usually booked about 60% of the year. My rates are flexible and are based on how much work is required with the home and the pets, as well as a sliding scale of sit-desirability, which depends on what I'm looking for at the time.
So far I've only taken 2 sits that I didn't charge for because it fit into my travel plans.
For the right sit I am open to an equal 'exchange' without any monetary charge to you. A desirable environment for me to sit is in a home that is loved and cared for with animals that are trained and well loved.
*A big plus is if you have a vehicle we can use if we're flying to you.

Growing up, Mom & Dad strongly instilled the importance of treating other people's property with tremendous respect, something I take great pride in. I keep my personal living space very clean and tidy for incredible mental clarity and I consider myself very responsible.

Pets and Misc:
I follow your routines for your animals to help them feel at ease. I require a description of your pets routines, feeding amounts and schedule, emergency contacts, vet, wifi, etc. It is my practice to keep you (if you like) regularly updated (email or text) on how everything is going. I prefer a non-smoking home and I require a good internet connection for my Freelance work. I love big dogs and had my magnificent 'Gandalf the Great' (large breed chocolate labrador retriever) for 15yrs and I trained him extremely well. But big dogs that need to be taken for walks and who pull on the leash are too hard on my back.
Though when Kelly is with me which he has been more and more, we walk together and he can hold the leash as he's much stronger than me. But if a big dog, I still prefer dogs that are relatively well behaved on a leash if they need to be walked for Kelly's sake.

If you feel we may be a good 'fit' for each other, send me a message. If we feel the same, we can connect by phone or preferably zoom (or some video chat) and take it from there. Ideally meeting you and your pets in person if the sit is close enough to us.

We look forward to hearing from you,
Stacy & Kelly