Petsitter

I'm going away in May for 14 days. I have a 12 year old collie/lurcher mix and 2 cats. My dog gets stressed in kennels and for the first time I'm thinking of getting a pet/house sitter. There is a good website Trusted House/Petsitters but its very expensive to join. I was wondering if there was a good way of advertising just within Ireland for someone trustworthy. Has anyone else done this with success?
I might try this website and pay the fee for peace of mind. You dont pay the pet sitter as they get your house as a base for the period you're away so they just have to pay for a flight and then they have an accommodation free holiday! Obviously they must love animals as thats part of the deal!

anyone got alternative thoughts or ideas?

tk123

Where are you based?

Drogheda, Co Louth

DBB

Do you want someone to move into the house 24/7 while you're away, or would you be happy to have someone visit them a couple of times a day?
I'm just wondering if you could do this for the cats (there's a great girl in Grangebellew who provides the service... visiting the house to feed, spend time with, but doesn't stay there), but let the dog go to a home boarder? There's a great home boarding service in Drogheda!
I'd imagine a combo of the two would be a fair bit cheaper than getting a person in/paying for membership of that service, but it very much depends on what you're happy with too! Just throwing it out there for you to think about

that options for the cats would be perfect an if I only had them going away wouldnt be a problem really.
But my dog had a very bad reaction to her parvo booster shot a few years ago and I am not able to give it to her anymore - she is 12 - so a lot of kennels wont take her, even though she is totally immune at 12 years of age.

She has lived in the country on a farm and now in a housing estate and is on the beach most days for walks. She has been in the company of a multitude of dogs over those years so the vet is happy she has a very strong immune system. She's a mixed breed, is hardy, and is never sick.

One home boarder said if I got a letter of clearance from my vet that should suffice so maybe thats the road to take!
is that the dog minder in Beabeg? (I'd love someone who had 2/3 dogs and would just take her into their home )

Staph

I've used a petsitting service for my cat when I was away. They visit your house, feed your pets, turn on/off lights etc. They do cost, but I had peace of mind that a pet lover was looking after her in her own home. She had stayed in a cattery before, but I felt that she would prefer to be in her own surroundings. Try http://petsittersireland.com