Welcome to Going Away. I’m Martin and I offer a range of pet care services including a bespoke house and pet sitting service giving a first-class service along with the peace of mind when you’re away from home and your furry family members. Whether you have one or multiple pets that need care or just want to make sure your home is safe while you’re away.

I can help be it for a few hours or overnight for a day or two or longer. I have always loved animals since my first pet mouse – who I aptly named 'Mickey' … I can’t think where I got the name from? At an early age, I became a fan a friend with and eventually, a friend of actress Doris Day. This relationship strengthened my passion for animal welfare which has led me to fundraise for various animal (and human) charities.

I've also had a keen interest in canine behaviour and probably watched every guru video, TV series of YouTube clip there is and always studying dog & puppy behaviour. New to this year and based on my studying, you are able to book my 1:1 puppy training packages and I'll be offering classes very soon. My past job roles included a variety of roles as a health care professional, including children and adults with learning disabilities and managing a charity for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Although I've always seen the benefit of kennels, sadly I have had some bad experiences when collecting my pets and eventually vowed not to let this happen again. I then tried to rely on the good nature of friends, which can also be very awkward, so instead, I decided upon finding someone to come and stay in my home - at home pet sitting. After all, I was doing this myself for my friends and family - and then their friends and family and so it began. As a pet owner, I found this to be far cheaper and much more personal than using kennels and I've not looked back since! My pets stay in their home environment with their usual surroundings. They are calm, cared for ... and let's face it - spoilt! After all, our pets are family - so why shouldn't they be? Then one day, someone very special suggested that I should look into starting a similar service. I'd not considered it before since moving to Somerset and I could have kicked myself for not thinking of it sooner! So welcome to Going Away - Somerset Pet Care & Pet Sitting Service.

So now, I get to have an extended fur family by looking after my client's homes, helping them feel their home is secure they are away from home and their pets are having a holiday too with a new face to play with.

To give my clients more peace of mind, and although I am well known in the community, I have also had a DBS Police check and Pet First Aid Course and I’m undertaking an animal psychology diploma - and that's just for starters! I want to be able to do my very best in every way possible for any animal in my care. I can administer medication pets to your pets and welcome pets with additional special needs too. Please check out the website, services, and frequently asked questions sections of the website and get in touch to ask any more questions, make an enquiry (as early as you can to avoid disappointment) or book a free 'Meet & Greet' session.

A little about me ...

introducing our new sitter Dave

Dave has cared for pets since childhood. As a boy, his family mainly had Collies and after service in the RAF, Dave settled down to start a family and later the family had a few Heinz 57 rescue dogs. The first 'pedigree' dog was Max, a black lab. Dave told his wife he was going to get a curry..... and returned with a 12 week old Max!

When Dave and his wife Liz bought their first pub, they bought a 12 week old Westie named Jessie who tragically was stolen from their pub in Bath while they worked below in the Bar. They went back to the breeder who had one Scottie left, so Hamish came into their life. One was not enough so they rehomed a mum and daughter westie to complete the trio.

Dave moved to Spain and so did the dogs. While driving home one day, Dave saw eyes caught in his headlights, they turned the car around they found a 1kg Pomeranian, badly emaciated which they took home and nursed back to Health. 'Pimple' then joined the clan !!

Returning to UK with the dogs, they bought a pub in Lancashire and all 3 dogs led a somewhat contented life. Sadly 2 days before returning to Somerset, Pimple passed and he was down to 2 dogs.......not for long Little 'Nim' a Japanese Chin joined the clan.

Dave is DBS checked and fully insured

Why choose Overnight Pet Sitting?

Not all pets suit kennel boarding. They can find it very stressful and we pet owners probably find it more distressing and upsetting. Having experienced this myself, I know how exactly how this feels and how it has affected my pets before I discovered pet sitting for myself. Seeing my beloved four-legged friend stressed and unkempt really upset me, so I vowed to never let another animal experience this again.

Our pets are very much treasured family members that need to be cherished. Whether going on holiday, staying in hospital or simply working late, I can take the stress and worry out of this by keeping your pet in their familiar surroundings, while at the same time giving you peace of mind when you are away by keeping an eye on your home.

My car is unmarked and I don't wear a uniform so to your neighbours and the rest of the world, I am just a friend calling round. You can relax while you are away knowing that your precious home are well cared for and your home is safe too. While some pet services charge you per message to keep in contact with you while you’re away. I provide them for free (if you’d like them) at least once a day so you can see your pet is happy, content and in safe hands.

Become a Pet Sitter with Going Away Somerset

If you've ever thought of becoming a Pet Sitter yourself, please get in touch to ask us how to become part of our team. Any Pet Sitters must be fully insured and DBS checked and pass our interview process to maintain our high standard for our clients.