Lara

Hey everyone!!

Experience house and pet sitter here! I registered with Pawshake because I absolutely love animals. I've always had cats and dogs since birth, and now I really miss them—they are like family to me.

As a baby, our dog Pierrot would never leave my side, whether I was sleeping, crawling, or playing. In college, I had a Border Collie named Blue. He was beautiful, extremely smart, and sometimes a bit jealous. He always had to sit between my boyfriend and me, and would sometimes stretch out his legs to push my boyfriend away. Too funny!

My cat Kitty, aka Bolletje, was 19 years old when she passed away during the Corona pandemic. I miss her dearly. The pandemic made it difficult to find a new cat via an animal shelter (everyone was looking for a pet those days), but I decided to hold off for a little while longer so I can travel and possibly even search for where I would like to live next.

When I was in elementary school, I also had a couple of hamsters named Spike and Spikey. I even adopted/sponsored an otter named Rice, where my money went towards his special needs and his favorite food—rice, of course.

I'm Dutch but sometimes feel like an expat. Born in Belgium and raised in NY, I moved to the Netherlands directly after high school to study and learn more about my Dutch roots. I decided to stay to pursue my career. In 2014, I made a small sidestep to Dublin for 2 1/2 years where I started a business, but I’ve been back in Amsterdam since.

Fast forward to now, I'm 50, living in the center of Amsterdam on a canal with no pets or children, single, and relatively flexible in where I can work. I'm a Partnerships Manager for an international company selling workspace solutions.

Having been an Airbnb host and guest in the Netherlands and abroad, I know what it’s like to take care of other people’s houses and what it’s like for others to take care of mine. Being around pets my entire life has enabled me to anticipate their needs and understand them. With more than 20 years of experience, I'm not easily "grossed out" by them, and I really enjoy learning about their characters and how they communicate. Each one is so unique and innocent!

I have reviews and references from various sources: Pawshake, Trusted House Sitters, Facebook, and Airbnb. Home and pet owners say that I am reliable, trustworthy, caring, flexible, and good at solving problems.

Feel free to reach out to me if you need someone to just hang out with your pet at home for the day or if you need someone to stay overnight. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,

Lara