Dog died after being at the sitters

[Babyjune21]

Hi there I’m just looking for advice or help my dog was being looked after at a sitters while we were on a camping trip this weekend , our dog has been there and stayed over at least 4/5 different times while we’ve been away last time he was there when I got him back I had to take him to vet at he had got stabbed in the eye with a thorn bush sitter never said to me I noticed on my own as soon as he was home and rushed him straight in as he had diabeties any way sitter said he hadn’t realised and I assumed it was an honest mistake and send him back he went on thur , I got email from sitter on Friday to say the dog was doing great I emailed him Saturday and thanked him for update ! We got back Sunday night and I emailed him to say we were home and I was looking forward to coming to get our dog in the morning as we arranged he called me shortly after this and asked me to come get dog as he hadn’t stopped throwing up since Saturday morning now he had both mine and my partners numbers he had my father in laws contact details too and vet who was open till 4 on sat he said he became extremely ill sat morning and had been ill ever since , I had made it clear every time
I dropped him off if he ever became sick he was to call us or vet straight away as even a stomach bug could kill him because of his blood sugars , I rushed to get him and took him to out of hours vet and then today we got told he had kidney failure and was best to put him down there no sure what pushed him over edge in the end but he’s gone now and we are heart broken the dog sitter was no help and wouldn’t explain anything other than he got not well on Saturday morning , why he didn’t call anyone I don’t know ! I don’t know if I should report him to the dog sitting site (rovers) or just leave it ?

[FurrySlipperBoots]

I'm so, so sorry. How dreadful. Yes, of course report! Is this person even qualified?!

[alabaster11]

I'm so sorry this happened OP Your poor lovely dog

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why you left your dog with the sitters again after the thorn bush incident, but regardless, I would definitely report this to the sitting site!

[Herja]

I would absolutely report that. The dog sitters negligence caused much of this situation. You should have been informed (even if they couldn't get hold of you, with repeat, frequent vomiting, they should have taken the boor boy to a vet). I'm so sorry OP, how sad .

[Porcupineintherough]

Yes report. The thorn could have been an honest oversight but this is sheer negligence. Sorry

[BeenHereForAges]

You should report this. The way your dog was treated was neglect. I wouldn't trust anything the sitter says either.
I'm so sorry you've lost your dog.

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

I think dog sitters are supposed to be registered with the council so you could try reporting there

[cupsofcoffee]

Unfortunately anyone can sign up to Rover - they really aren't as reputable as they're made out to be.

Anyone who boards dogs legitimately should be insured and council registered - they also need to have basic qualifications in animal care as well as canine first aid.

I am so so sorry about your dog

[cupsofcoffee]

@GingerAndTheBiscuits

I think dog sitters are supposed to be registered with the council so you could try reporting there

That's correct but plenty of people do it under the radar.

Sites like Rover are rife with it - they don't check people's qualifications or claims so anyone can sign up and take dogs into their home.

[SylviasMotherSaid]

I am so so sorry what a sad thing to happen .

[Babyjune21]

Thank you everyone who had replied so fast it’s made even harder by the fact it was my mums dog she passed away dec 2018 while I was 32 weeks pregnant with my first born now I’m 35 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and I feel like it’s all just to much I don’t even think we have truly realise that he’s not coming home to us , I feel like I had blood on my hands for going away for a few days and every time I think about the fact he was so ill and we didn’t know for over 24 hours makes me feel like I’m going to throw up

[Icanflyhigh]

So so sorry, what an awful thing to happen. Not quite the same but I've managed a cattery for years and at the first sign of ill health we have always used the contact details provided and taken the animal to their own vet to be checked. In 10 years we had only 2 cats die, one in our care and one shortly after their stay - the one in our care was a heart attack, the one shortly afterwards - we don't know as the cat appeared well and happy.
I would certainly report - start with the licensing authority, especially given the thorn bush incident too. I'm so very sorry for your loss x

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

Boarding without a licence carries an unlimited fine, though I don’t know how much use councils make of their powers in this area. But worth reporting anyway - keep any correspondence you have arranging the stay and since. So sorry this happened OP.

[thequeenoftarts]

I am very sorry your dog died, was this person a qualified veterinary nurse, or had they done training in how to give your pet diabetic meds?
I would report but I don't think anything will be done, as you left a dog needing medication with someone who may not have had training in this field to give or even recognise your pet deteriorating while in their care. I am not at all trying to shift the blame, not for a single second, yes, they totally should have known to get veterinary care for your dog and for that they are negligent. There is no excuse for neglect. Also if they are not trained to give injections they I would be contacting their insurance company too about that. If they have insurance you may be able to claim back your vet fees, although that's no consolation either for you. It is worth checking if kennel staff are trained in giving medication for anyone else reading this, don't assume they are as good as an owner at recognising signs of illness, esp in diabetic dogs . Once again I am dreadfully sorry your dog died. What a sad time for you xx

[Joinedjustforthispost]

Im so very sorry for your loss op , if my pet had medical issues such as diabetes I’d have boarded them with a registered kennel. Was the person qualified or is rover just a general dog sitting service where anyone can sign up? I’d report the dog sitter to the service op

[EmeraldShamrock]

That's terrible I'm sorry about your dog.

[Blowingagale]

So sorry this happened.

If you think you might to take further- make a record of how you remember conversations while fresh, print/screen shot any communication. Also any advert where you found the sitter in case that disappears ideally with something showing date. (If they aren’t registered I’m sure any advert will disappear if they think there might be an investigation.)

[FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop]

Oh god OP I'm so sorry that's awful! The same happened to me when I was abroad, my dog was fine then 14 hours later she was so ill the vet rang me and said she needs to be PTS ASAP. Sometimes it just happens like that how did the sitter react? Mine was distraught!

[Wingedharpy]

Sorry for your loss OP.

We doggy sat IL's 2 dogs, a few years ago, when they went away for a short break.

I swear they cannot have been gone more than a couple of hours, when youngest dog(approx. 2 years old), started vomiting.

Because she wasn't our dog, DH didn't want to "wait and see", and she was taken to the Vet's within the hour.
She died after 2 days in-patient care and Vet couldn't tell us what had killed her.
He suspected that she may have eaten something poisonous and sent off various samples for analysis - which were "lost", so we never did get to the bottom of it.

It was truly horrendous.

And she was a previously fit, healthy young dog, who received very prompt Veterinary care, so, sadly, as Frangipani says, sometimes it does just happen.

We were devastated.

[SionnachGlic]

I'd report...from Sat morn to Sun eve & he called no-one, that is disgraceful. I'd understand if dog only vomited once on Sun afternoon but more than twice & no sign of it abating then he shoukd have got the vet or called you to ask what to do (if he didn't know). I'm sorry you lost your dog, very sad for your family.

[IdblowJonSnow]

Yanbu. Definitely report, they sound absolutely awful.
Very sorry about your dog.

[LadyWhistledownsQuill]

YANBU.

Absolutely report - both to Rover, and to the council, after checking if he's licenced (either report him for boarding without a licence, or for being completely negligent licence holders).

[Northofsomewhere]

My mum has been a dog walker for the last 5 years (doesn't have dogs overnight due to the necessary requirements and the hassle too) and has only needed to take a dog to the vets once in that time. She always collects 2 different contact details for emergencies plus their vets details and any sign of serious illness (severe vomiting/diarrhea, large wound, uncontrolled bleeding etc) and she'd be straight to the vet, our usual vet if their vet was too far away.

Like I said in 5 years this has only needed to happen once as she's very careful to reduce risk and keep an eye open for potential dangers. The one time she did need to take a dog to the vets was because of severe and sudden vomiting, fortunately she'd seen the cause - a broken and upside down mushroom (looked like bread) had been eaten by a usually greedy dog. As soon as she realised it had been a mushroom and not bread (before the vomiting even started) she was on her way back to the car to get her to the vets. She wasn't prepared to take the risk that she could be further away from help if things got bad so acted before they had chance to.

I know this is probably not quite what you want to hear but I think your sitter was absolutely negligent in their care of your dog by not seeking any help. If my own dog vomited for 48 hours I'd be at the vets or if they were vomiting very regularly for a short space of time. I'd be extra cautious with other people's dogs as I don't think you can know what's truly normal for them (some dogs are prone to upset stomachs etc). You should definitely take this further and I wouldn't let it go (within reason) until I felt she had either improved her judgement and skills significantly or was no longer taking care of any animals. I do absolutely think her negligence in not taking your dogs to a vet definitely prevented them gaining medical care they needed, although of course they my still have passed anyway but sadly you'll never know. I would also, once you have had time to think, be leaving a review and lack of necessary veterinary care received for this, she clearly had a pattern regarding seeking care for dogs.

[cupsofcoffee]

@Joinedjustforthispost

Im so very sorry for your loss op , if my pet had medical issues such as diabetes I’d have boarded them with a registered kennel. Was the person qualified or is rover just a general dog sitting service where anyone can sign up? I’d report the dog sitter to the service op

Anyone can sign up to Rover and they don't make any checks on the customers' behalf. It's basically a directory of dog walkers, sitters and boarders in the country and you type in your postcode to find people near you.

The website is sneaky, though - it talks about verified walkers and sitters but all that means is that people have uploaded their ID to the website - I signed up to Rover and no checks were made to ensure I was council licensed or insured in any way.

Sitters (in the owners home) do not need to be licensed but if you board dogs in your own home for money then legally you do need a license.

[SirenSays]

This is awful, I'm so sorry. Please don't beat yourself up for this, you did what you thought was best at the time.

I've been pet/house sitting for years and I wouldn't hesitate to report him. This needs investigating. You need a clear explanation of what happened and why he didn't inform you or follow the procedures you laid out for him. When I'm sitting, if there is any sign of illness I contact the owner immediately and follow their instructions.

[Roselilly36]

So sorry you have lost your dog OP, just heartbreaking.