Karen

I am an animal loving mother of 3 (human) kids; 2 of which are now adults (almost 19 and 21) and all of whom share a love of animals with me.

We have a detached house in Woolston with garden all around, ¾ of which the dogs have access too. This area is surrounded by a brick wall with fencing on top: metal side gates complete the security of the gardens, which are split into two areas so dogs can be separated outside if necessary. One side is cooler with more shade, so access is allowed all through the summer without fear of dogs overheating.

We live near the city but also not far from a recreational area where dogs can be let off leads to play (about a 5 minute walk). The area has a field and woods. There is also an enclosed children's play area so the dogs are likely to meet children, but can't 'get' to them - the kids have to come to the dogs!

Inside, all dogs have the run of the downstairs if appropriate, but they can be separated indoors too. We don't allow them upstairs and I have a non conventional barrier as I have issues with my thumbs and can't open baby gates multiple times a day! This may make the hallway look a bit untidy from the door, but it works for us and the dogs really don't mind!

My first pet was a goldfish, other small pets I have had over the years – gerbils, Dwarf rabbits, Guinea pigs and a cat. My cat was my best friend for a long time and she was very loving, spending a lot of time with me.

I have owned 3 dogs in my life so far. A Border Collie Labrador cross and 2 German Shepherds – the Shepherds were Obiedience trained by me and we were part of a display team (K9 K-os) for a few years too.

We now have exotic pets including a tarantula, a scorpion and a Python. The picture I have of the snake with Hannah was taken some time ago and we don't put Alicia (the snake) around her neck any more – they have both grown a lot!!

I am only available for house sittings on Friday and Saturday evenings when I am not working my part time job. This is mainly because I have day care dogs most week days. As I have to pick my 15 ½ year old daughter up from school (2021/ 2022 school year – the last one!), any day care dogs are left for a short time without human supervision. I do have a crate that can be divided into two areas for dogs who can't be trusted alone, but I can't take any dogs that will cry incessantly under these conditions.

I am quite full with day care dogs at present (October 2021), so may not be able to accommodate any Monday to Friday requests, but if you need day care for 1,2 or 3 days per week, I should be able to help.

I offer house visits for cats and small animals (including exotics), but limit my range to 5 miles from my house as I normally have dogs at home and don't want to leave them for too long. Please bear this in mind when making requests. You can Google the distance between our houses by putting in both postcodes – mine is SO19 9AH.

I am pretty flexible and want to do the best for you and your pet, so please if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch.