About Us
Choosing Animal Aunts / Much More than Pet sitters & House sitters
All Aunts are vetted carefully. New Aunts, after initial contact and discussions with the Agency, are sent relevant information and a registration form. This form provides full details and information about their background and suitability, their experience with animals, and four written referees for us to write to and chat with. We not only ask each referee to confirm the applicants honesty / skills / integrity, but also ask about anything that may make the applicant unsuitable (drink, drugs, severe financial issues, former behaviour etc). All applicants must provide a Police check before they can be considered.
Possible Aunts are selected then they attend an interview and lengthy briefing at our office. At this time we carefully explain what being a specialised Animal Aunt consists of and exactly what house sitting and animal/pet sitting involves; and especially what we (the Agency) and the Clients expect of them. By passing on our experiences mistakes can be avoided, and the Aunts will be able to maintain the high standard of service which our Clients know they can expect. Preferences of our applicants are also discussed in detail and any dislikes they may have (i.e. allergic to cats, uncomfortable with large dogs, if they are experienced horse riders, or whatever). This accumulated information is stored into our database so if the applicant is accepted to become an Aunt then the Agency is able to provide the Client with the exact skills of each individual Aunt.
In the very rare event of an Aunt’s work not being up to our high standards, then we will no longer offer them work.
Because our Aunts come from all walks of life and have a collective wide range of skills, many are willing to assist with extra tasks for their clients. If you are asking your Aunt to provide extra services during your absence, then they must be paid accordingly over and above the agreed initial fee. Please respect the Aunt’s decision should they choose not to perform any extra duties, as they may not feel they have the required skills or may simply not wish to do so. Ensure that all arrangements are agreed by both parties at the commencement of the booking period.
If your return is delayed please notify your Animal Aunt as soon as possible. Often they are required to go straight to another assignment, so we would need to arrange temporary cover for you. We will not leave your animals and home unattended. Equally – should your Aunt have to leave the job due to a family emergency, illness, injury etc, then the Aunt can contact Pet & Property Services Ltd and we will immediately get another experienced Aunt to fill in for them. We would contact you directly (or your emergency contact) as quickly as possible to notify you in the event of this happening.
We stress the importance of the Aunt going through the checklist, which we provide, with you before your departure – so please ensure you fill in emergency numbers for the vet / plumber / electrician / burglar alarm (with codes etc) and contact details for family and friends. The Aunt will deal with any emergency professionally and quickly and will advise you or the emergency contact person directly. All your data that is requested by the Agency and the Animal Aunt is held only for the purposes of our core business and is never disclosed to any third party. Our computer system is protected from unauthorised access by up to date commercial firewall technology.
Pet & Property Services Ltd have a very high requirement standard for their Animal Aunts who are located throughout New Zealand. Some have overseas experience, mainly in the U.K., providing care for all domestic animals and, in some cases, livestock and other farm animals.
Our Animal Aunts come from a wide variety of previous jobs and careers and bring an enormous amount of knowledge, skills and experience; but the one thing that they all have in abundance is a love and passion for caring for much loved animals / pets. Some Aunts work virtually full time, both as our Animal Aunts and also for some of their own Clients – they are professional animal and house sitters. With 75% of the fee going directly to the Animal Aunt, some are able to make a living (albeit a modest income) and they love the job they do. Our Animal Aunts are self-employed and not obligated to accept a job offered to them; but of course this does mean, when an Aunt takes on your job, they are keen to care for your animals and your home.
Selecting Your Aunt
Their background is thoroughly checked and several references have been confirmed before they are offered work with Pet & Property Services Ltd. You can meet them to discuss your requirements and to confirm your acceptance of their suitability prior to you finalising your booking. Our business success is based on your satisfaction with the service you receive. Most Animal Aunts are happy to travel almost anywhere.
Other services can be provided and are negotiable, including short term care during weddings, funerals etc. We provide individual services to suit your needs, remaining flexible and always happy to assist where we can. With the right information we will try to match you and your animals with a perfect Animal Aunt, and we would always attempt to provide a particular preferred Animal Aunt if you give us enough notice.