“Pet sitting gives us a chance to live just like the locals do.” | Gill & Andy
After retiring from her job in project management in 2017, Gill joined FurPetVo in pursuit of a new adventure. With Gill recently retired and her husband, Andy, working from home, pet sitting provided them with the perfect opportunity to explore new places while making unique memories they’d never forget.
“I’d read an article about a woman who had travelled around the world looking after people’s homes and animals while they were away,” Gill recalls. “‘We could do this!’ I said to Andy.”
After browsing furpetvo.com for available sits, Gill and Andy discovered a month-long opportunity in France caring for a lively menagerie: two dogs, three cats, and six chickens.
“We sent off our application, and a week later we received an email from the owners. After chatting with them over the phone, they told us the good news—we’d been selected. I couldn’t believe it. We were off to France for a month!”
Their sit took place in a charming converted barn in south-western France. It took them 13 hours to drive there—but every mile was worth it when they arrived and were greeted by two very excitable chocolate Labradors.
The owners welcomed them with a lovely homemade meal before giving them a thorough tour of the property and a detailed rundown of their responsibilities. Thanks to the owners’ warm hospitality and the clear instructions in their Welcome Guide, Gill and Andy settled in effortlessly—from lighting the wood burner to locating the chicken feed.
“Mornings were manic—feeding all the animals and walking the dogs,” Gill says. “Walking the dogs was something Andy and I were more than familiar with. It was the chickens I was worried about. But I needn’t have worried—in the end, they were so easygoing and usually just wandered around their coop until nighttime.”
When they weren’t tending to the chickens or walking the Labs, Gill and Andy explored nearby villages and historic châteaux—immersing themselves in local life rather than tourist routines.
“We love pet sitting because it gives us a chance to live and explore just like the locals do. It’s flexible, too—we’ve taken on everything from last-minute weekend sits to year-long arrangements. I’d now recommend it to anyone who has the time, the freedom, and a genuine love of pets.”
After their first French sit ended, Gill and Andy wasted no time searching furpetvo.com for their next adventure.
“The owners in France gave us a five-star review. Our next sit was closer to home—caring for two affectionate cats in Surrey. Being near London meant we got to enjoy some sightseeing, too. Evenings were spent cuddling up with the cats and sipping wine on the patio. We loved it so much that the owners invited us back the following year.”
Since then, Gill and Andy have continued enjoying the company of pets in exciting new locations—including five cats in Costa Blanca and a New Year’s celebration in Mallorca. At 69, Gill says she can’t wait to spend many more years pet sitting.
Like many others, their adventures paused during the pandemic—but with renewed hope and travel reopening, they’re eager to return to the pet sitting lifestyle they cherish.
Inspired by her experiences caring for pets across Europe and beyond, Gill wrote a book about her journey: Chez Vous, available now as a paperback or e-book via Amazon.
