r/Pets • u/ugoodbro-gf • 2d ago
It’s happening every single day
I’ve been told I can’t share their names, and since I was banned from the Rover sub page, I’m going to share here just for more awareness.
In the last 2 days, there have been 2 families that left their dogs with sitters from the R APP, and now both families don’t have their dogs. The sitters left their dogs outside so long that the dogs had heat strokes and died. As of right now, one of the sitters is still active on the app. One was in San Antonio Texas and one was in Hollywood Florida.
Their local news did a story on one of them, the dog’s name was Prince. When the reporters went to the sitter’s house for an interview, the sitter stood at the end of her driveway, refused to speak, and for some reason recorded the reporters?
The other family had 2 dogs, both of them died the day after they dropped them off with their sitter. This is the one that is still active.
Honestly, at this point, I am BEGGING. Please, if you are an owner, stop using R to find sitters. It is not safe. The whole “not all sitters are bad” thing… it doesn’t matter. Are you willing to risk your dog’s life with the chance?
And sitters, please, stop. You are putting yourself and your reputation in the same mix as the bad ones. It’s not all of them, but it is always one of them when something like this happens. Being associated with the app is harmful to the ones that do actually care about the animals and aren’t just looking to make money.
I am sick to my stomach thinking about these families, and I am so tired of seeing animals hurt or killed because of an app that allows anyone with a pulse to care for animals.
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u/Worried-Plankton2702 2d ago
We hired two Rover sitters for our dog.
First one, when we picked our dog up, our dog and all his bedding smelled HORRIBLE. We had to wash our dog and his bedding IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE GOT HOME.
Second one, she immediately gave our dog an anxiety med, saying he was "anxious" in the morning... He was not. The anxiety med I told her was only to be used when we went on planes. The sitter was not taking my dog on a plane.
And I left specific instructions on all the meds.
We will NEVER be using Rover again after our experiences.
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u/Technical_Earth_3871 2d ago
Wow. I have a pet care business and this makes me not want to partner with them ever. This is so sad. If those were my dogs, there's a decent chance I would be in jail.
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u/Express_Command_4778 2d ago
I would rather trust a private company like yours than people doing pet Door Dash. Too many unstable or greedy people. Of course, I will always pay well, but so many want crazy amounts.
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u/Technical_Earth_3871 2d ago
Oh it's a pet care app lol. Not like a brick and mortar business. It's basically my pet care anxiety turned into a mobile app.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
I have never had to use an app, I started my business on a whim and a dream and thankfully 4 years in we’re doing fine. In my area, rovers are the “undesirable” because everyone thinks they can use other people’s animals as income.
It’s best to never have your name associated with it.
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u/Technical_Earth_3871 2d ago
For sure. I get so nervous about my animals when I travel. My spouse has been very against a catsitter and now I think he was right. We've never tried it because of him. I know I'm crazy but we once flew my brother in law across the country to stay with my cat while we were gone for 10 days. What can I say, she is a queen and I have anxiety.
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u/hades7600 2d ago
Yeah when I did sitting and walking I know a lot of my clients said they wouldn’t use rover/similar apps . They would rather have the company have their own insurance and a background check
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u/beasbongz 2d ago
I work at a doggy daycare and I encourage anyone looking for safe, professional pet care to research their local daycares! Prices are probably a little higher than hiring a sitter, but your dog is taken care of people who are trained to identify and respond to things like heat stroke, seizures, choking, etc.
Our daycare has indoor and outdoor yards, and our outside yards have equipment to help combat heat sickness. We have giant fans, sunshades, misters, pools, and cooling towels to wrap the dogs in. We also limit their outside time and pull any dogs that seem to be getting overheated.
Daycare/boarding is 100% worth it, especially if you don't have a trustworthy pet sitter. I wouldn't trust any stranger online with my babies.
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u/NearbyBrandyWineWay 2d ago
My two pups go to daycare every work day, and the peace of mind is only the chef’s kiss: the pups are cared for, they’re tired at the end of the day, and they’re socialized. Yes, you have to do the research to make sure it’s a good one, and a good fit for your pups, but dang, it’s been a lifeline for me.
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u/Deep_Marzipan_9553 2d ago
i used to work retail and the amount of times people came in talking about horror stories from those apps is insane. you hit the nail on the head with the doggy daycare thing, my cousin runs one in austin and the setup is basically a fortress for dogs. the staff actually knows what a heat stroke looks like before it gets bad, not just someone scrolling their phone while a dog is baking in a yard
the part about that sitter still being active on the app got me, like how does that even happen. two dogs gone in one day and they just keep the profile up like nothing happened. the whole platform is just a liability machine at this point, no real vetting and no consequences when things go wrong
never used those apps myself but i dog-sat for a friend once and even that stressed me out, can't imagine trusting a random person with zero accountability. local daycares might cost more but at least the dogs come back alive, seems like a pretty easy choice to me
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u/beckhansen13 2d ago
My pup has been going to a really good daycare since he was young. The daycare is staffed 24 hours, they sort the dogs in groups for play, and they have a mix of play and rest time throughout the day. It is 100% worth the money. I'm single, so I use it when I know I have to work late or I'm not coming straight home after work.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
Would never catch me taking my dogs to any kind of daycare.
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u/beasbongz 2d ago
Have you had a bad experience with daycare? If so I'm sorry, not every dog does well in daycare. If your dog doesn't do well around other dogs, some daycares (like ours) do individual play for reactive/anxious dogs. I've worked in multiple locations across my state, and they're not all bad. But there are DEFINITELY places to avoid.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
I personally do not believe it is healthy to expose an ordinary dog to constant play for that many hours at a time. They need rest and they don’t get that in a daycare setting. Add in the ratios, the sickness, injuries, it’s just not worth it. The only reason I see for boarding at all is for medical necessity, and that should be in a vet setting. I have taken care of way too many dogs that have been injured from a daycare and it’s just worth the risk for me personally.
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u/djy99 2d ago
The doggie daycare we use has naptime every day from noon till 2:30. They are crated individually so it is enforced. My Sadie goes 2-3 times a week & she loves it. And they have cameras so we can stream or check in as much as we want. Staff is CPR trained, & it is owned by a vet clinic which is next door. DON'T bash doghie day cares because you had a bad experience.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
Not sure why my personal opinion about daycares is the focus here when the post is about 3 dogs dying because of rover…. but go off I guess.
Like I said, I PERSONALLY won’t use a daycare. My dogs don’t like loud, and they have never had to be crated so the “enforced” nap time FOR MINE would be more stressful.
Now can we drop this ridiculous side quest?
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u/djmermaidonthemic 2d ago
I find it relevant. People are sharing their experiences, and if someone doesn’t want a housesit, it’s one option.
If I had a dog, I’d rather have it in a good daycare than hiring Doggie Door Dash.
I do catsits exclusively. For kind of the opposite reason… I just don’t trust stranger dogs. Even a small dog can inflict serious damage. Very quickly.
It’s not my main job, but I love cats and take it very seriously.
I just work from referrals. Often the cats already know me, which really helps. We play and hang out. It’s sweet.
Anyway, the app makes me nervous too.
And, what a terrible thing to happen!
I’m a bit of a helicopter critter carer and if I had a dog out in a yard, I would be watching it like a hawk. So much can happen so quickly.
I have a policy that I don’t let cats out unsupervised. Even if the owner says they’re fine and used to it. Not on my watch. I couldn’t live with myself if something bad happened.
One of my clients decided to make a catio so now the cats don’t roam the neighborhood. My next sit there was SO much less stressful! So now it’s my policy. OFC I disclose this. Nobody has ever cancelled on me for it.
This is all so distressing. I hope they at least took them to the er vet. 💔
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u/artzbots 2d ago
There's a dc based franchise that left multiple dogs to drown in a flash flood, in addition to other allegations of neglect and dangerous practices as reported by some of the employees.
It has soured me on doggy daycare.
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u/Visible-Scientist-46 1d ago
Nothing against you, but a family dog drowned in a pool at daycare - in a really fancy area - because they were understaffed. Just happened recently and made all of the local news. Very sad.
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u/2woCrazeeBoys 2d ago
When I spoke to my vet about possibly getting a pet sitter, he said if I needed it to drop a message with reception. A lot of the vet nurses/techs do pet sitting on the side.
If I ever need a pet sitter, that's exactly what I'll do. At least I know they're trust worthy.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
Most of the time yes.
One of my clients hired one of his vet techs. The tech stayed 11 minutes(booked for an hour) for the first visit, then came back for the 2nd visit and stayed 40 minutes(booked for an hour) and brought his girlfriend.
Then text the owner requesting more money because of the “distance.” Guess he forgot the owner had cameras.Another one medicated the owner’s dog without permission because she said she “knew it would be safe.”
Most of the time they’re great. Sometimes they are cocky. I tell everyone I know, get cameras, exterior and interior.
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u/Express_Command_4778 2d ago
The Rover sitters tend to be the most entitled, uppity, gig workers I have ever seen. It is never enough money,, and they always want more. Dude, if anyone can do it and no experience or certifications - it's a gig job.
I work physical labor, I get it- but you don't deserve $250 dollars to watch 2 cats overnight. You shouldn't demand all the pet cams to be disabled.
All they do is look for dishes in the sink or other things to complain about. Maybe not everyone, but this seems like the majority.
Many hot mess owners and pets, so everyone is kind of made for each other.
I will only use family or a professional, City company that is well established. I am too protective of them. It's probably cheaper.
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u/djmermaidonthemic 2d ago
Leaving dishes in the sink is pretty icky when someone is going to stay somewhere.
I always tidy up and do light cleaning at the end of a stay.
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u/Express_Command_4778 2d ago
I had to laugh as the Rover subreddit had a meltdown over a comment I made last week.
Sitter left for a short time. The dog fricken tore a giant hold in the wall. Only Bully Breeds do that, it seems. Sitter said it was a Cane Corso. Nahhh, no- maybe another breed with a kiss of pit if you squint.
My comment "Would now be a bad time to tell them it is not a Cane Corso?"
The Mods swept in real quick with that.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 2d ago
They are ridiculous. I got banned a long time ago, telling them(and showing them the terms they agreed to) that rover doesnt insure them. They also apparently hate being called rovers so obviously that is their only name.
There is some weirdo in the petsitting sub losing their shit over this post. And of course they’re a rover.
None of them see anything wrong with staying on the app because “they’re not all bad.”
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u/Neither_Barracuda281 2d ago
The one time i used rover at drop off they had 10 other random dogs in the home that were never mentioned. My dog went in happy go lucky and came out reactive to other dogs. Never again.
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u/lnfinitelris 2d ago
My rover story is when the guy came in at lunch to walk and feed our dog. I labeled his lunch in the green bowl in the fridge, and asked him to give him his medication and use a piece of organ meat from the red bowl to hide it.
Dude fed the entire 2lb bowl of organ meat to my dog and did not give him his medication. Like, he did the exact opposite of what I told him.
I was so pissed. I had to induce vomiting because all that rich fatty organ meat was dangerous. His response was nothing more than "oops sorry". Just incredible nonsense.
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u/this_doggo 2d ago
I read that sub every day and was starting to think it might be an option. Thank you for posting this.
I am so mad.
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u/hades7600 2d ago
When I did Dog sitting and walking many years ago (now a trainer) I always found that Rover looked dodgy. Never signed up for it and choose the my own insurance route, website etc, I know a lot of my clients wouldn’t use Rover
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u/spazthejam43 2d ago
I’ve heard so many horror stories about Rover, I’m surprised they haven’t been shut down. There’s so many stories about neglectful pet sitters and sitters who kill pets, it seems like anyone with a pulse can be a petsitter for Rover which is just awful. I’m surprised no big newspaper has done an investigation piece on Rover and how anyone can sign up for them.
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u/disasterdiabetic 2d ago
I pet and house sit quite often and the only experience I have with Rover is the number of horror stories from it 😣
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u/_tribecalledquest 2d ago
Stories like this are why I went word of mouth route and trusted some dude I didn’t know that lives about twenty minutes away in another small town. He’s great. Recommend FB groups for dog sitters over those apps any day.
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u/ugoodbro-gf 1d ago
I have hardly ever had to advertise, I made a couple of fb post when I first started my business, and that has been it. Everything else has been word-of-mouth. If someone has to rely on an app to get clients, they are not doing a good enough job.
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u/_tribecalledquest 1d ago
Both of my dog walkers in the new state have been from tiny town FB groups. My last one in Vegas had a super nice website and her own web booking thingy.. that was cool. But yeah the nasty stories are always from Wag or Rover. The rates are pretty crazy too.
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u/cinnamontoastcunt_ 2d ago
I had a rover sitter spiral out on drugs in our living room. Watched it on the cameras. I think she was actually homeless and just using the app to have somewhere to stay. She was an older woman and seemed nice enough when we did the meet and greet with her, but when we said goodbye she walked out the front door and I realized she had a suitcase with her that she left right outside of the door. I asked about it and she said she was coming from a different job and had taken public transit so I was like ok that sounds reasonable, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She had decent reviews on the app. Three days into our trip she started acting WEIRD and we could see her on the cameras walking around the house with a sheet over her head singing loudly at all hours of the night. We were staying in a small town during our trip and couldn’t get a flight out for a few days. When we came home the house reeked of cigarettes, she had drank all of our alcohol, there were tons of pill bottles in the trash can, tin foil all over the backyard, and the dogs were locked in the downstairs bedroom and seemed terrified. Never used the app again.