We are an animal loving couple who firmly believe that a pet is best cared for in the comfort and familiarity of their own home while their family is away. We are a newly retired, low-key couple in our early 60’s who have discovered the absolute joy of house/pet sitting! We would be honoured to be given the opportunity to care for and pamper your pet(s), showering them with love and kindness as though they were our own. We consider the care of your pets and home to be a huge privilege and responsibility which we will commit to fully, making it our highest priority at all times. This assurance will give you complete peace of mind to be able to enjoy your time away. We are financially stable, practical with good common sense and a genuinely caring couple. We are healthy (non-smokers), fit, and love exercise outdoors. We enjoy walking/hiking, especially if we have a four legged friend or two to join us. Duane worked as a Medical Social Worker, with Interior Health in Kelowna for 28 years until retiring in September 2014. Following his retirement, he instructed part time at the Okanagan College in the Adult Education Program for 3 years. Catherine was employed as an Optometric Assistant and retired at the end of January 2016. We have two grown children aged 27 and 28. Our son is a Physiotherapist in Vancouver, and is now married. Our daughter is employed with Vancouver Coastal as a Therapist Assistant. Why We Enjoy Pet Sitting: We are pursuing our passion for pet sitting in order to fulfill our love for pets and our desire to keep our lives interesting with new and varied experiences. Our pet sitting experiences thus far have well exceeded our expectations and we now must admit that we are hooked. Nothing makes us feel better than to have homeowners return expressing their complete satisfaction with the services that we have provided. This is our goal and what we continually strive for. We realize that a pet is best cared for in their safe and familiar surroundings and we receive tremendous gratification in knowing that we are providing them with the absolute best care possible. We take pride in the bonds that we form with them during our stays...which always makes it hard for us to leave. What We Bring to the Assignment: We began pet sitting in January, 2013, and have been loving every minute of it! The experiences bring additional joy and excitement to our lives. We have completed well over 100 pet sits encompassing 50 different families. We have owned our home since 1987, and are very familiar with carrying out the routine home maintenance and repairs that might be required. We have also owned several rental properties which we managed ourselves. We take great pride in keeping our home clean and tidy. We are a mature and extremely responsible couple whom you would have complete faith in while you are away. We are both avid walkers and would ensure that your pets receive the love, care and attention they require. We understand that each pet is unique, with specific needs and habits. We will follow their routine and your instructions precisely while ensuring that they are well protected, exercised, played with and loved. Catherine likes to cook and we enjoy our meals at home. Evenings would entail reading or movie watching while snuggling up with a furry friend. If they enjoy sleeping with us on the bed, there will always be room. We would be more than happy to maintain close communication with you while you are away. We enjoy sending photos or videos of pets to the home owners to help them feel connected. We realize that having someone care for your home and pets requires a huge leap of trust and faith. We would be able to furnish you with excellent references. We want to provide you with complete peace of mind knowing that your most prized possessions are in the absolute best of hands. We will always be mindful and respectful of your privacy, home, neighbors and surroundings. We are very security conscious and will always ensure that your home and property will be kept safe and secure at all times. We can collect your mail, forward messages and ensure all correspondence is communicated to you in a timely fashion and with the utmost privacy. We are adept at working through and handling any situation calmly and with maturity. We are adaptable and can fit into any situation easily to keep the continuity in your pet's life.