Wanda Beverly

Hello! Bonjour! Buongiorno! Buenos Dias! Guten tag! Woof woof! Miaow!

My name is Wanda and I love languages! And the people - and animals - who speak them! After all, they are what makes our world wonderful!

I’ll tell you a little about who I am. I'm a single woman in my fifties, and I've been a school teacher for about 25 years. I've lived and taught in a French overseas collectivity as well as in Canada. Because my husband was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, we did some moving around, and so I have owned, lived in and taken care of my family in five different homes of our own. I've loved living in these various cities and towns. I now rent an apartment because I still don't want to settle in any one place just yet. House/petsitting has become my focus.

When I first heard about house/petsitting a couple of years ago, my first thought was, "Wow! I'm going to do that!" EVERYTHING about it is exciting to me! I LOVE to travel and I want to go everywhere! As you can probably tell from my first introduction above, my passions are people, languages, cultures and foods, and of course traveling so that I can experience all of these. I want to see the world and that absolutely includes Canada! I remember one time a long time ago when I was flying somewhere in Canada. I was looking out the window of the plane at the landscape below and I had this overwhelming desire to just walk over every square centimetre of our beautiful country!!! Now, my own 2 children are grown and I am about to retire from teaching, which will leave me free to start walking!! Just kidding. I think I’ll fly. But no matter which mode of transportation I choose, I will absolutely be traveling and exploring to discover YOUR region of our amazing world. I do want to see the iconic and well-known sites - because really, they're iconic and well-known for a reason! - but I also want to go off the beaten path and get to know the other towns and cities - the beautiful landscapes, as well as the people, their lifestyles, their customs, and also their languages, as we have more in our country now than ever. Housesitting is the perfect opportunity to help me do this. And to top it off, I get to spend time with animals. Pets have so much personality! I've discovered this over the years in our own pets - even in the rabbits, hamsters and fish! They're fun! Pets also give us a purpose. And not only do we take care of them, but they take care of us and provide such great company.

So in addition to taking good care of your home, I will also give your pets the love and attention they need. We have had in our homes over the years, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and fish; it goes without saying, of course, that as the mom of the family, I was the one taking most care of each of these. Waffles was our friendly, adventurous, always-run-to-visit-the-neighbours Wire Hair Fox Terrier, who was with us for years. There was sweet little loved-to-be-held Pom Pom our hamster, who, every night after everyone else was in bed, would climb up on the door of her cage for me to take her out and pet her for a while. Then there was my daughter's independent yet typical chew-everything-in-the house rabbit Thumper, who chewed the cord and fried my computer yet somehow she herself escaped unscathed! I spent much time feeding, holding, petting - and chasing - Thumper! And I still do all that with Daisy, my daughter's lovable yet temperamental feed-me-now-or-else rabbit, who loves to dig all the dirt out of my potted plants onto the floor and then lie in it! And of course there's large, cuddly, loyal, thinks-he's-a-lapdog Sheepadoodle, Sage, who is never far from me because right from his puppy days, I've given him so much attention - walking him, taking him to the dog park, playing with him and petting him. You can't help but become attached to these adorable creatures. Homes and pets just go together.

I've taken care of other people's pets as well and I’ve completed several housesits with various animals. In Martinez, California, I fed the hens and gathered their eggs, and I took care of 2 bunnies, letting them out each morning, putting them in each evening and making sure they were well fed. I spent most of my time there with 2 adorable, funny dogs, 1 of which sang along every time I played the piano. I’ve also dogsat in Reigate, England, in Huntingdon, England, and in Cardiff, Wales. I totally loved walking and playing with 2 dogs in each of these places, with the addition of a cat in Cardiff. I enjoyed the company of 2 cats in Attre, Belgium, and laughed at the antics of a playful cat in Yutz, France. I’ve received 5-star reviews and heart-touching comments from these homeowners.

In addition, I grew up with farm animals so I'm comfortable with them, and I'm used to other animals such as chinchillas, lizards and snakes. I actually really like snakes. When it comes to animals, I've got you covered.

I will be a wonderful sitter for you because I am a mature, responsible mom, grandmother, teacher and person. I have the life experience needed to know who and what is important in life and how to take care of them. I was raised with integrity, and I have developed a great respect for others as well as for myself.

In addition, I have a recent code of conduct and vulnerable sector check.

I very much look forward to meeting you and your pets!