Getting "hooked" on house sitting: BJ's story
Like so many others, BJ first heard about house sitting from someone she knew. While working as a physical therapist, one of her clients mentioned she was off to France to take care of a “small winery” for six months. This sparked BJ’s interest—and her house and pet sitting adventures began!
“I first became a member of Nomador, but switched over to FurPetVo after one year. For my 50th birthday, I wanted to go ‘live in France’ for a month—not just travel. We were accepted for a sit in Nantes, where we took care of two Labrador Retrievers, one cat, two chickens, and a large garden. This was over six years ago now, and was an amazing experience on every level—we were hooked.”
Despite being a few years ago, their first-ever pet sit will always hold a special place in their hearts.
“Our first sit will probably always be the most special because we had no expectations and no idea what we were getting into. Our friends thought we were crazy to cross to the ‘other side of the world’ to stay in a complete stranger’s house—what if it wasn’t legitimate, or they were going to kidnap us?!”
They told everyone not to worry—they had a credit card and could jet off to another destination if things went south. But, of course, this wasn’t necessary!
“The owners picked us up at the train station, we shared a meal that night, and by the end of the evening, we felt like old friends! We kept in touch for years afterward and had an open invitation to return to visit them.”
Since then, house and pet sitting has introduced the pair to incredible people and places all over the world. One of their favorite experiences was in Mexico City over Christmas and New Year.
“We were looking after two Frenchies in Condesa—a lovely neighborhood that isn’t too touristy. Because we had the dogs, people assumed we lived there as expats, and we were treated with wonderful hospitality everywhere we went.”
Why FurPetVo works so well for BJ and her partner
“When we travel, we like to stay in one spot so we can get to know the community, explore locally, shop at local markets, and find the local gems. We’re homebodies and enjoy exploring during the day and relaxing at ‘home’ in the evenings. We’re active and healthy, so we also like to cook for the most part instead of going to restaurants all the time. We love the sense of ‘home away from home’ that pet sitting gives us.”
It’s also opened up no end of doors for them—both metaphorically and literally.
- FurPetVo has helped BJ house sit locally for six weeks while their own home was rented out and she couldn’t yet leave the city.
- As a freelance travel writer, house sitting has often given her a stable base while researching stories.
- After losing their own pets, they’ve chosen to hold off adopting another—so they can remain flexible and available for sits.
- They’ve also been on the other side of the arrangement, finding trusted sitters for their pets through furpetvo.com—with consistently positive experiences.
What’s next for BJ and her partner?
“I retired three years ago, and my partner will retire soon. We intend to live nomadically—and house sitting will be a big part of our life. We own our own home(s), but plan to rent them out furnished and simply stay for periods of time between sits.”
Having just completed a house sit in Seattle, they’re now searching for opportunities in France this May—and have a confirmed stay coming up in Qualicum Beach, BC, this August.
“It will be fun to explore Vancouver Island!” BJ says.
