Stephen

Hi. Thanks for clicking in!

I am qualified under the Australian National Dog Trainers Federation (NDTF 2012- Cert III in Dog Behaviour and Training). Worked as a dog trainer/dog training instructor and also as a dog handler of a very wide range of dogs at one of Melbourne's largest animal shelters 2012-2017. I've also worked as a professional dog walker in the Tasman District. While an average sit would not include training, you could be confident I can handle your dog, no matter the challenges. I'd be open to negotiating training as an extra.

Since returning to New Zealand, I've been working in disability support, youth work and am now working as a (NZAC registered) Counsellor, having trained under the University of Canterbury Master of Counselling program.

I usually live on the West Coast but I've just accepted an offer to train at a full time actor training program in Auckland through 2025 and am hoping to pet sit my way through the study year as a way of making the finances work.

I acknowledge the trust you put in a housesitter/pet sitter and am very aware I'm new to the platform. It may be some comfort to consider that because my job involves working with vulnerable people, it requires regular police vetting. Happy to also provide a link to my AirBnB profile as a testimonial? You could also Google my walk around the country (The Longest Walk NZ), in which literally hundreds of families welcomed me into their lives as I walked promoting animal welfare organisations.

Looking forward to hearing from you and helping you out while you're away ☺️