Commonly Asked Questions
About Us
Thanks for stopping by our site! A bit about us - Tim & I have been together since 2009 & we married in Nov 2015 in our home state of RI. We moved to CA together in 2012. I am a songwriter & also have worked in music business since 2011. Tim works in AV & also edits & designs software from home. We love LA but also really love our home in New England - we have been trying to decide where to live for a few years, & finally decided not to decide! For the last year we have been living a bi-coastal life with a good amount of travelling along the way. We only planned to dog sit for a little while until we looked for a home for the west coast that we loved - but more & more dog sit offers kept coming in & really really enjoyed doing it. We realized, ''hmm, do we even *need* our own place right now?". We really love spending time with lots of sweet animals & trying out many neighborhoods & home styles that will help us know what we want when we eventually buy a home. This lifestyle also helps us save for that eventual home. Our outlook on this is that 'everybody wins', we save on living expenses, get to spend time with fun animals, & you save money on pet / home care!
Feel free to write us (mary.brierly.hiles @ gmail.com) with any questions you may have, or check out our Q&A section below!
PET SITTING
Your best friend gets to stay where they are most comfortable while you travel. They are happier & so is your wallet!
I highly recommend Tim & Mary. They've taken care of my dog & home several times & I can't say enough great things about them. I was worried about getting the right person to stay with my pitbull. They understood my concerns & came over for a meet us. My dog loved them! They also sent photos & videos while I was overseas so I knew how my dog was adapting. I came home to an immaculate home as well. My dog was calm & happy & I was well rested from not having to worry about my pup & home. 5 stars!"
I highly recommend Tim & Mary. They've taken care of my dog & home several times & I can't say enough great things about them. I was worried about getting the right person to stay with my pitbull. They understood my concerns & came over for a meet us. My dog loved them! They also sent photos & videos while I was overseas so I knew how my dog was adapting. I came home to an immaculate home as well. My dog was calm & happy & I was well rested from not having to worry about my pup & home. 5 stars!"
Our house / pet sitting services come at no cost to you! Why? Well, we are a recently married couple who both work from home & travel often. We do not have a need for an apartment at this time because we have found that our lifestyle of house / pet sitting is very enjoyable & it of course, saves us money, which is passed on to you - saving you hundreds to thousands in pet / home care during your travels! The bonus for you is absolute peace of mind knowing that your furry friends are receiving plenty of love & attention while you’re away - since we work from home, we are there to keep them company just about every min of the day! We send many photos, videos & updates so you always know your pets are doing well. We truly love animals & their care as well as the care of your home is always our #1 priority!
KEEPING YOUR PETS HAPPY IN YOUR HOME
Q. Is this really a free service? If so, why?
A. Yes it is! There are some cases where we need to charge if there are extra responsibilities beyond general home / pet care. We do not charge for basic home / pet care because we live exclusively through house sits except for when we are travelling outside of LA for our own enjoyment, but we do not have an apartment - we have found we do not need one to live a life that we really enjoy. We pet / house sit for an even exchange, we don't have to pay for an apartment, & we pass those savings on to you with free pet / home care - everybody wins!
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Q. In what instances do you need to charge?
A. Usually this is something the pet / homeowner will know & make us aware of beforehand. If your pet has a severe medical condition that requires a lot of time & effort to tend to, if they have extreme emotional struggles that need a lot of extra care, those are instances where we would need to charge for the time we would devote to that extra care. Some homes also have a bit of extra upkeep. If you have an airbnb that needs management while you are away, or a large garden that needs a lot of tending to, those would also be instances where we would need to charge. We would always discuss these situations *before* a sit, we would never send anyone an unexpected bill. :)
Q. Can we contact your references?
A. Absolutely! If you email us (mary.brierly.hiles at gmail.com) we will send you their contacts.
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Q. Just curious, where do you keep all your stuff?
A. We have storage units on both the east & west coasts for our larger belongings, but we have learned that all we really need for our day to day life we can fit in our car - it may sound limiting, but we have found it actually very freeing!
Q. Will you walk our dog?
A. Of course! We need all the exercise we can get too, ha!
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Q. Will you be there often with the pets?
A. Since we both work from home, it is very rare that we both leave your home at the same time. When we do we always time it so that your pets are never alone or waiting to go outside for long periods of time.
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Q. What if our pet gets sick while we are away?
A. This is *important*, by law we are not able to bring your pet into the vets office without your prior consent. Before you travel, we will need you to leave our names with your vet as well as permission for us to take them in if needed. Mary's best friend is a vet tech on the east coast & always kindly answers questions for us if we are concerned, but if she says to bring them to a vet, we need to make sure we can get your pet the care they need.
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