How Tech Can Improve Your Pet’s Life

TrustedHousesitters.com saves animals stress while helping humans connect.

Having a dog or cat is rewarding in so many ways, from long, energising walks to cosy cuddles on the sofa. But for many pet owners, the price for this companionship is a certain lack of freedom, especially when it comes to travel. To get around it, the only options are boarding kennels or finding someone you trust to house and pet sit.

Many people find kenneling unsavoury — or unfeasible. It’s not easy to leave your furry friend in unfamiliar surroundings, and for some animals, it’s simply too traumatic. Which leaves housesitting — which can be surprisingly difficult to arrange, especially at short notice or for regular trips.

Andy Peck and Rachel Martin recognised this. In 2010, the couple founded TrustedHousesitters.com, a platform that scales the housesitting concept by pairing pet owners with responsible travellers — who get to stay in homes across the world in exchange for caring for their nonhuman residents. And while most of the buzz focuses on the benefits to travellers, the platform is also making life a lot better for countless more souls — the pets themselves.

“The welfare, happiness and wellbeing of pets is at the forefront of why we exist as a company and why our members join,” says Angela Laws, Trusted Housesitter’s social media manager, who has worked with the company from the start. “Our 50-strong team is passionate about pets and all are active pet sitters.”

Pet owners understand intuitively that their animals are much happier at home— they adapt more easily to a new carer than to a strange setting. Plus, not all pets can be kenneled, of course (think chickens or horses, for instance), and many rescues and adoptees cannot be returned to a boarding environment.

Not only does Trustedhousesitters.com offer an ingenious solution, it’s more also affordable. Members pay an annual fee, which includes unlimited use, a 24/7 vet helpline and other benefits. Pet owners have access to comprehensive sitter profiles, with references and a three step verification system, including a full background and police check. Sitters, for their part, are focused on care rather than pay, and choose to travel and sit for free.

Today, the site host a community of over 300,000, with members in 150 over countries — and they’re only just scratching the surface when it comes to demand. “Sixty percent of American pet owners do not travel because they can’t find pet care, and they won’t put their animals in a kennel,” says Laws.

Despite being a product of digitisation, TrustedHousesitters.com has a target market that is not particularly tech savvy. “The core of our membership didn’t grow up with technology, and we had to really focus on usability,” says Laws. The company employs an in-house development team to make sure the website is easy and intuitive. (According to Laws, new features go through a “granny test”.) There’s also a 24-hour support service via phone and live chat.

Though many pet owning members are of an older generation, housesitters range from young travellers to mid-life adventurers to globetrotting retirees.

TrustedHousesitters.com is one of the few tech platforms to bring us closer together in the real world. “What we’re doing is creating connections.” says Laws. “I’ve met lifelong friends through housesitting.” At the same time, animals across the world have been kept happy at home — and who knows, maybe they’ve made some new friends, too.