Woman Says Pet-Sitter Hired Via App Lost Her Dog, Then She Was Billed For It

Our pets are a part of the circle of relatives. And after we pay a provider to take care of them, we predict they will be secure.

But some canine homeowners say that is not taking place with a well-liked canine sitting app. And chances are you’ll we shocked to be informed you have got little recourse if one thing is going incorrect.

For Valerie and Alex Sonis, Ruffles is their “baby.”

And leaving Ruffles in any individual else’s care isn’t simple.

But the couple relied on the preferred canine sitting provider Rover to take care of Ruffles whilst they traveled for the vacations.

“I have so much anxiety right now. I feel like something’s going to go wrong,” Valerie stated.

And it did. The rover sitter misplaced Ruffles.

Valerie says Rover did not inform them till hours later.

“Obviously I’m like hysterically crying. My dog is gone. What if she’s hit by a car? What if she’s dead?” she stated.

Other Rover shoppers can relate. Many publish sure on-line critiques, however some file horror tales — claiming their canine had been misplaced, omitted and abused through rover sitters.

“I didn’t think we’d find her, honestly,” she stated.

Valerie requested buddies to seek for Ruffles whilst she stuck an early flight house. They discovered her – a bit wiped out — two miles away and 20 hours after she used to be misplaced.

Valerie says Rover did little or no to assist.

“An email, a call, anything, to see how she is, how she’s doing , is she in one piece,” Valerie stated. “Do you care that the dog is missing?”

Adding insult to damage, Valerie used to be stunned when Rover caught her the expenses to get better Ruffles safely – together with a $700 vet invoice and 200 for a “lost pet finder” provider.

“You’re basically signing all of your rights away,” legal professional Todd Friedman stated.

Friedman says Rover legally is not at the hook for far. That’s as it merely acts as a intermediary between the puppy proprietor and the sitter. Pet homeowners comply with this when signing up.

“They’re basically saying when you sign on, you’re agreeing to these terms of service and, in bold, ‘We’re not liable. We’re just the third party conduits between, you know, the customer and the walker,” he stated.

After the NBC4 I-Team reached out to Rover, it reimbursed Valerie for the vet invoice most effective, pronouncing different bills don’t seem to be lined, pointing to its phrases and prerequisites. In a remark, Rover stated: “In the unlikely event that a dog is lost during a stay…” it “utilizes a variety of tools to help bring the dog home quickly.”

It additionally stated Ruffles’ sitter is not on its platform.

But Valerie says that provides little convenience.

“I’m more upset with Rover and how they handled it,” she stated.

If you utilize Rover or every other puppy sitting provider, you’ll be able to ask sitters without delay for references. But you wouldn’t have a large number of coverage if one thing does move incorrect.

Rover’s complete remark:

“As dog parents ourselves, we are overjoyed that Ruffles was returned home safely. In the unlikely event that a dog is lost during a stay booked through our platform, our dedicated Trust and Safety team stays in regular contact with both the sitter and owner and utilizes a variety of tools to help bring the dog home quickly. For example, we engage local members of our user community to join in search efforts, initiate alerts and notifications through online pet locator platforms, coordinate with the sitter to post flyers throughout the area, and offer a reward. Following the search, our Trust and Safety team completes a thorough review of the situation and takes appropriate actions, including, when warranted, reimbursing for vet care and deactivating users. Following this incident, the sitter is no longer offering services through our platform, and Ruffles’ family has been compensated for all veterinary costs.”