Paws ’n Hooves Farm and Pet Sitters. Trusted care. Peace of mind. Wherever you call home. Two horses, a black Labrador, a brown and white dog and a tabby cat face the viewer against a countryside sunset.
MIDWEST & BEYONDRooted in care. Wherever we go.Meet your sitters ↓
A familiar rhythm. A little peace of mind.

You go explore.
We’ll hold down the farm.

From the morning feed to the last goodnight, we care for your animals, home and land—so life carries on just as it should.

Tell us about your place ↗
Room for every kind of home

Country life.
Considered care.

Hobby farms, rural acreage and extended stays are where our expertise lies.

01 / THE ANIMALS

Every paw,
hoof and beak.

Horses, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, parrots—and the rest of your gang. Their familiar routines guide our days.

02 / THE PROPERTY

A home that feels
loved and cared for.

Attentive oversight of your home and rural property, alongside animal care. We’re comfortable with country life and extensive acreage.

03 / THE STAY

Time to
settle in.

Six weeks to two months is our average assignment. Shorter assignments are welcome too, with a seven-night minimum.

A long-haired tabby cat sitting in sunlight on a windowsill.
A little sunshine. A familiar place.
Ben waving beside a horse paddock on a snowy day.
Country life, through every season.
Familiar surroundings. Consistent care. A gentler way to be away.

For us, this is
a way of living.

We’re Ben and Jen. Exploring the world, learning something new and living with purpose brought us here. The animals made us stay.

After years of intentional travel, internationally and across the United States, we fell in love with the rural Midwest: its sweeping landscapes, close-knit communities and the natural rhythms of country life.

Housesitting became a natural extension of that life. It gives us time to become part of a community, build real relationships with homeowners and get to know each animal as an individual.

A little more about us +

Our interests range from history and law to holistic Chinese medicine, spiritual study and the rediscovery of ancient texts. We don’t travel as tourists. We travel to deepen our understanding of the world around us—and of ourselves.

Wherever we stay, we love meeting local farmers, discovering their produce and handmade goods, and supporting locally owned businesses. We believe small farms and businesses are the heart of their communities.

When the opportunity arises, we connect with local people, exchange ideas and occasionally host wellness circles to share holistic traditions that have enriched our lives.

Today, together with Toto and Little Guy, we care for homes, hobby farms, animals and rural properties throughout the Midwest and beyond. Our extended stays let us build meaningful relationships while continuing our own journey of learning and discovery.

Ben crouching with a group of dogs, including Toto and Little Guy, inside a home.
Good company starts with getting down to their level.
Jen smiling between two dark horses, holding their lead ropes.
A little joy in every connection.
Good company comes with us

Meet the smaller
half of the team.

Our two well-trained service dogs are part of our traveling household—and beloved guests in many of the homes we care for.

Toto, our white Maltipoo, sitting on a soft sage-green throw.

Toto

MALTIPOO · FIVE YEARS OLD

Good manners, a well-traveled spirit and years of housesitting adventures. Toto has even flown to Europe with us! This seasoned traveler knows a thing or two about making himself at home.

Little Guy, our light brown Mini Poodle, relaxing on a rug.

Little Guy

MINI POODLE · TEN MONTHS OLD

The youngest member of the crew, already with plenty of housesitting experience. A small companion with a big place in our lives.

Toto, the white dog, and Little Guy, the light brown dog, resting together under a wooden side table.
Toto & Little Guy—at home together.

One of our favorite surprises? Watching our dogs help other dogs learn through example—from puppies finding their place to older dogs learning new commands.

Kind words from familiar places

Leaving home
should feel this good.

From extended farm stays in Iowa to homes in Washington, Wisconsin and Indiana—here’s what our hosts have shared.

References are always available upon request.

★★★★★

Ben and Jen were lifesavers for us. They accepted our house sitting request on very short notice and drove from the west coast to arrive in Iowa by our requested date. They had several maintenance issues that came up with the house and managed everything very well. They troubleshooted and communicated with updates and questions as needed.

Read full review +

It's obvious they love animals, and our two horses and cat were all very well cared for and spoiled! They were very flexible with dates as we made plans to return home, which was much appreciated. We found them to be trustworthy, communicative and responsible while caring for our home, acreage and animals. We appreciated their help a great deal and we highly recommend them as professional house sitters.

WaltIowaDecember 2025 – March 2026 · Extended farm sit
★★★★★

Jen and Ben were fantastic house and dog sitters while we were away for two weeks. They took great care of both our home and our dogs, and Jen was especially responsive, reliable, and easy to communicate with, which gave us real peace of mind.

Read full review +

They also handled an incredibly stressful situation with total professionalism. During the worst flooding event in recent history, they stayed calm, managed power outages and road closures, and kept everything under control. Their ability to roll with the punches really stood out.

We’re very grateful for how they handled everything and would absolutely invite them back without hesitation!

MichelleNorth Bend, WashingtonNovember – December 2025
★★★★★

Jen and Ben were wonderful sitters! They were flexible and agreed to split up for two days so they could complete their first sit while allowing us to leave on time for our trip. They played with our two dogs and taught Ollie to fetch AND cleaned up some unusual diarrhea.

Read full review +

I so appreciated their mature handling of the dogs and of blending our dogs with their two small dogs. I highly recommend them and hope they can sit again some time. The dogs were sad to see them leave.

EdenDes Moines, IowaMarch 2026
★★★★★

Jen & Ben were great sitters! Communication was great leading up to and during the stay. They left my house in great shape. It sounded like Chief got along great with their two dogs which is awesome to hear when he’s about 10x as big! I would definitely have them back again.

TravisDes Moines, IowaMarch 2026
★★★★★

Jen and Ben did a great job keeping our two dachshunds and our house safe while we enjoyed some time away. Everything was as we had hoped with no worries. The house was as we left it and Otto and Max were happy as ever when we got home.

Mark & LizBainbridge Island, WashingtonDecember 2025
★★★★★

We could not have been happier with Jen. I don't know how the experience could have been better. We'd be happy to engage Jen again. She was compassionate, friendly, communicative, self sufficient and reliable.

TimothyRichland Center, WisconsinOctober – November 2025
★★★★★

We are very grateful Jen accepted the last minute sit. She was very easy to work with. Flexible, laid back and we worked together to make sure that Leo was comfortable and taken care of. She communicated with us throughout the stay to let us know that things were going well. The house was perfectly cleaned up. We are very grateful for her staying in our home with Leo.

MollyCarmel, IndianaNovember 2025
Before you pack your bags

A few things
to know.

Every home is different. We’ll talk through your animals, routines and property to see whether we’re a good fit.

Where do you sit?+

Throughout the Midwest and beyond. We fell in love with the rural Midwest and have regular clients here. Tell us where you are and when you’ll be away.

How long can we book you for?+

Extended stays are our specialty—typically six weeks to two months. We also welcome shorter assignments of at least seven nights, depending on availability.

How do rates work?+

Rates are personalized to your household and assignment. In-home care combines animal care with home and property oversight. Share your dates, location and routines for a tailored conversation.

Do you return to the same homes?+

Yes. Much of our calendar is dedicated to returning clients, with established times when we come back. Between those commitments, we welcome a few new households.

Will your dogs come too?+

Toto and Little Guy are our well-trained service dogs and travel with us. We’ll discuss your household’s animals and routines together before arranging a stay.

A good stay starts with a conversation

Tell us what
home looks like
to you.

Welcoming a few new households between our returning-client commitments.

pawsnhoovesitters@gmail.com ↗Text Jen · 805-225-6064 ↗

Seven-night minimum · Personalized rates

Let’s talk about your stay.

Choose dates to see the length of your stay.

Opens your email app with your inquiry ready to review and send. Dates are a request; availability is confirmed by conversation.