I’ve contacted rover support and am building a written statement on what happened. Hopefully I will be reimbursed for at least some of the cost. If not I really hope this sitter gets some type of penalty for this.
I hope Rover reimburses for at least your vet expenses also, the whole point of the Rover Guarantee. They can hopefully let you know why you can't leave a review.
Thank you I hope so too. They had one negative review out of the tons I read. I’m not sure if you can block a client on rover but it’s so odd that their page no longer shows for me to even leave a review
My partner and I were thinking that was the case. Since they had 300 reviews and only a single negative one stating how horrible they were. We thought it would be fine since they had so so many good reviews. That’s really unfortunate:/ after my interactions with them I really feel like they shouldn’t be on rover
The only thing I would’ve noticed is 300 is a ton of reviews for three years! I did Rover for a little less than that and only had like 6 reviews, but all were happy repeat clients who were sad when I had to move away. I didn’t have a ton of availability because I was sitting and walking outside of Rover too..but still. That high volume sounds like too many animals to properly care for. I’m so sorry this happened to your sweet baby.
Just thought of something too even if Rover cant or won’t do anything about the sitter, maybe your local animal control could? It depends on the location and people in that role but in my experience they would very much limit how many dogs were allowed to stay in one residence at once, were good about following up with people, and would probably do a few little welfare checks on this owner’s own dog too.
I've been a professional sitter with my own business for 24 years. On Rover for just over one year.
I have five Rover reviews and fifteen total reviews. I don't request reviews -- I figure if folks want to leave a review, they will.
But, honestly, 300 in three years strikes me as exceedingly odd. I don't believe I've had 300 distinct clients in three years over the life of my professional career.
> The only thing I would’ve noticed is 300 is a ton of reviews for three years! I did Rover for a little less than that and only had like 6 reviews
I've done Rover for 1.5 months and have 7 5-star reviews. 2 from initial testimonials, 5 verified and all unique. 4 recurring clients.
I live in Toronto, a large and busy city with a big dog population and also have some of the lowest prices in my area (will eventually raise them as I get more reviews). Am very responsive, and book every request I get if it meets my criteria. Also love dogs/the job and try to go above and beyond to encourage positive reviews.
If my recurring clients left a review every stay, which is possible, I would have a lot more than 7 reviews (I have a walking client from early on with 2 separate bookings each week, so I could get 12 reviews from just that one client, but they're not tech-savvy and don't know how to use the app).
I think 300 in 3 years is possible if you're active, do a good job, and get lucky with review-happy clients. Although by no means easy.
I've checked the competition and most of the people with tons of reviews tend to have a lot of repeat reviews from the same clients. If I was a Rover executive I would introduce a separate metric to track unique reviews to help pet parents make more informed decisions.
Shame on Rover for letting bad sitter block people before they get the chance to review them.
Blocking someone should only change messaging, not review restrictions on an already finished service.
That sounds like a responsible business model that wouldn’t allow them to take advantage of people and exploit the work they do for minimal coverage. The good news for the op is though that rover will cover up to 25,000 in vet bills based on the watchers mistreatment of the animal.
I bet they block all the people who might leave them a bad review and only one person managed to get through. That is so sad and I’m so sorry this happened to you.
Apps like this are so great for the people who ACTUALLY perform the task- but they really have to do more background checks. It’s so frustrating that these people can not only exist, but THRIVE off of other peoples trust.
Please don't beat yourself up too much. You made a mistake, but you did it in good faith, and hindsight is always 20/20. Give her some extra love and give yourself some grace.
ETA: Also try to remember just how easily our dogs can read our emotions. If she is recognizing how guilty you are feeling, it could make her feel even worse, and she might think it's her fault.
Don't beat yourself up. You went with good reviews and a high amount and deserved better. I'm sure she's just happy she's back with her family in her own home.
dont beat yourself up about it. Hindsight is always 20/20 and you had no way of knowing beforehand. Chances are pretty high, I imagine, for Rover to cover your vet costs.
I trusted a super expensive boarding facility with 24/7 cameras to watch my dog while I was out of the country for a week… they neglected her so so badly. She came home covered in her own urine and so depressed and ended up with vet bills as well. I feel your pain. The guilt is so hard. I’m so sorry this happened to you and your sweet dog. I can’t imagine treating someone’s pet this way! It wasn’t your fault :(
That poor baby , he was probably treated so mean and wanted to go home I hate he went through that. At least he’s home with you guys now and can get all the love, really hope they get taken off rover for that!
Her name is Munsie! Thank you to everyone for being so kind towards my baby! Here’s a picture where she’s not all sunburnt and sad
https://preview.redd.it/drsr435ff8zb1.jpeg?width=1944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65fe0308c49b50e7ef03a62be0ae053f757790ea
Thank you! She brings so much happiness to me and everyone she meets she really deserves the world. I’m still trying to make it right to her. I feel so awful for letting this happen to her
Just the fact that you care this much shows me how great of a pet parent you are to her, you really shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. She is back where she belongs and will hopefully be healthy in no time! Nothing a little TLC can’t fix ◡̈
Thank you! We got her in march of this year from someone who was giving her away & she’s brought so so much happiness into our lives ❤️ She’s our special girl
God, these photos are making me cry. She looks like such a sweet baby, sending you both so much love & warmth. I hope to god Rover gives you a full refund and reimbursement for such awful treatment. No pet or owner should go through this.
Can no doubt tell she is very loved, you two are so lucky to have each other! It just absolutely breaks my heart that she was treated that way, by someone who you were supposed to be able to trust with her care. I can’t imagine. Wishing your sweet girl a quick recovery! Hugs to both of you! 💗
I will never understand people who claim to love animals, get into business caring for them, and then willfully neglect them. I’m sorry this happened to you and your dog.
Their rates were pretty high so if they had multiple dogs at the same time every day they were making decent money for sure. I think maybe they saw it as more dogs= more money and didn’t care about anything else. They had so many good reviews about how much fun their dogs had and how much they would play but I’m now thinking they had such good reviews because they stick all the dogs in the yard together until the owner picks them up. Horrible people.
As somebody who charges high and takes 8-10 at a time, I’m SO SORRY you had this experience. I work very hard to make sure everybody is getting special attention all day, owners tend to get 2-3 updates a day with 20 pictures and videos each update and are safe and comfortable with the dogs during play time! I always get asked by clients how I keep my home so clean and smelling good when they come over because I clean a lot and hire a cleaner to help out too. I’m shocked at how they had so many good reviews and you had this experience.
They’re typically all together! I grew up with 6 dogs and have reputable breeders in my family I used to pet sit for so I’d care for 10-12 dogs at a time often, so this is just a lifestyle to me lol. I’m home pretty much 22 hours a day so there’s tons of time in the day to focus on them, especially considering dogs sleep 12-14 hours a day. I don’t have a ton of space but I live alone and have 3 bedrooms (my spare bedrooms are just crates and dog furniture) my living/dining/kitchen is one big room and I have a fenced in yard. It’s not huge but the dogs have plenty of space! Most of the time, I’ll have 4-5 piled on top of me sleeping lol.
What do you do if chaos happens with that many dogs by yourself? Unfamiliar dogs in new environments are typically more stressed (obviously not all), and not every dog has a perfect record in reactivity, so fights do happen. Have you ever had to deal with that and/or have some precautions to prevent that?
I’m just curious, I grew up with a lot of dogs too but never 8-10 at once (unless they’re puppies) and never dogs that weren’t familiar with each other
I have not had a single fight or even a scruffle or rough play in 4 years. I know it’s hard to believe but the majority of the time the dogs are just walking around or laying down, not doing anything. There are some days I’m running in my yard like a fool trying to get them to have some energy lol. 90% of my client base comes multiple times a week for the past 2-3 years so they all know eachother. I also go on repeats only for a few months every year so that helps! I utilize a variety of safety measures.
First, I had a certified trainer develop an intake form. There are various yellow and red flags on there to identify if a dog might be reactive or aggressive.
Second, each dog has to complete a full day of a temperament test. I bring them in and spend a good 1-2 hours with them by themselves as the other dogs are crated. During this time they’re tested with me and I will not even introduce them to dogs if I see certain behaviors.
Third, my youngest dog grew up with me doing this and is a great dog neutral dog. I introduce them slowly, and see how the other dog reacts. I have had dogs show reactivity at this point and I further decline them from services. Basically if they’re not super playful or neutral and friendly they don’t pass. Growling, or any other signs aren’t tolerated. I’m picky.
Next they’re introduced 1:1 and then slowly integrated into the group based on their play style. Play groups are also structured here so they don’t get overstimulated.
Then when they are here, I’m supervising or separating, even for little things like going to the bathroom or changing a load of laundry, they get separated. I also never feed the dogs together or give treats while they’re out in the open, to reduce triggers. Even when they’re playing, if one starts to get too rough or I see body language I don’t like, like being stiff or hackles, then I separate them, but this is *very* rare.
In 4 years of managing this volume, I’ve never had a bite, fight, scuffle or any other problem between the dogs and I think it’s because of the various preventative measures, careful introduction process and ensuring they’re separated when I can’t supervise 110%
Most dog fights occur when people aren’t paying close attention or they miss small signs. Even things like letting the dogs out, I never let them rush the doorway together because limited space can sometimes be a trigger, so I bring them out 2 at a time.
And I think another important aspect is just because I’ve never had an issue or because I take preventative measures doesn’t mean the risk is zero. It absolutely could be a dangerous dog fight one day, but the likelihood of that with all that I’m doing is very low. I also have a few safe guards in place that I have on me at all times to grab if a fight did occur.
Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly! I appreciate that you’re a responsible sitter and have all their best interests at heart. I would feel so much more confident leaving my dog(s) with you knowing that you do the most you can to ensure they’re safe and happy. You’re doing great!
the sad thing is that how it is at most vet clinics/pet hotels. management does not give a fuck about quality, they just wanna overbook doctor appointments and overbook boarding just to make profit. its disgusting
I mean, it’s like the human medical system, it’s capitalism at work. But, truly, I just think it’s truly psychotic behavior to pretend to love animals and then let this neglect happen. And it happens all the time.
yea youre right, companies can blame capitalism but an individual working for themselves providing inadequate care is just a shit stain of a human - theres no excuse for them
at my old vet clinic job one of my coworkers was kind of like this. she claimed to be an animal lover but she would constantly yell at the dogs for barking and did a shit job at caring for them (wouldnt clean up after them, always did a bad job washing them, wouldnt give clean water/food bowls, etc). my biggest pet peeve was whenever a dog pooped in their kennel she would never clean the remnants, she’d just pick up the poop🤮
Please remember that dogs especially remember things while in the moment. They know the love you have for them in the moment. They know the unease they have in the place and with the people they were with while in the moment.
We constantly anthropomorphize the feelings WE have and the empathy WE have for them in the past, and present, and future. And they read that. At the moment.
I know how you feel and my heart hurts for you. If this had happened to my baby Labrador I would move heaven and earth to get justice for her. But in the end, that would be for me, because my pup would never know what I did for her.
All they know is the love that you have shown them, and the love you show them now. Be a strong doggie parent and love her and take care of her and be strong for her.
This is NOT your fault.
This is not YOUR fault.
This is not your fault, and I hope you can find a way to punish the people that did this and find a way to find justice for yourself... but the justice for the pup is the happy moments, the loving home, the kind people, and the love you show her unconditionally. And you have clearly shown that to her since day 1.
Just keep being good to her. This is not your fault. This is not her fault.
And all she probably wants from you right now, is you, because she loves you, and you love her.
Best of luck. I'll be thinking of you.
🥇🏆🎖️ this comment deserves all the awards, I present you with all my poor person gold! ! You said it beautifully , and I absolutely agree.OP, that adorable pup would never want you to feel guilty. Her love for you is constant and unconditional, that's all she wants from you as well! Best regards, I hope everything works out in your favor 😊🙏
Thank you I will! Ive contacted rover support about the medical bills & her sunburn/ skin infection. Now that I see some people say you can block clients I am also going to make sure to ask what is going to happen to the account of the sitter
Absolutely do that! I’m not a rover sitter but this subreddit is recommended to me all that time, anyways lol, I can’t believe a sitter can block a client before they can leave a review. That’s crazy to me!
yes keep pushing! We are all behind you and so sorry this happened. Besides Rover paying for the medical bills and reimbursing you, absolutely let them know you would like to leave a review and appear to be blocked from that.. It sounds like you already have but definitely tell them every detail you let us know -- also about never being able to meet the person on the account etc. It all sounds so terrible.
This sounds super, super similar to a situation we had. When I first reported it, Rover said they couldn’t do anything. Then I followed up questioning their rating system (why would a crowded, dirty place have 300 5star reviews 🤔). They then said they were going to follow up with my case as soon as I used the term “legal misrepresentation” to describe how they display ratings.
I hope your dog is ok and I’m glad it wasn’t worse. Just know it’s not your fault at all, she’s probably glad to be home ❤️
I did Rover for a little bit and ended up getting one 4-star review. It literally didn’t affect my rating at all. Still showed all 5 star reviews (I probably had like 5 reviews total the rest of them were are 5-stars) take that as you may.
oh wow poor little baby 😿 I’m so sorry you are going through this. 😿 Contact Rover support and send the vet papers along with the detailed information. I hope you can get to leave a review or at least get a refund.
I bawled my eyes out when I saw her in person. I will never make the same mistake twice. Thank you! We’ve started a case through rover support & I have documentation of all of our messages, bills & photos
Oh yes! It's pretty common with short haired dogs, especially ones with lighter coats. It can happen quickly even when you wouldn't expect it. I have a smaller dog with short thin hair and live in Alaska, and we really have to watch out for both sunburn and frostbite. Sometimes at the exact same time.
We didn’t know that either until we got a little chiweenie. Our vet warned us that she should be wearing shirts in the sun, but we weren’t going to be THOSE people, so we ignored him. The very next weekend she got a sunburn at the lake. The day that we got back, we went shopping for shirts and dog safe sunblock!
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry and feel so devastated for your poor pup. What a horrible human being they are - to not only leave your dog outside, but potentially allow your dog to get bullied by others?! I hope Rover actually does something about this sitter, they should stay far away from dogs.
After I dropped her off I had definitely cried the whole day & felt like I made a huge mistake. I don’t think I can ever leave her with strangers again. I’m really hoping since I’m guessing they blocked me that I can get their account taken down. I would never imagine treating someone’s pets the way mine was treated
I can completely understand how this experience tainted your view on sitters - there are fabulous sitters out there who would never treat your dog this way. I hope she has a speedy recovery, give her lots of hugs from us ❤️
That poor sweet baby.
I'm so tired of shitty sitters abusing people's animals. And especially getting away with it! I really wish Rover would do something about them.
I went online to see if people have experiences like this on rover and it’s crazy the amount that do. It’s so upsetting to me that people can be allowed to care for other peoples dogs & mistreat them with no penalty. I’ve been told by some people on here that rover support doesn’t like to help much but I am definitely going to try
I’m going to try my best to get the account taken down. Unfortunately I feel like they would just move apps or open an account in the other persons name :// either way I’m going to make sure rover understands how upsetting this is
I feel really bad about the comments either blaming you or questioning if your dog has a sunburn. There's absolutely no excusing this sitter, should be shut down. So sorry this happened.
It’s okay, ever since she was a puppy people have asked us if we shave her. She’s naturally super short haired and as she gets older her hair is getting more sparse. I’m trying to get justice for my baby and any other dogs who may have been affected by the same sitter. Thank you !
We know she is sensitive so we tried to give her Benadryl as we normally do when she gets vaccines or allergy flare ups but she just came back from the dermatologist yesterday and it is an infection on her skin. She received a shot to stop the itching & now has prescription shampoo, ear drops, & medicine to hopefully get rid of it soon!
I definitely will thank you! Aloe helped a lot & she finally got to see the dermatologist yesterday. She now has special shampoo, medication & an injection to help with her infection!
This is all horrible. On top of it all I think you got ripped off on your vet bills. You can get a liter of fungicide from farm supply stores that will nuke anything on her skin.
Her vet bill was 300$ they told us she had to see a dermatologist to take care of the infection and recommended one in another city. The dermatologist was 1200$ :// we gave in to everything they recommended us in hopes that she would get better quick
All dog dermatologists are super expensive and the ones in my city have months-long waiting lists. They know a lot more about skin conditions than regular vets. You did the right thing and you did not get ripped off.
..please don’t put fungicide from a farm store on your dog or recommend others do it. Part of the cost of vet care is diagnostics. Throwing random feed store medication at a dog with undiagnosed skin issues can potentially worsen their skin.
A good dermatologist may cost more, but in the long run can cost less than a general practitioner that requires multiple visits to get to the source of the problem.
Some of these comments are ridiculous. Without knowing location commenting on price suggesting both general practice vet and derm are overcharging.
I’d imagine of the 1200 for the derm, up to 200 is the visit fee and then a few tests and that will become 1200 easy
I’d rather have my general vet tell me they’re not comfortable diagnosing something and go to a specialist. Knowing when to refer out is a skill worthy of compensation itself
Dogs should never be left outside unattended. The fact that they had to assure you she'd be inside "more," seems to suggest that she was primarily kept outside and unless someone's spending all day sitting on a lawn chair out there with her, that is not okay.
I promised her I will never leave her with strangers again & I’m going to keep that promise. I can only imagine what happened while we weren’t with her. My crazy brain was thinking oh well I have their address but I know it’s best to do things properly. Once rover reaches back to me I will be posting an update! I truly do not think these people belong on rover.
I don’t think these people should ever be allowed to have an animal! She’s a literal living being, and if they’re this comfortable treating someone else’s baby like this I can only imagine what they get away with their own.
Well wishes, and I look forward to your update! Xx
I know that pit bulls have incredibly sensitive skin, and can be prone to allergy and autoimmune skin issues. This is by far the worst I’ve ever seen. Infections like that take a special kind of neglect to set in that extensively. No creature should have to endure that suffering over pure laziness
We knew she was sensitive so we tried to explain it to the sitter multiple times. She’s a sensitive girl and in a week of her not being in our care she came back in the most awful condition. Luckily her sunburn is gone & she is on a treatment plan for her infection! The dermatologist said she may not grow her hair back in some spots due to scarring and her already short coat but she’s still pretty as can be!
I thought it was weird how mainly her face is extremely dirty & that’s what makes me think that she was being bullied by other dogs there. She’s very sweet and submissive so when dogs are mean to her she puts her head to the ground.
You should be able to receive reimbursement after the deductible, just don’t take no for an answer if you hit any obstacles along the way.
And please stop being unkind to yourself for boarding her there, you trusted the system and the ratings. Generally they bounce back faster than we do and can be way more resilient than we give them credit for. 🖤
I am so so so sorry your poor baby had to go through this. She is so precious. My dog gets bullied too sometimes, so I know the feeling on the side of the situation. I hope you guys and your sweet baby feels better🥺🩷
I really appreciate you OP! I appreciate your honesty and candor and I’m so sorry this happened to your baby. That is absolutely unacceptable.
I have to also appreciate this sub Reddit, because I was absolutely going to go with a rover sitter for my dog and thought that if I went with a higher review, it would be OK. IM SO SORRY!
Thank you! I know I made a lot of mistakes and definitely should have asked more questions and done so much more research. I’m sure not all sitters are bad. It’s just really scary how they could make their sitter profile look so great and be so horrible. They had a star sitter banner on their page from rover so I really put a lot of trust in them. Definitely go with someone you know to watch your pets! If you really can’t make sure you meet them and feel 100 percent comfortable. I will personally never let my baby go with a stranger again
I'm so sorry you had this bad experience. But what I actually came to say is about the infection itself. I recently woke up one morning and had this what looked like a big red hive on my cheek. I didn't pay much minx to it thinking it would go away. It itches slightly. Well later in the day it was still there so I asked my friend what she thought. Just for another opinion. I decided to stop at the urgent care to see what they say. It didn't really bother me but it was a big red spot right on my cheek. They said it was a fungal infection. I was immediately grossed out. I was professing to this guy that I was a clean person despite me looking like I just rolled in the dirt with two dogs( because I did) He asked me what I did for a living because he saw my dog walking bag and leash I forgot to take from around my neck. I told him I have a pet care business. He this fungal infection. Is zoonotic meaning it can pass to humans. So easing my oaranoia of hin thinking I was dirty he said it's highly possible I contracted from a dog. Because he said to get it from a human it is usually direct contact or sharing towels with someone who has it.
That being said be sure to wash your hands after touching her. I hope she's better soon!
Thank you! We weren’t told this actually. I’ll make sure that we do! She finally saw the dermatologist yesterday and she’s now on a plan to get rid of her infection
Oh good! It's def treatable. I just had to use a topical treatment which I found out is the exact same thing I could've gotten OTC instead of prescription (my bestie is a pharmacist). But no big deal.
I didn't know it could be passed from an animal but after he told of course I had to run right Google to read more about it.
This is heart breaking! I had a negative experience with a house sitter last year. I sent all the info to rover and they really dragged their feet responding and refunding. If this happens, I recommend. Disputing with your credit card company. Once my partner did that, rover immediately got back to us and issued a refund. Your poor doggy! You 100% deserve reimbursement and a refund as services were not rendered.
This breaks my heart for you, as an owner to a sweet and sensitive baby myself I would be devastated. Hopefully you can figure it all out with Rover because this is such bullshit.
These pictures make me want to cry and just hug and love on this sweet baby land hippo! That poor sunburn looks so painful! I don't care what excuse anyone ever has, literally ever...you have MY BABY in your home and I am paying you for a service to keep them safe, comfy, and happy...do it. Just do it damn it. I have 3 of my own, as well as rescue/foster, and have my own pet sitting business. When any animal is in my care they are MY baby as well, and are treated as such. If you don't have that type of mentality I don't think you're in the right work field. Sadly, I've realized Rover or private sitters, there are always rotten eggs, I wish there weren't! Please keep us updated as this progresses! I'm invested now...the pup deserves reimbursement for emotional damage and therapy he's gonna need to get over those jerks!
I definitely did a lot of crying! I will never let my baby stay with random people again. She is a special special girl & im going to do my best to get justice for her and any other animals who might have gotten the same treatment as her. I will definitely update when I have any new news!
Contact animal control to report the sitter. And if rover doesn’t reimburse you for the vet bills, file a suit in small claims court. Post about the sitter in local Facebook groups.
I board dogs and, besides the obvious empathy element, I don’t understand why the sitter would let it get to this point. If you’re overwhelmed with dogs it’s not that hard to keep them in a crate or room for most of their stay, letting outside for potty breaks. The laziness is beyond perplexing.
So your post history says you are a sitter as well? I'm not at all saying this didn't happen but there are always two sides to a story and 300 positive reviews is a lot. Are those pictures from the sitter or ones you took after? The only advice can really give you is to go with your gut and if you do have a bad feeling find alternative solutions.
300 positive reviews in only 3 years would imply that the boarder is definitely taking on a lot of dogs. Assuming that only 1/3-1/2 of clients leave reviews (OP didn’t mention that boarder asks for reviews), most boardings are for weekend trips, and boardings are per person, not for the amount of dogs, the boarder has to have at least 3-6 dogs there from multiple families at any given time.
Yes! I actually applied to be a sitter right after this. My experience is what made me want to be a sitter. The reason I made this post aside from ranting is because her dermatologist appointment was recently and it was over a thousand dollars. If it has just been the vet bill it would have been less of an issue aside from the fact that she was mistreated. I just wasn’t sure if I could get any type of reimbursement or if they had blocked me.
From my experience and what I've seen on here it honestly depends on how persistent you are with support. Ask for supervisors, don't take no for an answer, pretty much the same as most customer support. If you keep pushing them they will probably cover at least a part of it.
Thank you! I get really discouraged & I feel like this is why I had such a bad experience on rover. I feel like I could have said more to them and asked more questions & made sure that she would be safe but I felt like I was being such a bother to them & was overreacting in my head. If I can get any type of reimbursement or penalty for the sitter I am going to try my hardest.
I had watched videos and read about rover & saw some people had negative experiences but for the most part it was positive. We went for the highest rated and most expensive sitter so this is really disappointing:// I can’t go back in time but I will never do this again
If you’re located in Arizona I can give you the name of a few great vets and a really good derm that won’t cost nearly this much…also, I’m really sorry about your baby…💔 they obviously left her outside the entire time which is horrendous..I wonder if she even slept indoors…ughhh I hate some people so freaking much…
Her sunburn was pretty bad at first, she wouldn’t let us touch her and I know it hurt. We put aloe Vera on it & it helped a lot! She went to the dermatologist yesterday & is now on a treatment plan to completely get rid of her infection!
Poor doggo. I can imagine the guilt you must be feeling but it sounds like you did everything you could to make sure your baby was taken care of. Not your fault people are shitty.
My dog stays with my SIL when we are out of town and he absolutely loves her (she lets him sleep in her bed and we don't lol), but the last time we picked him up a substantial amount of his hair had fallen out from the stress of being away from us. I felt so bad, decided not to travel without him for the rest of the year. Hope your sweet girl feels better soon.
The is so fucking terrible 😢 I really hate how a lot of people are just on Rover for the money. I mean of course we all are on there to make money but I am a legitimate dog lover & the money is just a bonus. I believe there a lot of people on there that aren’t dog lovers at all or don’t even like dogs. A real dog lover would never mistreat a dog. Some of my dogs can be little pain in the asses at times but I would never hurt them , I could never even think about it. So sorry you had this experience makes me wonder about all those reviews….
Don’t get me wrong I definitely 100 percent thought about going to their house. My partner is the more rational one of us and convinced me not to. I’m trying to settle this the proper way but if all else fails I do have their address 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you! Her sunburn went away and she got to see a dermatologist yesterday. She’s on a treatment plan to get rid of her infection now! This is her now! No sunburn just some missing fur!
https://preview.redd.it/jvcagsl7w8zb1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fd7c93c2f7c0ab88581f2455912b93d506dbc10
Contact rover support for your vet costs. You can still access your prior reservation and text message interactions with them. So sorry your sweet girl had to go through that. There’s too many bad sitters on the app lately because they think it’s easy money. But a good amount of us truly care about the safety and well-being of your pet. I treat every dog that stays with me the way I would want someone to treat my dog. They deserve to be spoiled and safe when away from you. As we tell other sitters and owners. Always, always do a meet and greet and if ever apprehensive don’t follow through with the stay. I know it’s hard when you’re about to take off, but the safety of your pet is important.
Oh god! I have a white pitty and I can *see* that terrible sunburn! Poor pup! Honestly, I’d be livid and I’d sue regardless of what happens with Rover.
Contact Rover support
I’ve contacted rover support and am building a written statement on what happened. Hopefully I will be reimbursed for at least some of the cost. If not I really hope this sitter gets some type of penalty for this.
I hope Rover reimburses for at least your vet expenses also, the whole point of the Rover Guarantee. They can hopefully let you know why you can't leave a review.
Thank you I hope so too. They had one negative review out of the tons I read. I’m not sure if you can block a client on rover but it’s so odd that their page no longer shows for me to even leave a review
You can absolutely block owners on rover and they likely did if they were anticipating that you would leave a negative review.
My partner and I were thinking that was the case. Since they had 300 reviews and only a single negative one stating how horrible they were. We thought it would be fine since they had so so many good reviews. That’s really unfortunate:/ after my interactions with them I really feel like they shouldn’t be on rover
Even if Rover doesn’t cover it, you can go after the sitter directly. Especially since you have their address, so you can go to small claims
Or contact animal control
Both
Both!
Contact rover support about this person’s ratings. I’ve been super suspicious of this exact thing. They’re very shady with rating practices.
The only thing I would’ve noticed is 300 is a ton of reviews for three years! I did Rover for a little less than that and only had like 6 reviews, but all were happy repeat clients who were sad when I had to move away. I didn’t have a ton of availability because I was sitting and walking outside of Rover too..but still. That high volume sounds like too many animals to properly care for. I’m so sorry this happened to your sweet baby. Just thought of something too even if Rover cant or won’t do anything about the sitter, maybe your local animal control could? It depends on the location and people in that role but in my experience they would very much limit how many dogs were allowed to stay in one residence at once, were good about following up with people, and would probably do a few little welfare checks on this owner’s own dog too.
I've been a professional sitter with my own business for 24 years. On Rover for just over one year. I have five Rover reviews and fifteen total reviews. I don't request reviews -- I figure if folks want to leave a review, they will. But, honestly, 300 in three years strikes me as exceedingly odd. I don't believe I've had 300 distinct clients in three years over the life of my professional career.
Maybe the guy was busy writing himself fantasy reviews instead of Fantasy Football.
> The only thing I would’ve noticed is 300 is a ton of reviews for three years! I did Rover for a little less than that and only had like 6 reviews I've done Rover for 1.5 months and have 7 5-star reviews. 2 from initial testimonials, 5 verified and all unique. 4 recurring clients. I live in Toronto, a large and busy city with a big dog population and also have some of the lowest prices in my area (will eventually raise them as I get more reviews). Am very responsive, and book every request I get if it meets my criteria. Also love dogs/the job and try to go above and beyond to encourage positive reviews. If my recurring clients left a review every stay, which is possible, I would have a lot more than 7 reviews (I have a walking client from early on with 2 separate bookings each week, so I could get 12 reviews from just that one client, but they're not tech-savvy and don't know how to use the app). I think 300 in 3 years is possible if you're active, do a good job, and get lucky with review-happy clients. Although by no means easy. I've checked the competition and most of the people with tons of reviews tend to have a lot of repeat reviews from the same clients. If I was a Rover executive I would introduce a separate metric to track unique reviews to help pet parents make more informed decisions.
Is it possible for the sitters to create their own fake reviews for themselves? 
Can you make a new account with a different email for the soul purpose of leaving a review? Your poor dog! I would be furious!
Probably can’t leave a review on a sitter not used though. I just mean that with the new account not having used the sitter is all.
Shame on Rover for letting bad sitter block people before they get the chance to review them. Blocking someone should only change messaging, not review restrictions on an already finished service.
That sounds like a responsible business model that wouldn’t allow them to take advantage of people and exploit the work they do for minimal coverage. The good news for the op is though that rover will cover up to 25,000 in vet bills based on the watchers mistreatment of the animal.
I bet they block all the people who might leave them a bad review and only one person managed to get through. That is so sad and I’m so sorry this happened to you.
What did the horrible one say??
Can you make another account with a different email address just to see if the page is still active?
Apps like this are so great for the people who ACTUALLY perform the task- but they really have to do more background checks. It’s so frustrating that these people can not only exist, but THRIVE off of other peoples trust.
Set up another profile (maybe in your SO's name). See if you can find their profile that way.
I would honestly look into seeing if you can do a credit card charge back for the stay. I’m so sorry for you and your pup!
^ this, and consult a lawyer re: vet bills
Small claims court
You should be covered by Rover for this. How awful. This sitter should be banned.
IMO the latter is the most important thing. This shouldn’t ever happen to anyone’s pet and hopefully this person is swiftly banned.
Omg he looks so sad in those pics 🥺
I will always beat myself up for leaving her there. The saddest I’ve ever seen my baby
Please don't beat yourself up too much. You made a mistake, but you did it in good faith, and hindsight is always 20/20. Give her some extra love and give yourself some grace. ETA: Also try to remember just how easily our dogs can read our emotions. If she is recognizing how guilty you are feeling, it could make her feel even worse, and she might think it's her fault.
What does ETA mean if not estimated time of arrival?
Edit to add
Thank you!!!!
You're welcome! You will see it a lot of Reddit and similar sites.
Ive been on reddit for like 9 years and its new to me. thanks!
Don't beat yourself up. You went with good reviews and a high amount and deserved better. I'm sure she's just happy she's back with her family in her own home.
dont beat yourself up about it. Hindsight is always 20/20 and you had no way of knowing beforehand. Chances are pretty high, I imagine, for Rover to cover your vet costs.
I trusted a super expensive boarding facility with 24/7 cameras to watch my dog while I was out of the country for a week… they neglected her so so badly. She came home covered in her own urine and so depressed and ended up with vet bills as well. I feel your pain. The guilt is so hard. I’m so sorry this happened to you and your sweet dog. I can’t imagine treating someone’s pet this way! It wasn’t your fault :(
That poor baby , he was probably treated so mean and wanted to go home I hate he went through that. At least he’s home with you guys now and can get all the love, really hope they get taken off rover for that!
I literally want to cry and hug him D:
*Her!! She’s a queen
Her name is Munsie! Thank you to everyone for being so kind towards my baby! Here’s a picture where she’s not all sunburnt and sad https://preview.redd.it/drsr435ff8zb1.jpeg?width=1944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65fe0308c49b50e7ef03a62be0ae053f757790ea
She’s so sweet and is lucky to have an owner who loves her and cares for her as much as you do ♥️
Thank you! She brings so much happiness to me and everyone she meets she really deserves the world. I’m still trying to make it right to her. I feel so awful for letting this happen to her
Just the fact that you care this much shows me how great of a pet parent you are to her, you really shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. She is back where she belongs and will hopefully be healthy in no time! Nothing a little TLC can’t fix ◡̈
Oh my goodness what an angel princess. Plz boop her snoot for me
I definitely will! Munsie says thank you everyone is so sweet !
She's so beautiful, you're doing the right thing for her right now, and that's what's important. She's got a wonderful family 💜
Thank you! We got her in march of this year from someone who was giving her away & she’s brought so so much happiness into our lives ❤️ She’s our special girl
God, these photos are making me cry. She looks like such a sweet baby, sending you both so much love & warmth. I hope to god Rover gives you a full refund and reimbursement for such awful treatment. No pet or owner should go through this.
Don’t cry! Munsie is still a happy girl. She gets lots and lots of love all day every day 😄 she’s still as sweet as can be.
Can no doubt tell she is very loved, you two are so lucky to have each other! It just absolutely breaks my heart that she was treated that way, by someone who you were supposed to be able to trust with her care. I can’t imagine. Wishing your sweet girl a quick recovery! Hugs to both of you! 💗
How could anyone be so neglectful for a baby so sweet.
Oh no I’m so sorry pretty lady 😭😭😭
I will never understand people who claim to love animals, get into business caring for them, and then willfully neglect them. I’m sorry this happened to you and your dog.
Their rates were pretty high so if they had multiple dogs at the same time every day they were making decent money for sure. I think maybe they saw it as more dogs= more money and didn’t care about anything else. They had so many good reviews about how much fun their dogs had and how much they would play but I’m now thinking they had such good reviews because they stick all the dogs in the yard together until the owner picks them up. Horrible people.
And if they make a point to block all users who may leave a negative review kind of insures a high volume of positive ones
As somebody who charges high and takes 8-10 at a time, I’m SO SORRY you had this experience. I work very hard to make sure everybody is getting special attention all day, owners tend to get 2-3 updates a day with 20 pictures and videos each update and are safe and comfortable with the dogs during play time! I always get asked by clients how I keep my home so clean and smelling good when they come over because I clean a lot and hire a cleaner to help out too. I’m shocked at how they had so many good reviews and you had this experience.
how the heck does one manage 8-10 dogs at one time? do you have lots of space?
They’re typically all together! I grew up with 6 dogs and have reputable breeders in my family I used to pet sit for so I’d care for 10-12 dogs at a time often, so this is just a lifestyle to me lol. I’m home pretty much 22 hours a day so there’s tons of time in the day to focus on them, especially considering dogs sleep 12-14 hours a day. I don’t have a ton of space but I live alone and have 3 bedrooms (my spare bedrooms are just crates and dog furniture) my living/dining/kitchen is one big room and I have a fenced in yard. It’s not huge but the dogs have plenty of space! Most of the time, I’ll have 4-5 piled on top of me sleeping lol.
What do you do if chaos happens with that many dogs by yourself? Unfamiliar dogs in new environments are typically more stressed (obviously not all), and not every dog has a perfect record in reactivity, so fights do happen. Have you ever had to deal with that and/or have some precautions to prevent that? I’m just curious, I grew up with a lot of dogs too but never 8-10 at once (unless they’re puppies) and never dogs that weren’t familiar with each other
I have not had a single fight or even a scruffle or rough play in 4 years. I know it’s hard to believe but the majority of the time the dogs are just walking around or laying down, not doing anything. There are some days I’m running in my yard like a fool trying to get them to have some energy lol. 90% of my client base comes multiple times a week for the past 2-3 years so they all know eachother. I also go on repeats only for a few months every year so that helps! I utilize a variety of safety measures. First, I had a certified trainer develop an intake form. There are various yellow and red flags on there to identify if a dog might be reactive or aggressive. Second, each dog has to complete a full day of a temperament test. I bring them in and spend a good 1-2 hours with them by themselves as the other dogs are crated. During this time they’re tested with me and I will not even introduce them to dogs if I see certain behaviors. Third, my youngest dog grew up with me doing this and is a great dog neutral dog. I introduce them slowly, and see how the other dog reacts. I have had dogs show reactivity at this point and I further decline them from services. Basically if they’re not super playful or neutral and friendly they don’t pass. Growling, or any other signs aren’t tolerated. I’m picky. Next they’re introduced 1:1 and then slowly integrated into the group based on their play style. Play groups are also structured here so they don’t get overstimulated. Then when they are here, I’m supervising or separating, even for little things like going to the bathroom or changing a load of laundry, they get separated. I also never feed the dogs together or give treats while they’re out in the open, to reduce triggers. Even when they’re playing, if one starts to get too rough or I see body language I don’t like, like being stiff or hackles, then I separate them, but this is *very* rare. In 4 years of managing this volume, I’ve never had a bite, fight, scuffle or any other problem between the dogs and I think it’s because of the various preventative measures, careful introduction process and ensuring they’re separated when I can’t supervise 110% Most dog fights occur when people aren’t paying close attention or they miss small signs. Even things like letting the dogs out, I never let them rush the doorway together because limited space can sometimes be a trigger, so I bring them out 2 at a time. And I think another important aspect is just because I’ve never had an issue or because I take preventative measures doesn’t mean the risk is zero. It absolutely could be a dangerous dog fight one day, but the likelihood of that with all that I’m doing is very low. I also have a few safe guards in place that I have on me at all times to grab if a fight did occur.
Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly! I appreciate that you’re a responsible sitter and have all their best interests at heart. I would feel so much more confident leaving my dog(s) with you knowing that you do the most you can to ensure they’re safe and happy. You’re doing great!
the sad thing is that how it is at most vet clinics/pet hotels. management does not give a fuck about quality, they just wanna overbook doctor appointments and overbook boarding just to make profit. its disgusting
I mean, it’s like the human medical system, it’s capitalism at work. But, truly, I just think it’s truly psychotic behavior to pretend to love animals and then let this neglect happen. And it happens all the time.
yea youre right, companies can blame capitalism but an individual working for themselves providing inadequate care is just a shit stain of a human - theres no excuse for them at my old vet clinic job one of my coworkers was kind of like this. she claimed to be an animal lover but she would constantly yell at the dogs for barking and did a shit job at caring for them (wouldnt clean up after them, always did a bad job washing them, wouldnt give clean water/food bowls, etc). my biggest pet peeve was whenever a dog pooped in their kennel she would never clean the remnants, she’d just pick up the poop🤮
poor baby ☹️ contact support, definitely not okay
Poor pup. She looks so sweet and scared. Hope she heals fast 🙏
Thank you! I really hope she hasn’t lost some love for me for leaving her there
I’m sure she’s just glad you’re back
Please remember that dogs especially remember things while in the moment. They know the love you have for them in the moment. They know the unease they have in the place and with the people they were with while in the moment. We constantly anthropomorphize the feelings WE have and the empathy WE have for them in the past, and present, and future. And they read that. At the moment. I know how you feel and my heart hurts for you. If this had happened to my baby Labrador I would move heaven and earth to get justice for her. But in the end, that would be for me, because my pup would never know what I did for her. All they know is the love that you have shown them, and the love you show them now. Be a strong doggie parent and love her and take care of her and be strong for her. This is NOT your fault. This is not YOUR fault. This is not your fault, and I hope you can find a way to punish the people that did this and find a way to find justice for yourself... but the justice for the pup is the happy moments, the loving home, the kind people, and the love you show her unconditionally. And you have clearly shown that to her since day 1. Just keep being good to her. This is not your fault. This is not her fault. And all she probably wants from you right now, is you, because she loves you, and you love her. Best of luck. I'll be thinking of you.
🥇🏆🎖️ this comment deserves all the awards, I present you with all my poor person gold! ! You said it beautifully , and I absolutely agree.OP, that adorable pup would never want you to feel guilty. Her love for you is constant and unconditional, that's all she wants from you as well! Best regards, I hope everything works out in your favor 😊🙏
Naw, she won’t. 🥰
She won’t! You tried to do the very best that you could for her. Your prompt treatment of her condition will show her how much you care.
Poor baby! I want to give her a hug. PLEASE update us about how Rover handles the situation.
Thank you I will! Ive contacted rover support about the medical bills & her sunburn/ skin infection. Now that I see some people say you can block clients I am also going to make sure to ask what is going to happen to the account of the sitter
Absolutely do that! I’m not a rover sitter but this subreddit is recommended to me all that time, anyways lol, I can’t believe a sitter can block a client before they can leave a review. That’s crazy to me!
yes keep pushing! We are all behind you and so sorry this happened. Besides Rover paying for the medical bills and reimbursing you, absolutely let them know you would like to leave a review and appear to be blocked from that.. It sounds like you already have but definitely tell them every detail you let us know -- also about never being able to meet the person on the account etc. It all sounds so terrible.
This sounds super, super similar to a situation we had. When I first reported it, Rover said they couldn’t do anything. Then I followed up questioning their rating system (why would a crowded, dirty place have 300 5star reviews 🤔). They then said they were going to follow up with my case as soon as I used the term “legal misrepresentation” to describe how they display ratings. I hope your dog is ok and I’m glad it wasn’t worse. Just know it’s not your fault at all, she’s probably glad to be home ❤️
I did Rover for a little bit and ended up getting one 4-star review. It literally didn’t affect my rating at all. Still showed all 5 star reviews (I probably had like 5 reviews total the rest of them were are 5-stars) take that as you may.
But did they actually follow up with your case?
No they said it’s confidential so I’ll never know.
Infuriating that rover never seems to be able to do anything
oh wow poor little baby 😿 I’m so sorry you are going through this. 😿 Contact Rover support and send the vet papers along with the detailed information. I hope you can get to leave a review or at least get a refund.
I bawled my eyes out when I saw her in person. I will never make the same mistake twice. Thank you! We’ve started a case through rover support & I have documentation of all of our messages, bills & photos
Please let us know how it goes! and wishing your dog fast recovery 💔 I didn’t even know they could get sun burns until this post 🥺🥺🥺
Oh yes! It's pretty common with short haired dogs, especially ones with lighter coats. It can happen quickly even when you wouldn't expect it. I have a smaller dog with short thin hair and live in Alaska, and we really have to watch out for both sunburn and frostbite. Sometimes at the exact same time.
Wow! Be safe 🧡🧡
We didn’t know that either until we got a little chiweenie. Our vet warned us that she should be wearing shirts in the sun, but we weren’t going to be THOSE people, so we ignored him. The very next weekend she got a sunburn at the lake. The day that we got back, we went shopping for shirts and dog safe sunblock!
Oh wow !!
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry and feel so devastated for your poor pup. What a horrible human being they are - to not only leave your dog outside, but potentially allow your dog to get bullied by others?! I hope Rover actually does something about this sitter, they should stay far away from dogs.
After I dropped her off I had definitely cried the whole day & felt like I made a huge mistake. I don’t think I can ever leave her with strangers again. I’m really hoping since I’m guessing they blocked me that I can get their account taken down. I would never imagine treating someone’s pets the way mine was treated
I can completely understand how this experience tainted your view on sitters - there are fabulous sitters out there who would never treat your dog this way. I hope she has a speedy recovery, give her lots of hugs from us ❤️
That poor sweet baby. I'm so tired of shitty sitters abusing people's animals. And especially getting away with it! I really wish Rover would do something about them.
I went online to see if people have experiences like this on rover and it’s crazy the amount that do. It’s so upsetting to me that people can be allowed to care for other peoples dogs & mistreat them with no penalty. I’ve been told by some people on here that rover support doesn’t like to help much but I am definitely going to try
Post the name and location of the sitter in other social media groups and warn people. Poor baby!
Your poor pup! Idk how ppl can treat animals like this. I hope she’s on her way to being better now
Her little face is heartbreaking ): oh my goodness im so sorry
This was as soon as she got home. Definitely upset with me and dad. I feel like I completely broke her trust leaving her there.
Remember that you came and picked her up, took her back home, and she’s known nothing but love at your house. That’s what she’ll remember ❤️❤️
Try not to beat yourself up too much. I know you have to feel terrible 😭
These ‘people’ don’t belong on Rover, and have no business being around dogs. This is just ridiculous to hear about these ‘sitters’.
I’m going to try my best to get the account taken down. Unfortunately I feel like they would just move apps or open an account in the other persons name :// either way I’m going to make sure rover understands how upsetting this is
I used to petsit for rover and treated all the dogs as my own babies. This is awful i am so sorry!
I feel really bad about the comments either blaming you or questioning if your dog has a sunburn. There's absolutely no excusing this sitter, should be shut down. So sorry this happened.
It’s okay, ever since she was a puppy people have asked us if we shave her. She’s naturally super short haired and as she gets older her hair is getting more sparse. I’m trying to get justice for my baby and any other dogs who may have been affected by the same sitter. Thank you !
Small claims court if rover doesn’t reimburse
Also that’s some whale eye in the second picture so I’d include future cost of training
[удалено]
We know she is sensitive so we tried to give her Benadryl as we normally do when she gets vaccines or allergy flare ups but she just came back from the dermatologist yesterday and it is an infection on her skin. She received a shot to stop the itching & now has prescription shampoo, ear drops, & medicine to hopefully get rid of it soon!
im so sad for her i jus want to hug her and kiss her and rub aloe on her i hope shes okay pls tell her u love her from me
I definitely will thank you! Aloe helped a lot & she finally got to see the dermatologist yesterday. She now has special shampoo, medication & an injection to help with her infection!
This is all horrible. On top of it all I think you got ripped off on your vet bills. You can get a liter of fungicide from farm supply stores that will nuke anything on her skin.
Her vet bill was 300$ they told us she had to see a dermatologist to take care of the infection and recommended one in another city. The dermatologist was 1200$ :// we gave in to everything they recommended us in hopes that she would get better quick
All dog dermatologists are super expensive and the ones in my city have months-long waiting lists. They know a lot more about skin conditions than regular vets. You did the right thing and you did not get ripped off.
..please don’t put fungicide from a farm store on your dog or recommend others do it. Part of the cost of vet care is diagnostics. Throwing random feed store medication at a dog with undiagnosed skin issues can potentially worsen their skin. A good dermatologist may cost more, but in the long run can cost less than a general practitioner that requires multiple visits to get to the source of the problem.
Some of these comments are ridiculous. Without knowing location commenting on price suggesting both general practice vet and derm are overcharging. I’d imagine of the 1200 for the derm, up to 200 is the visit fee and then a few tests and that will become 1200 easy I’d rather have my general vet tell me they’re not comfortable diagnosing something and go to a specialist. Knowing when to refer out is a skill worthy of compensation itself
Dogs should never be left outside unattended. The fact that they had to assure you she'd be inside "more," seems to suggest that she was primarily kept outside and unless someone's spending all day sitting on a lawn chair out there with her, that is not okay.
you know where they live. they did this to your dog. I'm looking the other way. just sayin
This is so sad. Poor babe.
This hurts my heart, your poor baby 😢😢😢😢i hope you get your vet bills reimbursed and the stay. This makes me so angry
These photos broke my heart, I hope your little lady feels better ❤️🩹 I would go after this person to the fullest extent 😭
I promised her I will never leave her with strangers again & I’m going to keep that promise. I can only imagine what happened while we weren’t with her. My crazy brain was thinking oh well I have their address but I know it’s best to do things properly. Once rover reaches back to me I will be posting an update! I truly do not think these people belong on rover.
I don’t think these people should ever be allowed to have an animal! She’s a literal living being, and if they’re this comfortable treating someone else’s baby like this I can only imagine what they get away with their own. Well wishes, and I look forward to your update! Xx
I know that pit bulls have incredibly sensitive skin, and can be prone to allergy and autoimmune skin issues. This is by far the worst I’ve ever seen. Infections like that take a special kind of neglect to set in that extensively. No creature should have to endure that suffering over pure laziness
We knew she was sensitive so we tried to explain it to the sitter multiple times. She’s a sensitive girl and in a week of her not being in our care she came back in the most awful condition. Luckily her sunburn is gone & she is on a treatment plan for her infection! The dermatologist said she may not grow her hair back in some spots due to scarring and her already short coat but she’s still pretty as can be!
Oh poor sweet baby! I'm so sorry this happened, I hope she heals well soon ❤️ keep us posted on how Rover handles this
Oh my God. She looks sunburned but also like she slept with her face in dirt. What the hecky.
I thought it was weird how mainly her face is extremely dirty & that’s what makes me think that she was being bullied by other dogs there. She’s very sweet and submissive so when dogs are mean to her she puts her head to the ground.
:( Wow I am so sorry
You should be able to receive reimbursement after the deductible, just don’t take no for an answer if you hit any obstacles along the way. And please stop being unkind to yourself for boarding her there, you trusted the system and the ratings. Generally they bounce back faster than we do and can be way more resilient than we give them credit for. 🖤
I am so so so sorry your poor baby had to go through this. She is so precious. My dog gets bullied too sometimes, so I know the feeling on the side of the situation. I hope you guys and your sweet baby feels better🥺🩷
I really appreciate you OP! I appreciate your honesty and candor and I’m so sorry this happened to your baby. That is absolutely unacceptable. I have to also appreciate this sub Reddit, because I was absolutely going to go with a rover sitter for my dog and thought that if I went with a higher review, it would be OK. IM SO SORRY!
Thank you! I know I made a lot of mistakes and definitely should have asked more questions and done so much more research. I’m sure not all sitters are bad. It’s just really scary how they could make their sitter profile look so great and be so horrible. They had a star sitter banner on their page from rover so I really put a lot of trust in them. Definitely go with someone you know to watch your pets! If you really can’t make sure you meet them and feel 100 percent comfortable. I will personally never let my baby go with a stranger again
Call animal control too
So second this! Call animal control on the house! Save any other poor dog experience this :(
I'm so sorry you had this bad experience. But what I actually came to say is about the infection itself. I recently woke up one morning and had this what looked like a big red hive on my cheek. I didn't pay much minx to it thinking it would go away. It itches slightly. Well later in the day it was still there so I asked my friend what she thought. Just for another opinion. I decided to stop at the urgent care to see what they say. It didn't really bother me but it was a big red spot right on my cheek. They said it was a fungal infection. I was immediately grossed out. I was professing to this guy that I was a clean person despite me looking like I just rolled in the dirt with two dogs( because I did) He asked me what I did for a living because he saw my dog walking bag and leash I forgot to take from around my neck. I told him I have a pet care business. He this fungal infection. Is zoonotic meaning it can pass to humans. So easing my oaranoia of hin thinking I was dirty he said it's highly possible I contracted from a dog. Because he said to get it from a human it is usually direct contact or sharing towels with someone who has it. That being said be sure to wash your hands after touching her. I hope she's better soon!
Thank you! We weren’t told this actually. I’ll make sure that we do! She finally saw the dermatologist yesterday and she’s now on a plan to get rid of her infection
Oh good! It's def treatable. I just had to use a topical treatment which I found out is the exact same thing I could've gotten OTC instead of prescription (my bestie is a pharmacist). But no big deal. I didn't know it could be passed from an animal but after he told of course I had to run right Google to read more about it.
And this is why you always do a meet and greet
Can you report them for animal abuse? I would in a heartbeat if my dog came back looking like that.
Poor baby!!!
Can you call police for animal abuse? Sheesh, I would go all caveman on someone that did this to my dogs
Your poor baby. Shouldn't have been treated so awfully. I hope they get in a ton of trouble and reimburse you for everything/refund you.
Oh your poor baby!! I’m sorry you guys went through this. I’m thankful she has sweet owners like you to give her love, this situation is sick.
This is heart breaking! I had a negative experience with a house sitter last year. I sent all the info to rover and they really dragged their feet responding and refunding. If this happens, I recommend. Disputing with your credit card company. Once my partner did that, rover immediately got back to us and issued a refund. Your poor doggy! You 100% deserve reimbursement and a refund as services were not rendered.
Omg That sunburn! Poor baby! She looks so upset!
This breaks my heart for you, as an owner to a sweet and sensitive baby myself I would be devastated. Hopefully you can figure it all out with Rover because this is such bullshit.
These pictures make me want to cry and just hug and love on this sweet baby land hippo! That poor sunburn looks so painful! I don't care what excuse anyone ever has, literally ever...you have MY BABY in your home and I am paying you for a service to keep them safe, comfy, and happy...do it. Just do it damn it. I have 3 of my own, as well as rescue/foster, and have my own pet sitting business. When any animal is in my care they are MY baby as well, and are treated as such. If you don't have that type of mentality I don't think you're in the right work field. Sadly, I've realized Rover or private sitters, there are always rotten eggs, I wish there weren't! Please keep us updated as this progresses! I'm invested now...the pup deserves reimbursement for emotional damage and therapy he's gonna need to get over those jerks!
I definitely did a lot of crying! I will never let my baby stay with random people again. She is a special special girl & im going to do my best to get justice for her and any other animals who might have gotten the same treatment as her. I will definitely update when I have any new news!
Contact animal control to report the sitter. And if rover doesn’t reimburse you for the vet bills, file a suit in small claims court. Post about the sitter in local Facebook groups.
I board dogs and, besides the obvious empathy element, I don’t understand why the sitter would let it get to this point. If you’re overwhelmed with dogs it’s not that hard to keep them in a crate or room for most of their stay, letting outside for potty breaks. The laziness is beyond perplexing.
So your post history says you are a sitter as well? I'm not at all saying this didn't happen but there are always two sides to a story and 300 positive reviews is a lot. Are those pictures from the sitter or ones you took after? The only advice can really give you is to go with your gut and if you do have a bad feeling find alternative solutions.
300 positive reviews in only 3 years would imply that the boarder is definitely taking on a lot of dogs. Assuming that only 1/3-1/2 of clients leave reviews (OP didn’t mention that boarder asks for reviews), most boardings are for weekend trips, and boardings are per person, not for the amount of dogs, the boarder has to have at least 3-6 dogs there from multiple families at any given time.
Yes! I actually applied to be a sitter right after this. My experience is what made me want to be a sitter. The reason I made this post aside from ranting is because her dermatologist appointment was recently and it was over a thousand dollars. If it has just been the vet bill it would have been less of an issue aside from the fact that she was mistreated. I just wasn’t sure if I could get any type of reimbursement or if they had blocked me.
From my experience and what I've seen on here it honestly depends on how persistent you are with support. Ask for supervisors, don't take no for an answer, pretty much the same as most customer support. If you keep pushing them they will probably cover at least a part of it.
Thank you! I get really discouraged & I feel like this is why I had such a bad experience on rover. I feel like I could have said more to them and asked more questions & made sure that she would be safe but I felt like I was being such a bother to them & was overreacting in my head. If I can get any type of reimbursement or penalty for the sitter I am going to try my hardest.
I’ve only read horror stories about Rover and I am so sorry for your baby!! This makes me sick
I had watched videos and read about rover & saw some people had negative experiences but for the most part it was positive. We went for the highest rated and most expensive sitter so this is really disappointing:// I can’t go back in time but I will never do this again
If you’re located in Arizona I can give you the name of a few great vets and a really good derm that won’t cost nearly this much…also, I’m really sorry about your baby…💔 they obviously left her outside the entire time which is horrendous..I wonder if she even slept indoors…ughhh I hate some people so freaking much…
Omg that poor baby! Red flag if actually person doesn’t come out to meet you.
Hope she heals quickly :( please give pets/ kisses on behalf of me a Reddit stranger 🩵
I feel so bad for your dog. I hope you get some, if not all, of your money back. I hope she feels better soon!
Oh poor baby, I hope she feels better soon ❤️
I feel so sad for your dog with the sunburn. This is awful. Are they okay? How are they feeling now?
Her sunburn was pretty bad at first, she wouldn’t let us touch her and I know it hurt. We put aloe Vera on it & it helped a lot! She went to the dermatologist yesterday & is now on a treatment plan to completely get rid of her infection!
Poor doggo. I can imagine the guilt you must be feeling but it sounds like you did everything you could to make sure your baby was taken care of. Not your fault people are shitty. My dog stays with my SIL when we are out of town and he absolutely loves her (she lets him sleep in her bed and we don't lol), but the last time we picked him up a substantial amount of his hair had fallen out from the stress of being away from us. I felt so bad, decided not to travel without him for the rest of the year. Hope your sweet girl feels better soon.
Pobrecita!!! I'm so sorry this happened to you and your beautiful baby.
this broke my heart. poor baby. pls go after them!
So sorry!! This is not acceptable!
Dude they should pay those bills, reimburse you and get kicked off. Poor baby.
This is awful, I’m so sorry you and your poor pup went through this.
Oh gosh I am so soooo sorry😞 your pup looks so sweet ugh!!! ❤️ just know that you absolutely deserve to be livid, this is so unfair and frustrating
Awww your baby looks so sad😪 I hope she feels better soon!❤
The is so fucking terrible 😢 I really hate how a lot of people are just on Rover for the money. I mean of course we all are on there to make money but I am a legitimate dog lover & the money is just a bonus. I believe there a lot of people on there that aren’t dog lovers at all or don’t even like dogs. A real dog lover would never mistreat a dog. Some of my dogs can be little pain in the asses at times but I would never hurt them , I could never even think about it. So sorry you had this experience makes me wonder about all those reviews….
The second picture looks like he's crying 😭😭😭
oh that sweet baby. i understand your predicament and can see what a sweet angel you have. i how things work out
Sweet baby. I hope that sitter gets what he deserves! Total POS
Wow, I'm so sorry what happened to your poor dog. I would call Rover. Why does this service have so many shady people providing sitting services?
This makes me so mad!!! As a fellow pittie owner, our baby girls are totally misjudged.
you are so much better than me bc you know where they live and i’d just be seeing red
Don’t get me wrong I definitely 100 percent thought about going to their house. My partner is the more rational one of us and convinced me not to. I’m trying to settle this the proper way but if all else fails I do have their address 🤷🏻♀️
She looks so pitiful in those photos. I’m so sorry this happened
bastards
Poor baby! She looks so sad.
oh my goodness she is so beautiful. i want to give her hugs and kisses. how’s she feeling now? poor baby🥺
Thank you! Her sunburn went away and she got to see a dermatologist yesterday. She’s on a treatment plan to get rid of her infection now! This is her now! No sunburn just some missing fur! https://preview.redd.it/jvcagsl7w8zb1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fd7c93c2f7c0ab88581f2455912b93d506dbc10
oh so precious. i hope she kicks the infection and is back to her normal, playful, healthy self quickly🤍
Dont beat yourself up. You did your homework. That sitter needs removing from Rover. No excuse in your baby being burnt up 🤬
Contact rover support for your vet costs. You can still access your prior reservation and text message interactions with them. So sorry your sweet girl had to go through that. There’s too many bad sitters on the app lately because they think it’s easy money. But a good amount of us truly care about the safety and well-being of your pet. I treat every dog that stays with me the way I would want someone to treat my dog. They deserve to be spoiled and safe when away from you. As we tell other sitters and owners. Always, always do a meet and greet and if ever apprehensive don’t follow through with the stay. I know it’s hard when you’re about to take off, but the safety of your pet is important.
Sue those poeple for medical costs and pet abuse
Oh god! I have a white pitty and I can *see* that terrible sunburn! Poor pup! Honestly, I’d be livid and I’d sue regardless of what happens with Rover.
So then OP needs to try to remember if any reviews stated verified stay
This may need to go to small claims court for animal abuse.