Julie and Jonathan’s UK pet sitting adventures

Calling all pet lovers! Fancy cosying up with a cute kitty in Cornwall and bunny sitting in bonny Edinburgh? Or perhaps caring for Corgis in the heart of London is more your cup of tea? Either way, the UK is where it’s at this summer - and it could be your ticket to a truly unforgettable adventure. 

To find out more about what it’s like to go pet sitting in the UK, we sat down for a chin wag with some one of our lovely members, and today we’re hearing from sitters Julie and Jon, aka @theglobalpetsitters. 

From medieval towns and Victorian beach resorts to rolling hills and of course, afternoon tea, the UK has a lot to offer when it comes to holidaying. For some vacation inspo, we thought we’d dive into Julie and Jon’s UK pet sitting experiences. The pair have travelled the globe, pet sitting adorable fluffy friends and staying in various enviable homes. But in this blog, we’re talking Britain: Dundee, Lyme Regis and Malmesbury, to be specific. First, let’s head north to Scotland.

Back in 2020, Julie and Jon found an adorable Beagle-Dachshund cross named Mabel who needed looking after while her pet parents were planning to be away.

“Mabel is such an affectionate wee pooch and we all soon became very attached.  She has such a great little personality, she loves fun outdoor games but at home she loves a cuddle even when we are working.”

The couple were lucky enough to land a four-bedroom home, i.e. Mabel’s hangout, in the Tay Riverside area of Dundee.

“Exploring the Fife coast with Mabel was a delight. We drove many times over the stunning Tay Bridge to visit pretty Elie beach and the famous St.Andrews and also the beautiful Tentsmuir - a beachside pine forest. It's a combination of forest and sand dunes, covering an area of around five square miles. Mabel loved her long walks, she would happily walk for miles, by the sea and around the town.

Mabel was happy to go everywhere with us, so we took her everywhere we could as we explored the Fife coast. She was the perfect companion. She loved to be upfront in the car sitting on Julie's lap on the trip out, nosing at all the views, and fast asleep on the back seat on the trip home. 

The grassy green Baxter Park was just a five minute walk from the house and Mabel loved to meet and play with all the dogs she met. [...] The beaches are her real love, her favourite game is sand digging.”  

Between enthusiastic digs in the sand and sprints along the beach, Mabel was happy to trot along with Julie and Jon - a true girl about town. The pair particularly loved revelling at the city’s beautiful buildings, including the McManus Art Gallery and Museum, and the V&A Design Museum.

“Mabel loved her long walks, she would happily walk for miles, by the sea and around the town. [...] Our favourite part of Dundee was walking along the Tay riverside where HMS Unicorn, one of the oldest ships in the world, is docked.”

To hear more about Julie and Jon’s Scottish adventure with adorable Mabel, head to their blog. But for now, grab your bags! We’re off to Malmesbury with another pooch named Mabel… 

The couple had a quintessentially British adventure around Mabel’s local stomping ground. They ventured further afield, including trips to the famous towns of Castle Combe and Lacock which have provided stunning backdrops for countless movies.

“This was a truly happy house sit for us, living in Malmesbury was a delight, having the company of comical pooch Mabel was the icing on the cake. She was so full of life and happiness.” 

“Malmesbury town is full of attractive stone cottages and the pretty high street and had everything we needed. At the north end is the striking Market Cross, set in the centre of the square, there is a market most Fridays selling artisan gifts and goods. 

The old 12th Century Abbey is stunning, home to King Athelstan's tomb and apparently one of the oldest religious sites in England. It's a very pretty walk through the Abbey passing the grave of Hannah Twynnoy, engraved with the first person to be killed by a Tiger in Britain. Sitting next to the Abbey is the Grade I listed Old Bell Hotel, rumoured to be England's oldest hotel!”

And walkies was always fun with their new water-loving Lab buddy.

“She loved her walks and she would never stray far from us, her recall was amazing.  We could take her anywhere and she loved it and was super well behaved. And as much as she loved her days out she loved her cuddle time in the evening.

Mabel's lovely home is just a 2 minute walk to the pretty buttercup and purple clover covered fields that we stroll through each day leading down to the river (Mabel's favourite place) where she has the greatest fun leaping in for her ball. 

We follow the pretty river side walk often seeing a heron or two and there's always a few gorgeous Swans sleeking pass. There's lots of green space for Mabel's ball throwing play in between her water splashes.”

For our final stop, we’re heading to Lyme Regis in Dorset, at the heart of England’s famous Jurassic coast. Despite the crystal-blue waters and ancient coastline, it wasn’t the scenery that attracted Jon and Julie to this house sit. Rather, it was Old English Sheepdog, Dylan.

“Dylan is a goofy 'one eye blue, the other eye brown' Old English Sheepdog. This was a new doggie breed for us to learn about. He's a softy of a pooch and he totally stole our hearts.”

Once the couple were acquainted with the new resident of their hearts, i.e. Dylan, they explored Dorset’s impressive sights with their new four-legged buddy by their side.

“Dylan took us on various routes into town, always passing through the many butter cup covered grassy undulating fields - where there was some ball throwing fun for Dylan and then alongside pretty riverside pathways to the town.

Lyme Regis has stunning scenery, a picturesque harbour, brightly coloured beach huts and quaint cobbled streets, along with its little artisan shops and cafes. As you walk along the seafront promenade there is definitely a ‘South of France' feel here. It's no wonder that Lyme Regis is known as 'the pearl of Dorset'.”

It turns out that Dylan’s pet parents chose their home well - they’re surrounded by beautiful dog-friendly beaches including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

“One of our favourite days was our visit to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, probably the most iconic attractions along this part of the beautiful coast. Durdle door is stunning -  it's a huge, almost vertical stone arch standing in the Man O' War Bay. After our walk along the cliff top admiring the amazing views of Durdle Door and the beautiful Man O' War cover, we walked the wooden steps down to the dog-friendly bay and Dylan enjoyed a good swim.

Lulworth Cove is a stunning 30 minutes cliff top walk from Durdle Door with amazing sea views. It's a quaint village with cafes and restaurants and its central lane takes you to the horseshoe-shaped cove with a pebble beach and crystal clear waters and Dylan got to have another well deserved dip.”

And the reality of holidaying with Dylan truly lived up to the couple’s first impressions of the cutie.

“He was such a great dog to explore the area with and leading the way on our coastal walks and hill top hikes. [...] This was another unforgettable UK house sitting experience for us.  We loved our time in Lyme Regis and the icing on the cake was spending it with Dylan in his lovely home - we still talk about him now. We will definitely return to the Dorset area and we definitely hope to visit Dylan again too in the future.”

Join the Great British summer of pet sitting! 

Feeling inspired by Julie and Jon’s adventures? Then follow in their dog-walking and kitty-cuddling footsteps this summer. Explore the UK for free in exchange for caring for adorable pets through TrustedHousesitters.

With 5,000+ new UK sits added weekly (and lots of UK pets in need of cuddles!), now’s the perfect time to become a pet sitter and explore what the UK and beyond has to offer.