Teddy is a mostly inside dog who likes to sleep on the bed during the day under the fan.

But, he loves to go for walks and particularly enjoys the enormous attention he receives whilst visiting some of the many great coffee shops that the Gold Coast has to offer.

Teddy is also a very quiet, laid back boy who loves a cuddle and    snuggling up with me at night whilst watching TV.

Nina and Dale are Teddy’s owners and their lovely home is  set on 1.5 acres in a lovely quiet are of Mudgeeraba with easy access to the motorway and only 15 min drive to many local beaches . With a beautiful room to call home and lovely verandah to walk out to I was made to feel right at home. .

Yes, Peggy by name, (short for “Peg Leg” due to her cute one white leg). This loveable little girl was an absolute pleasure to care for.

Nothing was too much trouble for her owners, Rob and Jos and their generosity was sincerely appreciated.

I certainly will fondly remember this remarkable experiences with Peggy alway by my side and look forward to spending time with her great company again when Rob and Jos are leaving again for an extended period to travel overseas leaving Peggy in my care. 

Tinkerbell, Ragdoll, who is very affectionate, and loves company lives in a luxurious two storey home in Sorrento, Bundall overlooking the spectacular waterways in the beautiful Gold Coast, Australia.

With a beautiful personality and the desire to have constant attention Tinkerbell made for an awesome companion for the 5 week duration of this house sitting assignment.

Certainly my time spent was not without constant entertainment as this very affectionate feline also loved being very vocal and demonstrated her singing passion and desire to become a very well known soprano thorough the neighbourhood making this sit a very enjoyable experience.

The home also boasted large gardens surrounding the property and an equally spectacular large swimming pool.  

You couldn’t ask for a better location.  The beach, Broadbeach, Surfers paradise as well as Pacific Fair Shopping Centre and the Casino were all within a 10-15 minute drive.

Combined with the most generous hospitality from hosts, Susan and Leigh, the experience is one that I will always cherish.

Dunga, a Rohodesian Ridgeback who loves company!

He is of a gentle and sensitive nature, friendly with other animals, people and children, and has a gorgeous presence around him.

It was indeed an absolute pleasure hanging out with Dunga in this beautiful region in Sussex in England.

Dunga’s home is with a garden full of plants and large trees and in the centre of the village of Forest Row.  Within a 10 minute walk is a famous organic biodynamic farm and lovely coffee shops and restaurants.

One of the highlights of caring for Dunga, was the amazing walking trails in the Ashdown Forest.  Ashdown Forest is famous as the magical woodland that inspired some of the world’s best loved children’s stories, the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh being one of them, 

I found the village to be a large supportive community and the friendliness of the local people was well felt.

Apparently, East Grinstead and Forest Row are located on the crossing of multiple ley lines, which are ancient straight paths or routes in the landscape which are believed to have spiritual significance.

It certainly felt like this was the case with the lovely energy that I experienced for the duration of my stay.  This combined with the wonderful hospitality of my hosts, Petra and Steven, made for a most pleasant experience. 

Max is a very happy and sociable dog. He is usually up at 7am wanting to go out into the garden, then breakfast at around 8am, and a walk in the neighbourhood during the morning.

With plenty of areas for walking, we had a fabulous time exploring the nearby forests, golf resorts and equestrian centres in this beautiful area of Cascais. 

The Cascais village center is only 10 minute away and offers fantastic cafes, pastelarias, restaurants and beaches

Angee moved to Portugal from the U.S. to realise her decades-long dream of living here.

She owns her own business (recruiting and career coaching) and felt fortunate to be able to work from anywhere.
Leo, is a GoldenDoodle and Angee’s trusty side kick for her great adventure.

The Ericeira village center is only a 10 minute walk away and offers fantastic cafes, pastelarias, restaurants, beaches, yoga and surfing and the ideal place to enjoy with Leo as your shadow!

It sure was an excellent time taking excellent care of Leo while Angee was away and hanging out with him and enjoying the area together. 

This grand home is amongst 5 hectares of land and boast a majestic pool pool and guest rooms.

Matt and Sandra are a family of four who  moved to Portugal 5 years ago, after falling in love with this property.
They have been renovating the house and the grounds since, and have opened a part of the house as a guest house.

It certainly was a delight to care for Duke and provide peace of mind to the owners by ensuring the garden was adequately watered and the security  of the property maintained at all times during their absence.

Darcy, the eldest dog has diabetes and is on a restricted diet and also needs insulin injections twice daily…  she is happy to have them I think she knows the injections are helping.

Darcy is very loving kind dog that loves nothing more than a cuddle .

Maggie a 3 year old springer spaniel loves to play chase and tug with her new friend Louie.

Louie is quite a character and was new to the family and was recently adopted from the local dog rescue. Louie is a cross breed aged around 4 ..  A very happy independent little dog loves being with you and comes to you for a cuddle.

Amy is Asta’s pet parent and she  grew up in Canada, but have lived the last 15 years in Europe.

Having recently moved to Portugal to be more immersed in nature Amy is building a new home on a rural property in Central Portugal and is staying with Asta in an apartment in Abrantes while the property awaits approvals and building.

Travelling  internationally for work Amy required a reliable Pet and House Sitter for Asta while she was away and I couldn’t be luckier that Amy selected me to hang out with Asta. 

The most amazing companion, Asta just loved going for walks, playing ball and hanging out as my companion at many of Abrantes fabulous cafes.

Sam is quite a character and certainly, at first, did not like the idea of a total stranger coming to stay. After all….  this wonderful penthouse adjacent to Lisbon’s Parque Eduardo VII is HIS territory!  

To suggest that Sam was a little protective of his home and owners would be an understatement. However, a few hours after his owners departed for their overseas trip to Boston, he was very quickly getting used to the idea of someone else to cuddle up to and go for walks with.

Favourite Photos

Set at the end of a quaint village,  50 mtrs from forest with miles of tracks for walking cycling etc is the home of Floki,  a 3 year old, energetic mix breed and Tricky, a nine year old Estrela Mountain Dog

The location is 20 mins from lake and an hour from nearest beach and also just 45 minutes to Coimbra

Nico and Elsje have taken a few week to discover northern Portugal and Spain in their newly built camper leaving behind these three adorable cats, each with their very own, unique personalities.

Carregal do Sal is a small village located in the middle of Portugal about 55 kilometres east of Coimbra with the Serra do Estrella (The tallest mountains in Portugal) and the beach approximately one hour away.

The home I’m caring for is on the outskirts of a very traditional rural Portuguese village.

As well as the company and welfare of these three wonderfully affectionate cats, my responsibilities was to oversee the watering and maitenance of the owners spectacular botanic garden. Indeed, among the mass of colourful flowers, orange, lemon and fig trees was an particularly well laid out and abundant vegetable beds with everything growing from lettuce, tomatoes and courgettes to delicious strawberries.

Yes, Lidl by name, but large by nature, this little black boy is the life of the party and just loves being cheeky, cuddles and playtime.

Mikel and Evan welcomed me into one of the most rewarding and memorable house sitting experiences that I have had the pleasure and opportunity to experience.

Their amazing “off-grid” GeoDome home is located in a spectacular scenic valley overlooking some of the most picturesque views of Central Portugal’s Mondego river.

Their home is also situated within easy access to the character filled townships of Oliveira do Hospital, Tabua and Seia with an opportunity to also explore the magestic Serra da Estrela, one of the highest mountain ranges in Continental Portugal.

From the ambient burbling of the adjacent waterfalls, the unending harmony of musical chirping from the abundance of birds to the spectacular kaleidoscope of colour created by the ever-changing landscape of flowers, you are truly immersed in nature (not to mention immersed in Super Comfy beds with zone control heating).

Despite also being super eco friendly this Dome Home has all of the mod cons and furnishings one could need including washing machine, a chef’s kitchen with microwave, oven and all the usual appliances. If you’ve ever heard of the term, “Glamping”, this is “IT” on steroids !!! A huge sturdy tent, reminiscent of a stage set from Cirque do Soleil with magnificent views, nature and all the creature comforts of a wonderful home/hotel.

However, the real bonus of this assignment was the constant entertainment and company provided by Lidl.

Lidl is a very funny, smart and extremely affectionate, playful black rescue cat with as much character and personality as the home in which he resides. His hilarious antics and constant appreciation of your company made every day a total delight. I will also long remember the many cosy evenings with Lidl curled up at my feet in front of the roaring log fire.

Last, but by no means least is the generous hospitality provided by my hosts Evan and Mikel in order to ensure my comfort.

From the very first contact, I was made to feel very welcome in this unique home that they have lovingly created.

 Upon arrival, Evan took the time to explain and demonstrate all the essential features of managing the day to day running of the dome home whilst Mikel ensured that the entire neighbourhood were aware of my arrival by adding me to their local community Facebook group. This resulted in the meeting of an incredible group of new friends with whom I look forward to remaining in contact.

Then, of course, there was the opportunity and challenge provided by my hosts in the form of a list of favourite local eateries to which I feel I adequately served justice during the time of my enjoyable stay.

In summary. Evan and Mikel went above and beyond to ensure my ultimate comfort during this stay with Lidl at the Dome. I recall enquiring about where I might source and pay for some additional firewood for the log fire and, presto, the very next day a new load of wood arrived with their complements.

Nothing was too much trouble for Evan and Mikel and their generosity was sincerely appreciated. 

I certainly will fondly remember this remarkable experience and would whole heartedly recommend this opportunity to all nature lovers who may be fortunate enough to submit an application when next Evan and Mikel require the services of a reliable house and pet sitter.

Thank you Evan, Mikel (and Lidl) I look forward to our ongoing friendship and, hopefully, an opportunity to take care of your incredible home should a future opportunity arise.

Anthony XXX

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Bom Sucesso Resort is a gated community of contemporary architecturally designed residences integrated into a world class golf course.

This sit assignment was shared with two delightfully mischievous kittens (Ottilia and Lavinia) and one super cool rescue pidango dog, named Frank.

.

Cascais is at the heart of the Portuguese Riviera, a region infamous for 20th century exiled kings and spying during WWII. These secret and underhand negotiations were played out in the grand casino, while the prominence of Europe’s ousted royalty, gave the area an air of prestige and refinement. This reputation for exclusivity continues through to today; found in Estoril are fine dining restaurants, world-class golf courses and the largest casino of the Iberian Peninsula.

Favourite Photos