Madeline

A little bit about me:
Hi there! I'm Madeline (or Mads) and would love to look after your home and wonderful pets. I grew up in a military family so moved around a lot as a kid, before heading to boarding school, which has instilled in me a love of travel, cultures and new experiences (as well as ship-shape cleanliness)!

I enjoy staying fit so long walks, especially with your pooches, are always a highlight. I'm also quite the foodie! 

I have had people house sit for me and my dog while away and know what it is like to entrust your home (and furry pals) to someone new - I'll treat it like my own and ensure that you return to no surprises.

I work fully remotely and flexibly so I can match to suit your furry friends' routines and requirements.

I have been house & pet sitting full time since February 2022 and completed more than 224 days of sits!

My Experience:
I've grown up with dogs and had my own German Shepherd that I rescued. Sadly, she passed away last year from old age after a lovely 5 years with me. 

My spaniel needed a lot of exercise so I'm used to the requirements of an energetic dog! My Shepherd was a rescue - she and I have done lots of dog training so I'm happy to reinforce your rules and I have a good understanding of dog body language. In her old age, she requireed meds and is also anxious around other dogs so if your dogs have any specific requirements that is no trouble at all.

My flatmate has a cat which I often look after if she is away so if you also have feline friends, I'd be happy to look after them too. I have owned guinea pigs and love birds in the past and used to ride horses a lot and help out at my local stables so other animals (large or small!) will be considered too. I have built up quite the repertoire through all my sits including, rabbits, rats, tropical fish, and a tortoise!

When it comes to house sitting, I frequently housesit for my family and friends when they go away, always ensuring to clean and tidy the place and leave it better than I found it. Until last year, I also owned my own place which I have frequently airbnb'd and rented out so I know how it feels to let others in your own home and how you want it treated.

I'd love to hear from you and how I can help make your trip easy and hassle-free.

My Reviews & References:

"Madeline was great with Minnie and looked after the house well. Good communication and updates during the sit and I would definitely recommend her!" -- Helen, February 2023

"Madeline is a lovely pet sitter! We have a senior staffy and Madeline looked after her during the UK heatwave and given she’s 13 years old and a dark brindle colour - we were nervous how our dog would cope as she doesn’t do well in the heat. Madeline reassured us during this time and was really responsible about when to take her out and if she needed to skip or delay Hatties walk to a cooler time of day. Hattie can also be reactive towards other dogs and Madeline was happy to manage these behaviours and has had extensive experience with these types of behaviours.

Communication was great leading up to the sit with a phone call organised by Madeline to ensure it was a good fit and she kept us updated daily through texts, videos and photos. The house was also tidy when we got back too.

Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Madeline or have her back in our home. Thank you so much!" -- Greg & Molly, July 2022

"We spoke to Madeline prior to confirming the dog sit, and liked her friendly but organised approach. She arrived on time, and as we left very early, stayed the night before. Madeline kept us very informed on how our dogs were, and took them for some wonderful Pubeck walks. Her partner also stayed when he could, as arranged.

We returned to happy dogs, a clean house, and a very welcome and delicious meal. Thank you, Madeline." -- Chris & Catherine, July 2022

"Madeline was the perfect sitter. Great communication throughout and gave us daily updates of the cats so we knew everything was ok and we didn't have to worry. Our cats usually take quite a while to warm up to new people but took to Madeline instantly and were very well looked after. The house was also lovely and clean when we got back. We would love to have her sit for us again in the future." -- Aimme & Joe, 12 day sit, June 2022

"My 3 dogs loved Madeline and I think they were disappointed when it was me coming through the door after my holiday and not their favourite petsitter :). The trio had lots of attention, walks and cuddles and I felt very comfortable leaving them with her. Her communication and organisation are excellent, I received regular updates about the dogs and the house was super clean and tidy when I returned. The trio have asked for Madeline to sit them again and we hope to see her soon ;) " -- Sam, one week sit, May 2022

"Madeline looked after our dog Minnie for 10 days whilst we were on holiday. Minnie is a flighty ex-stray with a strong prey instinct and an aversion to new people. Given this, we were a little anxious to leave Minnie with someone unfamiliar. Madeleine, from our first contact, dispelled all these worries. She arranged to meet Minnie prior to our holiday and displayed an easiness and intuition with her that demonstrated she was comfortable with an unpredictable and challenging dog. She communicated with us throughout our stay with pictures and messages, and even managed to train Minnie out of the habit of jumping up in just over a week. We returned to an immaculate house; Madeleine having laundered all sheets and towels; cleaned the kitchen; and bought bread, milk, and some flowers for us. We would be extremely lucky, as would Minnie, to have Madeleine stay with us again, and cannot recommend her enough - truly a 5 star dog sitter." -- Nicola , 10 day sit, March 2022

"Madeline came in to save us on our very last min holidays, She was very flexible, communicative, She was also close to us which was handy, She bonded straight away with our dogs, She stayed the night before we left as our flight was super early ( leaving the house at 4 am) as she was concerned for the dogs to stay alone few hours, We had great chats & a lovely dinner, very easy going, She also sent regular pictures & videos of our beloved pets daily, She kept a lovely update with US while away. Madeline maintained the house very well and she was so kind to cook a perfect yummy Lasagna when we got back, which was the most thoughtful thing! Madeline is super friendly and will adapt easily to any request or pet, She waited until we got back at 8 pm to gave us a proper feedback. Dogs were always happy around her. We can only Hope she is available again for another sit. We felt very at ease with Madeleine at home and her personality fits very well with our family. Thanks so much for staying at ours and taking care of the Kiddos. You will be Lucky to have her as a sitter & we highly recommend her .Much Love" -- Denise & Kris, one week sit, February 2022

"Madeline did an amazing job caring for our 2 dogs. She really cared for them, got to know their characters and kept us in touch with what they were doing. In addition Madeline was a very thoughtful guest and left the house clean and tidy and even cleaned the sheets! Would recommend her to anyone and if I could I would give her 6 stars!" -- Patrick & Debbie, 4 day sit, March 2022


Things to note:
I am not able to look after your animals in my own at home present. I also think that it is nicer for them to be kept in their own environment and routine as far as possible so I can only offer house sitting for now.

Generally, my sits are in Greater London, Surrey, Kent, Berkshire, Essex (or surrounding areas of London), Norfolk & Suffolk. However, I'm open to all locations so please do get in touch.