Hilary Goodfellow

Experienced international pet & house sitter

A professional, mature, gentle and empathic non-smoking lifelong animal lover, with specialist experience in caring for cats and dogs. I look after your pets, plants and home so you can relax and fully enjoy your time away, knowing they're in safe, loving hands. Look forward to receiving daily photo and video updates throughout your trip to reassure you that all is well at home.

Availability

Fully booked up with sits in Mexico until 16 November.
Calendar open for bookings in Mexico City (CDMX) and the surrounding area from 16 November.

10+ years' experience14 verified five-star reviews9 countries sat in2 continents

“Far exceeded all of our expectations!”
Summer, Athens

“I would give her more stars if I could!”
Morna, Leiden

“Our sweet dog often goes on a nervous ‘hunger strike’ when we leave town, but with Hilary, he ate all his kibble.”
Holly, Portugal

Your pets

🐾Lifelong animal lover
🐈Cats and dogs of all ages, from kittens and puppies to senior pets, including Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Norwegian Forest Cat, British Shorthair, Springer Spaniel, British Pointer, Cockapoo and Mixed Breed
💊Experienced in giving pets medication

Your home

🪴Plants & garden care
📍Capable of managing households, staff & renovations
📦Professional decluttering service available on request
🚗Clean driving licence

Trust & skills

⭐14 verified five-star reviews from homeowners (read them below)
🚭Non-smoker, clean living, tidy and respectful
📋Experienced international project manager
👂Studying relational counselling
🇲🇽Learning Spanish
🛡️Disclosure Scotland PVG member: checked to work with vulnerable groups, issued July 2026

About me

Animals tend to pick up on my gentle energy very quickly. Having been a pet owner myself, I know how much it matters to get daily updates while you're away. I work remotely on my own projects, so I'm home for much of the day to give your pets plenty of companionship and cuddles, and to provide access for your cleaner, gardener or any other staff. If your pet normally shares your bed, I'm very happy to do so too.

Professionally, I'm a cultural producer working in the arts and a senior project manager on large live events, so I'm organised and calm when the unexpected happens. I can also coordinate tradespeople, deliveries or renovation work while you're away, and offer a professional decluttering service. Alongside this, I'm studying for a Diploma in Integrative Relational Counselling.

Outside of sitting, I love art, yoga, cycling, reading and clean living, and one of my biggest pleasures is shopping at the local market for fresh fruit and veg.

Track record

Earned 14 verified five-star reviews across 8 countries by sending daily photo and video updates and sticking closely to each pet's routine.
Invited back for a second sit in Valencia by coordinating everything in advance and leaving the home spotless, in the homeowner's words.
Kept a nervous dog eating normally when he usually goes on “hunger strike” while his owners are away, through calm, consistent daily care.
Handled a serious pet emergency in Cyprus with care, with the homeowners writing “No one could have done more in the situation”, by staying in close, compassionate contact throughout. Read the review
Delivered cast management for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, bringing the same organisation and calm to every sit.

Let's have a video call

I always start with a video meet and greet, so we can see if I'd be a good fit for your pets, plants and home!

Message me on WhatsApp to get started, and we'll arrange a video call. Scan the QR code, or tap the button on your phone.
Rates depend on location, length of sit and your pets' needs.

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Paphos, Cyprus · Mar to Apr 2024Jenny and Martin · Abby, Bro and Larry

Hilary was a delightful sitter, and we would be really pleased to have her back to sit for us again (or even just to visit). Our pets, Abby, Bro, and Larry, all loved her quirky energy and spent as much time with her as possible. We had specified that Abby (still only a puppy) should not be left on her own, and she took us at our word. Abby never spent a moment on her own. She has seen more of Paphos than we have!

We got daily videos and pics of all three of our beloved pets, which made the separation seem so much less severe. It was lovely to see them in their daily routine and obviously not missing us at all!

A really sad event that happened during this sit was that our darling Larry, self-confident, feral Larry, who had spent all his life traversing and exploring this area and surrounds was bitten by a snake and died just a few days before our return.

Hilary, we don’t know how we can commiserate with you and how we can thank you for going above and beyond in dealing with this trauma of Larry’s death. We are so sorry that this should have happened on your watch, and we are so grateful for your sympathetic communication and for your caring and for looking after Larry with such love at the end. No one could have done more in the situation, and knowing how much you cared for him made this desperately sad event a little easier to bear. Our beautiful apricot tree now marks the spot where you laid him so carefully and lovingly to rest.

Apart from the trauma of Larry’s death, the sit also turned out to be more eventful and difficult for Hilary than we had anticipated. This was the first summer sit we had posted, and we had not taken into account the effect of the early very high temperatures on the amount of work involved in looking after two gardens and two swimming pools. Hilary’s advice on additions to the Welcome Guide and our profile were constructive, and we will definitely update these to reflect the conditions in summer and be very clear on our expectations.

Finally, there are just so many thank yous!!

Thank you for the effort in taking us to and picking us up from Larnaca airport! Not an inconsiderable drive. Thank you, also, for leaving our homes so clean and tidy. We loved discovering the little surprises that you had tucked away for us to find. They made us smile and were greatly appreciated. Thank you for communicating with us so well, and, most of all, thank you for loving our beloved pets so completely.

What homeowners say

14 verified five-star reviews from homeowners. Links to the original reviews available on request.

Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight · Sep 2026Gemma Louise · Tinka the dog

It was such a pleasure to meet Hilary and to hear about her life in Glasgow. Tinka was instantly affectionate and relaxed with her, and it was obvious that she was a serious animal lover!

Hilary sent regular messages, photos and videos of Tinka and her progress at home and of their many adventures across the island, so I was constantly reassured that Tinka was being treated to a wonderful few days in Hilary’s expert care 💕

As we decided to overlap on my return with Hilary’s very early departure the next day we enjoyed a lovely meal together that Hilary shopped for and I cooked, so it was the perfect end to a very successful sit.

So much so that Tinka insisted on sleeping in Hilary’s room that night rather than in my bedroom where she normally likes to be, so I think that says it all! 😅

Thank you Hilary for taking such good care of Tinka, for sticking to her routine and clearly giving her lots of love and cuddles too! 🙏🏻

We both hope you will come and stay again! 🐾😁💗

Athens, Greece · Apr 2026Summer · two cats

To get straight to the point, Hilary was absolutely incredible and far exceeded all of our expectations!

From beginning to end, she has been nothing but kind, warm, responsive, and, most importantly, incredibly caring for both of our cats. To say she was a blessing would be an understatement.

More specifically, before our trip, she was incredibly responsive, which allowed us to plan and coordinate accordingly. What I expected to be quite a stressful part of the process felt pretty seemless thanks to Hilary’s help, support, and flexibility.

During her stay, she was super communicative! We received daily pictures of our cats, along with little updates on how they were doing. To be honest, it felt more like having a friend over than a pet sitter. We ran out of cat litter at some point (which was completely our fault) and she went to get some more which was incredibly kind of her !

Our cats absolutely loved her, and seeing the dozens of pictures and videos of our cats snuggling and playing with her reassured us immensely that they were in the best hands! She followed all of our guidance and instructions regarding the cats diet or their little quirks, which really gave us so much reassurance.

Throughout her stay, she was incredibly respectful of our space. She left the apartment incredibly clean and tidy and, once again, coordinated with us throughout her departure.

Honestly I don't have any negative feedback whatsoever. She is truly a blessing, and I don't use this word lightly ! If there was an option to have a "Hilary request form" to make sure we have her next time, I'd 100% sign up for that !

Dublin, Ireland · Feb 2026Jody · Arlo the dog

Hilary was an absolutely brilliant sitter for our dog Arlo. She was very communicative right from the start and I knew straight away that she was going to be great. We were leaving early on the first day so she came the night before so she could meet Arlo and be comfortable with him, and it also meant I was able to show her everything she needed to know about Arlo and also the house. Hilary sent us lots of updates whilst we were away, which included videos as well as photos, and I could see that he was clearly very happy, having lots of walks and cuddles and all the attention he needs and more! We would have Hilary back to look after Arlo again in a heart beat and couldn’t recommend her highly enough!

Valencia, Spain · Nov 2025Lisa · cat · second sit

Hillary is practical, helpful and kind. This is the second time she has been in our home. Before her visit, she was proactive in making sure that everything was coordinated. When we returned, we found small gifts and a spotless house. We like and trust Hillary with our home and our cat.

Valencia, Spain · Aug 2025Lisa · cat · first sit

From the moment that we first spoke with Hilary, she was a great sitter. She asked good questions about our cat and kept in regular communication until she arrived at our home. During her stay, she sent us daily updates and took good care of our cat. He even trusted her enough to let her groom him every day.

When we came home, our cat was relaxed and happy. The litter box was clean - and our house was clean and tidy, too.

I recommend Hilary to anyone who needs a pet sitter. She is kind, communicative, and experienced. Our cat loved and trusted her.

Nadadouro, Portugal · Feb 2025Holly · dog

Hilary is a dream house and dog sitter! […] Hilary was communicative from the start - keeping me posted on her travel plans and communicating with the sitters (our friends) that she would be relieving. They loved her when she arrived and they handed off the key. I loved her from day one! She sent lovely photos and videos of her walks and explorations with our dog. and kept us informed regarding the house. Our sweet dog often goes on a nervous "hunger strike" when we leave town, but with Hilary, he ate all his kibble and was happy as can be. Our house was pristine when we returned - everything wonderfully clean and in order. I wish we lived closer, I think I would really enjoy a regular coffee with her! Thank you Hilary - you are the best!

Lisbon, Portugal · Dec 2024Bruno · Gucci the dog

We had an absolutely incredible experience with Hilary! Gucci had a blast and was showered with love and attention every moment. Hilary took her on the most fantastic adventures, and we couldn't get enough of the daily updates she sent us—complete with fun videos! She made sure to stick to Gucci's routine, which we really appreciated. We are already looking forward to having her watch Gucci again in the future!

Leiden, Netherlands · Nov 2024Morna · Bear the dog

Hilary is an absolutely outstanding pet and house sitter. She is cheerful, reliable and thoughtful and she took the most wonderful care of my dog and home. I tend to get rather anxious leaving my much loved dog, but as soon as I met Hilary, she put my mind at ease and I knew I didn't have to worry at all. Hilary is excellent at communicating, and she provided me with many updates and photos and videos of my dog, and was always contactable and replied to my messages promptly. It was clear from Hilary's photos and videos that my dog Bear was very relaxed and happy around her, and was being spoilt with love, playtime, and attention. Hilary is genuine and trustworthy who clearly loves and cares for animals and will give you complete peace of mind that everything is fine and well at home whilst you are away. The house was very clean and tidy when I got home and had been very well looked after. I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending Hilary for any pet/housesitting position and I really hope that she can come back again one day for another housesit. I would give her more stars if I could! Thank you so much Hilary.

Amsterdam, Netherlands · Nov 2024Jacqui · dog and cat

Hilary was lovely and we would have her back again to look after our pets in a heartbeat. She was communicative and took the time to ensure that we knew our pets were being cared for, fed, walked and that they were ok. She took the fact that someone's fur babies were in her care very seriously, which was lovely. She was friendly and fun to be around, and left the house super tidy! The pets were all happy when we got back and it was as if we'd never left, so they obviously had a nice time!

I would recommend Hilary to care for your pets and home, and we will absolutely be inviting her back!

Porto, Portugal · Jul to Aug 2024Florentine · cats

Hilary is a dream petsitter! Very friendly and communicative, understanding of our needs and supportive all the way. We felt very comfortable during our summer vacations and we were surprised with the nice and organised house when we got back, sooo nice! And of course, our cats love her (secretly we know they still miss her terribly ❤️)

Taynuilt, Scotland · Jun 2024Tina · dogs

Hilary was great from the initial video call. She communicated really well and came intent on enjoying our lovely surroundings with the dogs. We got back from a short break and could clearly see the dogs were relaxed and happy having been well exercised. The cottage was immaculate, plus we received regular messages and photos throughout the trip. It was just as nice to see Hilary enjoying the stay as it was to see the dogs! We were also delighted she enjoyed the local Inn and explored the area around the loch a bit (all with the dogs!)

We would gladly invite her back.

Bournemouth, England · Dec 2023Mari · Kiisu the cat

Hilary took amazing care of our cat. She sent daily video updates, which was even more than I expected! I only expected a photo a day, so it was a really nice surprise to see the videos. It was nice to see my cat Kiisu purring away, being very content. It gave me peace of mind that my kitty is happy and in great company! I think Hilary is a natural with cats :)

Glasgow, Scotland · Nov 2023Norma · Lulu the cockapoo

Hilary is a star ⭐️ I left Lulu, my cockapoo knowing that she would be very happy as Hilary took the time to familiarise herself with Lulu’s routine & environment. We received lovely videos to keep us reassured and came home to a clean, tidy home & happy dog.

Our delayed return didn’t phase Hilary who stayed on for the afternoon when our flight was cancelled. She is the loveliest person and has a strong affection for animals.

I would love to have Hilary at home with Lulu again. I wish her well on other house sits further afield.