Pet Sitter Hired via Rover App Caught on Video Throwing Puppy to Ground
When you jet off to some exotic destination or roadtrip to see family, it’s often wisest to leave your four-legged companions behind, especially if they’re particularly young or deal with anxiety. It’s just easier for everyone involved if pets stay in familiar surroundings where they can be cared for and stay stress-free.
While plenty of dog-sitters exist, and the best way to find one is generally by word of mouth, sometimes it’s easier to use apps to find someone you can pay to watch your pooch.
Rover is one such popular resource that offers a directory of local dog-walkers, pet-sitters, drop-in carers, and groomers.
Their website states that “All new sitters pass a basic background check,” “All sitters provide a detailed profile and personal information,” and “All sitters are approved by our team of sitter specialists.”
Seems pretty airtight — and most people seem to be fairly happy with the services they received.
But Amanda Roy and her husband, from Victorville, California, recently had a scare with the pet sitter they selected through Rover.
When the couple hired their sitter (named McKenna P., according to a message the couple posted in a group called High Desert Pets), they trusted her not only with access to their house but to care for their 10-week-old puppy, Lucy.
Thankfully for the couple and their pup, the house is equipped with security cameras. While they were on their trip, the couple got a motion alert, and clicked to view a horrible encounter.
The video shows the sitter marching across the kitchen floor with the yellow puppy in her hands. When she reaches the puppy’s playpen, she throws the puppy down into it, slamming it against the kitchen floor.
The puppy struggled to stand up again, and Amanda’s husband immediately intervened, shouting at the sitter through the security camera feature.
She said she was sorry. He told her to leave.
The couple is understandably upset over the incident, and this story is being used to warn others of pet sitter stranger danger — if you hire someone online, you never really know who you’re letting into your home to care for your beloved pet.
“It’s heartbreaking because the reason we use a pet sitter is because we love our pet and we don’t want to leave her unattended for very long because she is a baby,” Amanda said, according to KABC.
“So, we trusted someone to come into our home and look after a pet that we consider a family member.”
Since news of the sitter’s treatment has gone out, she appears to have deleted her social media accounts. Rover has also responded to the video by terminating her listing and offering to compensate the family for medical bills.
“The activity depicted in this video is shocking and appalling,” Rover said in a statement, according to KABC. “We have permanently deactivated this sitter from our platform and will continue to investigate.
“Any incident of this nature is extremely rare on our platform, and we take it very seriously. Additionally, we have offered to pay for any veterinary expenses that may have been incurred as a result of this incident. We have been assisting local law enforcement with their investigation and will continue to offer support.”
Despite the heartless behavior of this pet sitter, little Lucy seems to be well, and her owners will certainly be more cautious who they employ in the future.
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