Festive Season House Sitting & Pet Care with The Fossil
Why book your pets into an kennel when they can stay right in the comfort of their own home, keeping their usual routines, favorite sleeping spots, and daily peace of mind while you are away?
As the South African festive season approaches for December 2026 and January 2027, The Fossil (aka Des Langkilde) is opening up availability for dedicated, reliable house sitting and personalized pet care.
Whether you’re heading off on a coastal getaway, visiting family across the country, or traveling abroad, you can leave with total confidence knowing your home and furry family members are in capable, trustworthy hands.
Simple & Transparent Terms
There are no daily sitting fees involved. To keep things straightforward and fair, here is all that is required:
- Transport Coverage: Simply cover The Fossils transport costs to and from your home location.
- Food & Beverages: Ensure that there’s enough pet food in stock for the duration of your absence. The Fossil will provide his own food and beverages. And he doesn’t drink alcohol, so your bar stocks will be safe.
- Pet Information Sheet: Provide a clear list of any medications, dietary rules, local vet details, and those unique, peculiar pet habits that make your animals who they are.
- Security Information Sheet: Provide clear instructions regarding your home’s security system (alarm codes, armed response contact details, neighborhood watch info), location of water mains and distribution boards, gate/door access, and contact info for a local emergency contact or trusted neighbor.
- Handover Period: Allow a day or two before your official departure date for The Fossil to overlap, settle in, and get to know your pets properly on their own turf.
What Else You Can Expect
Beyond making sure your pets are well-loved, fed, and exercised, having a mature live-in house sitter brings extra peace of mind to your property while you’re away over the busy holiday period:
- Property Security & Presence: An occupied home is a secure home. Having a daily physical presence deters opportunistic holiday crime, ensures perimeter checks are done, and keeps lights and blinds moving naturally.
- Basic Home & Garden Upkeep: Mail collection, plant watering, checking pool levels, and ensuring refuse bins go out on collection days are all taken care of.
- Loadshedding & Emergency Handling: South African summers can bring unexpected power cuts or sudden summer storms. Having someone on-site means power backups, inverter resets, gas stoves, or storm damage can be handled immediately rather than left unchecked for weeks.
Daily Updates
You’ll receive periodic WhatsApp photos and quick check-ins so you always know how your pets are doing while you relax on vacation.
Reserve Your Dates
Festive season availability fills up quickly. If you want to ensure a stress-free holiday for both you and your pets, get in touch early to lock in your preferred dates.
How to Book: Send an email directly to des@jaxxhusky.co.za with your location, travel dates, and a brief note about your pets.
What About Jaxx?
Jaxx is turning 10 on August 20th so he’s fundraising adventure days are over. He has retired on The Fossil’s brother’s farm near Delmas in Mpumalanga where he has plenty space to romp around with the other energetic dogs in his pack (a greyhound, a sheep dog, and a cattle dog). He still gets taken for regular grooming sessions at Mystical Pawprints Benoni.
