Previous owner/newbie sitters

Hello! We were a previous sit, and had the best sitters ever. Our 14 yr old Welsh Border collie passed in October 2022.
WE ARE NEW SITTERS … and very excited. Fills that gap in our lives and we do like to travel. Problem is though we’ve had 30+ years of being pet owners, we don’t have a SIT REFERRAL. We have great references. What can we do? Thank you.

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What you have is 30 years of experience that is extremely valuable.
Highlight that in your profile.
Share pics of your pets and explain your recent loss and your readiness for a phase, a new chapter in your love and life with animals.
The first is out there waiting for you. The rest will follow.
All the best @Berna

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@Berna it is great you have had so many sitters and we, like you, were in the same boat with using THS as a place to find sitters. After our little girl passed away, we decided to turn to sitting ourselves, but had no experience other than with friend’s pets. When we set up our profile as sitters, we used friends/family references about how we took care of their loved ones. Just have them write up some great info about you two. What I can see on your profile looks great!

You can also find answers about getting started here at Getting Your FIRST Sit - Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat - TrustedHousesitters Community Forum

We started slow with taking a couple of local sits just to get our feet wet. You might find easier if you locate a sit that is last minute close to home. There might be the chance to personally meet prior to accepting the sit, which could help the pet parent feel better about your experience level. Once you get those sits, you can start earning those great reviews which will then show up on your profile.

Another suggestion I have would be to link your member profile to your forum profile for better exposure to other members who can give you feedback and assistance where needed. To do so, just click here at How to add a listing or profile link to your FORUM profile - Owner & Sitter Exchange - TrustedHousesitters Community Forum

I wish you the best of luck and make sure you send pictures of your journey through this new step in your life!

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@Berna I’ve had a lot of success (and fun) starting out with short-term local sits that are a 1-5 hour drive from home. It’s been a great way to get experience and reviews, learn more about what kind of sits I’m best suited for, and discover places I’d only had a passing knowledge of. Good luck and have fun!

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@Berna - Don’t worry, with your 30 years of experience and great references you are in a much better position than many of us experienced sitters when we started.

Add all your past experience on your profile, plus add 3 of your references and I have no doubt that you will be accepted for your first sit in no time !

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