Pete

Hi, I'm Pete, a VERY experienced and highly-regarded sitter - I've been sitting very successfully for many years, and I get invited back by my owners all the time. My reviews are EXCEPTIONAL and I think they speak for themselves.

I'm trustworthy, reliable, respectful and kind, and have all 5-star reviews over many sits (at least 45 now with Trustedhousesitters.com, a UK-based global site) - my reviews are ALL exceptional.

I joined this site in 2019, and have 4 excellent reviews. However, I have over 45 reviews over 7 years from my other (global) housesitting site, and have copied the most recent reviews below.

I'm a genuine person, and I genuinely care.

I'm self-reliant, have coped with many different situations, I'm always completely respectful of the owner's home, and extremely clean and tidy as well. And, of course, I love to be around and care for animals. Dogs and cats are my speciality, but I've looked after goats, sheep, chickens, fish, reptiles and birds too.

I'm a freelance writer and this allows me to sit almost all of the time, so I do treat all my sits with absolute care and take the job seriously - I'm not just a holiday seeker! I genuinely care, and my reviews back this up.

I'm currently sitting along and around the West Coast and will be available for my next assignment from July 2024. I do get booked up quickly, but it’s always worth asking!

Here are some of my most recent reviews from Trusted HouseSitters:

Jody - Napa, CA, United States
23 Sep 2023 - 4 Nov 2023
A second incredible sit by Pete. House sparkling, cats thriving, daily adorable pictures and witty commentary on what our tribe was up to. He's simply the best.

And again, he endured another round of noise, dust, and disruption from our neighbors' apparently never-ending road project which we all thought would be done well before his sit started, and then when it wasn't, that it would only be a couple more weeks. Not so much. We offered to come home, offered to put him up elsewhere, but Pete elected to stay the course and handled it all with grace.

I wish he'd had the peace and quiet our country home usually provides, but we're so grateful for his perseverance and hope he gets some great R&R on his next adventures.

Bottom line, if you can book him, do it without hesitation. You will be rewarded.

Carol
25 Aug 2023 - 17 Sep 2023 · Saint George, United States
Peter is an extremely responsible and caring sitter. Our house was spotless and the cats didn't even notice we had been gone! I would highly recommend Peter to care for your pets and home. He is very communicative..sent photos and updates often. Very experienced, knowledgeable and reliable. I can't say enough good things about him! Hope to have him petsit again in the future!


Hanna
22 Jul 2023 - 12 Aug 2023 · Mill Valley, United States
Since we were going away for a long period I really wanted to find the perfect fit for Bauer while we were away. It took me a while but finally I found Pete! His reviews are amazing and here is another one. He really is as great as the reviews say.
He took the time to come meet Bauer and myself before we confirmed the stay. He was amazing at communicating and took wonderful care of both Bauer and our house. We came back to a very clean and tidy house and a very relaxed doggy. He took Bauer out on the trails every day so he could run as free as can be (thank you!) and sent us lots of pictures which we loved. We would love to have Pete come back anytime!


Jody
24 Apr 2023 - 16 Jun 2023 · Napa, United States
I wish I could give more than 5 stars. Pete deserves ALL the stars. He was already perfection in all the things that you want your sitter to be--fantastic communication and organization, tender and meticulous care for our cats, who visibly thrived in the daily photo updates he sent, heck, even our struggling plants that suffer under our black thumbs look lush and healthy--and then conditions at our house abruptly went SOUTH in spades, and he went so far above and beyond that I'm still wondering how we got so lucky to have him.

Several weeks into what should have been a relaxing stay in a tranquil rural setting, our neighbors began a road project on our shared driveway that we had no inkling was about to start, and after promising that vehicle access wouldn't be interrupted other than briefly, instead cut off vehicle access to our house entirely. We live on a STEEP grade, and Pete moved one of cars below the construction and hiked in and out for everything for over 3 weeks. We offered to come home immediately, but he finished out the sit, cleaned the house to within an inch of its life, washed the car, stocked the fridge, and drove through rush hour traffic to pick us up at the airport.

Throughout this, he was cheerful, calm, and kept us informed of events on the ground so that we could respond as needed, and went to bat on our behalf with the construction crew and neighbor in the nicest way possible when he thought it was warranted. I will never not be angry at how cavalierly they treated him, "just the petsitter". He handled it all like the stellar human being he is.

I've had nothing but good experiences with Trusted Housesitters, but Pete is extraordinary. If he comes your way, grab him up immediately. Or some other lucky person will.


Karen - Mill Valley, California, United States
15 - 20 Nov 2022
What everyone else says - Peter is everything everyone has said about him on trustedhousesitter...and more. He was organized, a great communicator, kind, personable, awesome with our pets (my border collie is seriously depressed now that Peter is gone). Our home was neat as can be when we returned and our cat and dog were so happy. Peter even took notes during his stay - his attention to detail in every part of the sit was amazing. Unfortunately, I realize, he is so good at what he does, that we will likely never be able to have him housesit at our house again unless I plan a year in advance as he is that popular here on THS. As another reviewer on THS said: "If he applies for your sit, do yourself a favor and just say yes". It's not every day you meet someone who is super awesome at taking care of your animals but also such a nice person too!

Judith - Boise, Idaho, United States
19 Sep - 13 Oct 2022
What can we say about Peter that hasn't already been said. Perhaps that we would like to adopt him and make him part of our family. Not only did we score the best sitter imaginable but we believe we have made a life-long friend.
Peter is the kind of sitter you dream about — he's organized, experienced, focused, capable and most important he possesses a true affinity for animals. And our kitties had an obvious affinity for Peter.
We had a full day with Peter before we left. We prepared a 2-page spread sheet with information and directions for while we were gone. I was sure we covered everything. Peter had at least 8 additional important questions and requests for information that we had completely overlooked!
When we came home our house was spotless, our mail was gathered and sorted, our plants were thriving, and the kitties were smarter and better behaved than when we left.
If you ever have the opportunity to have Peter as your sitter you will be lucky indeed. And for goodness sakes get this Englishman a teakettle .


Jan - Bainbridge Island, Washington, United States
22 Aug - 13 Sep 2022
Peter is simply the best sitter I've ever had the joy of meeting. He's professional, thorough & kind. He came a day early to get the familiar with the household checklist & went well above & beyond in keeping my home clean, tidy & in order.
You'll be lucky if you find he's available!


Jane - Point Richmond, California, United States
1 - 22 Aug 2022
Peter is, hands down, my very favorite sitter. He's friendly, totally reliable, and a great communicator—which means you'll get frequent messages and great photos of your fur family. My elderly corgi adores him, and even my cats think he's pretty cool. Peter has done 2 sits for me, and when he's at my place I really don't worry about stuff. Such a gift. If he applies for your sit, do yourself a favor and just say yes. Happy travels! Jane


Lori - Tiburon, California, United States
14 - 24 Jul 2022
Pete was an amazing house and pet sitter. I would have him back any time! Oscar absolutely adored him, and this is quite a feat as Oscar is typically a little anxious with strangers. Within minutes of interacting with Pete, Oscar was cuddled up with him on the couch -- he's the "dog whisperer". As a house sitter - Pete was super reliable and very tidy and super helpful. I would recommend Pete to anyone in need of a wonderfully reliable and kind house/pet sitter.


Melane - San Francisco, California, United States
15 Jan - 16 Mar 2022
Pete is beyond amazing. This was our first experience on Trusted House Sitters and I have to say that he has set the bar very high for anyone who follows. Pete took care of our home and our two dogs for three months and I cannot think of a single thing he could have done any better. He is a great communicator, sending pictures, forwarding mail, and asking questions if even remotely concerned about anything. Upon our return, our home was spotless, the dogs were happy, and Pete had a debrief ready so we would know the status of everything. If you have a chance to book Pete, do it. Your house and pets will thank you.


Leighsha - San Ramon, Costa Rica
5 Mar - 9 Apr 2020
Pete did a FANTASTIC job looking after our fur children. Our three kitties were already quite spoiled but with the cuddles and attention he gave them they are all three completely rotten now. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 situation began to unfold shortly after my husband and I left for our trip. Pete sprung into action offering to do whatever he could to assist us. He offered to stay longer at our sit if we needed due to being stuck in the US. He communicated daily with updates and photos of the kitties as well as updates on the local situation in Costa Rica. This definitely helped put our minds at ease! When we arrived back home we found the house spotlessly clean and very happy and healthy fur children. In fact I was having a conversation with them last night and all three expressed how much they miss their Uncle Pete, Poncho especially. He's the youngest and demands a little extra attention of which Pete happily supplied. Hahaha!!!JD and I enjoyed getting to know Pete and feel that we will have a lasting friendship. It is not often that you meet such a kind and genuine person that you can trust with the things that mean the most to you...your home and your family. Pete gets 5+ Stars!!!
Till next time we see you our friend...Pura Vida!JD & Leighsha


Kevin and joanne - Paso Robles, California, United States
8 Dec 2019 - 15 Feb 2020
Peter is our holy grail of dog sitters. I mean honestly he has been our only one through trusted housesitters yet but when you come home from vacation and everything is in order and the dogs basically tell me to go away and extend our vacation, then you know Peter is amazing. He is very lovely to converse with, he likes things to be crystal clear so that there's no confusion on anyone's part, he sends updates and photos, and even bought a few things for the home and pets along the way. We did let him borrow the car so that he could take the dogs to the beach or the vet if needed, which made me feel safe about their love and care. He is a very courteous driver, a bit grandma-ish in that regard however i am totally fine with that of course! We are having him back in May so yep, y'all are gonna hear from me again! Part of me didn't want to leave such a good review because then he won't be as available for me anymore! Ha. But honesty is my downfall, so here you have it, folks. He's pretty much family to me now!


Leslie - Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
18 Nov - 6 Dec 2019
Terrific. Peter took care of our house and two cats
For several weeks. He is an experienced sitter.
He is kind, conscientious, smart and very very responsible. And he left the house spotless.
He is perfect.


Jan and tim - Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
16 Sep - 23 Oct 2019
All the great things people have written about Pete are true! He's an excellent communicator, very organized, highly responsible and a delight to deal with. He is very tidy: left the house very clean and took excellent care of our car - he drove our Prius so conservatively, he got the best gas mileage we've ever seen! He kept in touch with us while we were traveling for 5 ½ weeks, sending notes and photos and keeping us posted.

We were very surprised by an early frost and he dealt creatively with our potted plants, and shut down our drip irrigation system adeptly. He even replaced some of the plants he thought were goners! He also swept up piles of leaves that fell, which we hadn't even thought to ask him to do.

We would welcome him back anytime as a house sitter, a friend and a neighbor.


Debby - San Francisco, California, United States
30 Aug - 8 Sep 2019
Fantastic, would definitely love to have him come back another time.
Received | Sep 12, 2019


Rachel - Portland, Oregon, United States
17 Jun - 16 Aug 2019
Peter was our first house sitter through this service and we were so lucky and grateful we found him! We are a couple with a 14 year old cat who were going out of the country for 8 weeks, so we needed someone we could trust to take care of things while we were abroad. EC, our cat, had no medical issues, so we thought this would be an easy stay. Four weeks into our trip, EC developed symptoms that concerned Peter (and us) so he quickly got her to our vet and, unfortunately, this began a series of tests, vet visits and even hospitalization until our cat was stabilized. After she was released, Peter administered multiple medications every day, spoke frequently to medical professionals and navigated a confusing and scary situation until we got home.

Peter could not have been better. He was as concerned as we were and kept in close contact with us, taking copious notes and adding his observations to what we were hearing from the medical professionals. When EC wasn't eating, he bought all kinds of things to try to entice her to eat and hand fed her. He learned how to give her pills, liquid meds and transdermal applications - our cat's first experience with any medication! It was a very difficult time and we are so grateful to him. Many people may not have even noticed that there was a problem until it was too late, yet Pete was very watchful and proactive. When we spoke to our vet upon our return, she made sure to let us know how impressed she was by him.

We fully recommend Peter without reservation to anyone who wants a trustworthy, kind and caring house and pet-sitter. He is a wonderful person and we will always be very thankful that he was with our cat when she needed help.
Received | Aug 21, 2019


Brian - Eugene, Oregon, United States
1 May - 10 Jun 2019
Pete sat for us for more than 5 weeks while we tripped around in our camper. We honestly can't imagine anyone taking better care of our house, dog and fish than he did. Our Golden Retriever, Lucy, received so much love and attention (and hikes) that as Pete was leaving she gave us that 'really guys?' look. She loved him!

Our house and deck plants received the same quality of care. Pete is extremely organized and kept the house in immaculate condition.

While we were gone we had a variety of workers in to take care of our pond and landscaping and Pete coordinated with them to manage access, the dog's safety, and communications with us.

As we traveled Pete shared pics and videos of Lucy hiking, running on the beach, and enjoying our back yard. He gave us regular updates on how things were going (great) which we appreciated.

Our dog requires an hour or two of excercise each day, and Pete was more than up to the task. We even think that on occasion he wore her out! Unthinkable!!

Pete is smart, funny, fun and easy to talk to. So great communication skills in addition to everything else he's good at.

So - need a sitter? Pete's your man! He's awesome.
Received | Jun 13, 2019


Jane - San Francisco, California, United States
18 - 27 Apr 2019
SUPERB! EXCELLENT! OUTSTANDING! Oh my goodness. What can I say? I guess I will simply add to Peter's accolades. This was my first experience with Trusted Housesitters, and if other housesitters come anywhere NEAR my experience with Peter, this could change my life!

Peter is a delight. He was wonderful to my animals. I think my dog is depressed because Uncle Peter isn't here. I'm sure he gave her more attention and walked her more than I do. He sent photos of the animals every day, saw that my plants got enough water during an unseasonable hot spell, and my house was spotless when I walked in. Peter had even made up my bed with clean sheets.

Fantastic. Peter, we miss you!
Received | May 2, 2019


Stephanie - Maple Bay, British Columbia, Canada
9 Mar - 2 Apr 2019
I highly recommend Pete as a house and pet sitter! We were away for three weeks during which Pete took great care of our senior cat and our two dogs. The dogs got lots of exercise and we got photos and updates! We are hoping Pete will come back the next time we go away!
Received | Apr 16, 2019

Thank you for your consideration. All the best, Pete.