Kiwi House Sitters

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Gold (24mths)
House Sitting Preferences
  • 1 - 2 weeks, 2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months, 2 months +
  • Dog(s), Cat(s), Fish, Bird(s), Rabbit(s)/Guinea Pig(s), Chickens/Ducks/Geese, Reptile(s), Farm Animals, Horse(s), None
Preferred Locations
  • South Island: Otago (Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes), Southland (Invercargill, Southland)  
Availability
  • NEXT 6 MONTHS    
    Available    
    Unavailable
    Dec
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
    Apr
    May
  • 2024: 20 Dec - 1 Jan 2025 | 21 Dec - 5 Jan 2025 | 2025: 2-15 Jan | 24 Jan - 2 Feb | 6-12 Feb | 26 Feb - 21 Mar
  • On a house-sit right now

Reliable, professional pet expert

55, News Editor

Hello,

My name is Leigh, and I am a seasoned full-time house and pet sitter with three years of professional sitting experience under my belt. My devotion to providing exceptional service is rooted in my deep understanding and love for animals.

As a homeowner, including a lifestyle property in Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, I understand the significance of entrusting someone with your home and beloved pets. I consider this a professional responsibility and strive to not only meet but exceed your expectations.

In 2023, I completed a year-long service to a family via another house sitting site. This was their review: “Leigh looked after our two cats and dog for a whole year while we travelled overseas. We knew straight away when we initially met her that we had hit the jackpot. We could not have asked for a more intelligent, capable, respectful, caring and communicative person. She constantly went over and above what we expected, which made our being away from home and our animals stress-free. Anyone would be very lucky to have her look after their house and care for their animals.”

My flexible work schedule as a remote news editor allows me to provide the right balance of independence and attentive daily care your pets may require. I am experienced in managing pets with varying needs, from those who value their alone time to those who crave constant affection and care.

My history with animals is extensive and spans from my childhood. As an adult, I've had the privilege of sharing my life with a variety of dogs and cats, each with their own unique personalities. My vast experience with pets, from my first tadpoles at age 3 to my time as the editor of Dogs Life Magazine in Australia, has given me a profound understanding of their care and well-being.

My keen eye for detecting any irregularities in pets' health has earned me the trust of friends and neighbours who frequently seek my advice. I am confident in my ability to discern when a pet may need medical attention.

In addition to my keen sense of pet health, I own a homeopathic range for animals and am proficient in raw feeding. I have also previously owned The Dogs Body grooming parlour in Dunedin, where I handled dogs of all sizes, as well as cats and rabbits.

My love for animals extends beyond household pets. I've taken care of a wide variety of creatures, from guinea pigs to goats, and from pigeons to sheep. As an equestrian, I am also comfortable with horses and other stock animals.

My professional background includes senior roles in the financial and funding/sponsorship sectors, as well as managerial roles in social development initiatives. These experiences have honed my reliability, responsibility, and practicality.

As a non-smoker who values cleanliness, I guarantee that your home will be well taken care of. I am also comfortable with most gardening tasks.

I look forward to the opportunity to provide excellent care for your home and pets. Thank you for considering my profile, and please feel free to reach out with any further questions.

Best Regards,
Leigh

Reviews (9)
We were delighted to have Leigh stay on our lifestyle block for two weeks. From the first online catchup to meeting her in person prior to our departure, we were put at ease and filled with confidence to leave our home and animals in her care. Leigh understands pet sitting like few others. She has a real connection to animals of all kinds, and our shy cats fell for her very quickly. Leigh has such a caring nature and intuition, with both practical skills and experience to manage problems if ... MORE
 
ROWENA (Otaki , Sep 2024 - 2 weeks 3 nights)
Thank you for the beautiful review Row. I really appreciate your kind words and the chance to sit for you. Sincere thanks to you and Tom.
Leigh was an absolutely exceptional house sitter. She looked after Bilbo, our ageing Border Collie, with great care and dedication - Bilbo loves her. And most days she sent us updates and videos. She fed our beloved wild birds and looked after the house beautifully. She is a great communicator and a pleasure to be around. I can most highly recommend her. Maya and Andy
 
MAYA (Waiheke Island , Aug 2024 - 2 weeks 5 nights)
Leigh was outstanding.She took great care of the pets,sending us regular updates on how they were doing. She left the house in an immaculate state which is so nice when you arrive back from holiday. Leigh was a lovely person to deal with and would gladly have her back again.
 
DONALD (Richmond South Island, Jul 2024 - 1 week 4 nights)
Leigh was a fantastic house sitter. She took great care of our home and kitten. We felt really lucky that we found Leigh as she was so professional and knowledgable. We knew we were in good hands. We would really like her to house sit for us again as we thought she was brilliant!
 
RYAN (Grasmere South Island, Mar 2024 - 1 week)
Leigh was the ideal housesitter. We were so lucky to have her stay for a few weeks! She is very knowledgeable about animals, I felt completely at ease knowing she was looking after our cats and chickens, and she regularly sent photos and updates. Thorough, kind, attentive, tidy, responsible, Leigh is a wonderful person. Her daughter also stayed for portions of the time and was fantastic with the kitties too. Would welcome them both back gladly.
 
COLLEEN (Havelock North North Island, Sep 2022 - 3 weeks)
Leigh was amazing, Tara took to her the minute they met. We couldn't have asked for more Leigh sent updates with videos and photos. We were able to relax and enjoy our holiday knowing that the house and Tara were very well looked after. We missed our domestic flight on our return and had to stay the night in Auckland but Leigh was all cool with this and simply stayed the extra night. Thank you for your dedication and the fresh milk left in the fridge so we could have a cuppa on our return. We ... MORE
 
MIKE (Napier North Island, Sep 2022 - 1 week)
Thanks to Leigh, we were able to go away and leave our 9 month old young dog and home in capable hands. Bella, the labradoodle had a great time with Leigh and enjoyed many long walks and adventures while we were away. Leigh is very knowledgeable about dogs so we were confident that Bella would be well looked after. Nothing was a problem for Leigh. Her communications with us were always welcome, timely and informative. Our home was perfectly looked after. We hope that we can get Leigh ... MORE
 
ELIZABETH (Eastern Beach North Island, May 2022 - 1 week 4 days)
It was wonderful to have Leigh care for my little dog ,home and farm animals. I would recommend Leigh highly. Thank you so much.
 
PEG (Hawera North Island, Apr 2022 - 2 weeks 1 day)
Thank you Leigh for loving Milo and Pepper and helping me to have a break. Both looked surprised that I was already back - they clearly enjoyed your company. Leigh was easy to communicate with and I trusted her fully to look after my little sanctuary. I would always book her again and can highly recommend her.
 
EVA (Haumoana North Island, Apr 2022 - Five Days - Easter break)
 
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A house sitter provides loving, full-time, home-based pet-care while you're away.

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