"We and Scout the axolotl became great pals..."

We had so many wonderful entries for last month’s #TrustedTales competition - there's nothing quite like seeing so many adorable pets to brighten up the month of January! However, there can only be one winner, and after much deliberation, it was this wonderful snap shared by Anna and Cody (otherwise known as @ecohousesitters), that saw them crowned the winners of January’s Trusted treat; an extra year of TrustedHousesitters membership! 

We sat down to chat with Anna and Cody and find out all about their exciting pet sitting adventures. And they didn’t disappoint…

“We started pet sitting together in 2019, back when we were just friends. We would care for a dog named Sausage in Fiji… Our pet sitting career together started before our relationship officially did!”

Whether it was the beautiful Fiji scenery, the shared experience of knowing they were making a difference to the lives of pets and people - or even matchmaker Sausage himself(!) -, Cody and Anna’s friendship soon blossomed into a relationship, and a pet sitting adventure they’ll never forget. 

While their joint pet sitting journey began in 2019, Cody and Anna have both felt the love of animals all their lives, having grown up and been around them since childhood.

“Anna has been pet sitting as long as she can remember - she started in early elementary school and just never stopped! She has always loved caring for others. Whether it’s animals, the environment or people without a voice. Pet sitting is a great way to regularly care for others. 

Cody grew up with every pet you could think of: parrots, crawdads, dogs, fish, candy cane shrimp, geckos, frogs, chinchillas, bunny rabbits, cats and more! He’s always cared for animals and is passionate about protecting them.”

And where have Cody and Anna’s love of pets taken them? All around the world! They now travel full-time, going from place to place, pet sit to pet sit…

“We don’t own a home and we are often somewhere new every two weeks. Because of this lifestyle, it is impossible to own our own pets. This is the best of both worlds! It allows us to continue to travel, get our puppy love and have our pet fix.”

And there’s one pet sitting job in Hawaii that really stands out to them…

“Our current sit in Hawaii has been one of our absolute favorites. We are watching a 1-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer. He is just a full-grown puppy! 

Part of our job has been to train him. It has been a lot of work, both mentally and physically. I feel like we have grown in so many ways: patience, training techniques, running ability. He might be a giant sour patch kid but when he’s sweet, he’s the most loving dog ever. We truly love Kai like he was our own.” 

Pet sitting takes work, from the early morning wake-up calls to the clean-ups. But, like so many of our pet sitters, Anna and Cody know just how much pets give back in return…

“Cody’s other favorite house sit was when we spent a month in Sydney and cared for a massive cat named El Tigre. He would eat your shoes but always made up for it in snuggles! We met his owner while leading community service projects in a small village in Fiji, and from there were invited to care for El Tigre."

"We’ve cared for guinea pigs, too… And a couple of years ago, we cared for an axolotl named Scout. Every time Anna would feed her, she’d take the frozen beef liver out of the freezer and hand-feed Scout little chunks. Scout and Anna became great pals. She would follow her finger around the glass. Axolotls are one of my favorite animals on earth!“

Wow, that’s quite a menagerie! Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, axolotls… are we missing anything?

“My favorite pet I [Cody] ever cared for was a desert tortoise that was rescued. Caring for a creature older than me was amazing and humbling! I’m a marine biologist, so my passion is animals, especially marine organisms.” 

Other than a love of pets, Anna and Cody attribute their passion for an eco-friendly lifestyle as just one of the things that pet owners love most about them.

“I think what makes us extra great house and pet sitters is our eco-lifestyle. We make our own products like toothpaste. We only purchase plastic-free products like toothbrushes and reusable bags. We even go out of our way to use daily necessities that are biodegradable or plant-based: like Anna’s biodegradable hairband and bamboo hairbrush. We shop and eat locally. We conserve water, keep lights off when not in a room and always try to walk or bike.” 

So, like us, we bet you’re wondering what’s next for Anna and Cody?

“Our next planned house sit is for two rescued dogs and two one-eyed cats in The Netherlands.”

From Hawaii to Holland - one pet at a time. We hope you have a wonderful trip!

Thanks so much to Anna and Cody for sharing their Trusted Tale with us! You can find out more about Anna and Cody’s pet sitting adventures by visiting their website, ecohousesitters.com, or by following them on Instagram, @ecohousesitters. And if you’d love Anna and Cody to care for your pets one day, then be sure to check out their TrustedHousesitters profile here. 

Fancy winning your own #TrustedTreat? 

Simply share your pet sitting photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #TrustedTales, and every month you could be in with winning a free year of membership!