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AIBU?

What to say to lying dog walker?

367 replies

oobeedoiwannabelikeyou · 07/02/2018 19:02

Sent home sick from work yesterday, still off sick today. DH messaged walker at 9am to say dog was fine (she had been ill last week)
Dog walker messaged back saying Perfect I'll be to take her out.
Comes to 12pm no walker, DH messaged again to say where are you?
She messaged back saying she'd been and gone from 8:45-9:45 and would be back at 2pm.
DH said that's not true and that I was at home.
Walker messaged back assuring him she'd been.
DH said he would be coming home to walk her as I was too sick to and not to bother coming back in the afternoon.
She maintains she had walked her.
SHE DIDN'T I WAS AT HOME WITH HER!
Anyway the trust is gone, Therefor she is going. How do I word this?
I know she's lied and doesn't obviously give a shit but I would like to hold my head up high walking past her knowing I was right and handled it correctly without flying off the handle.
Please wise women if mumsnet help me with wording a message.

OP posts:
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snewsname · 18/02/2018 02:10

Wow

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Plumsofwrath · 18/02/2018 02:13

Could she have given the job to someone else and refusing to believe that they lied to her about having walked your dog?

(Sorry, haven’t RTFT, I know it’s annoying id this has been suggested and dismissed before!)

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MichaelBendfaster · 18/02/2018 12:36

I'd send her a final message ccing in the vet, saying that as your previous messages of xxx date have been ignored she is in unlawful possession of your keys, and unless they are posted through your door by 9pm tomorrow you will be notifying the police and speaking publicly on social media.

I agree with this.

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BitOutOfPractice · 18/02/2018 14:11

I think involving her employer is not on at all. Just makes you look vindictive. What are you hoping to achieve by it? Getting her the sack?

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honeylulu · 18/02/2018 14:20

Most employment contracts require employees to conduct their outside of work life in a way that will not reflect badly on their employer. I have known people sacked by my employers for fare dodging (not in the course of employment), for example.

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NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 18/02/2018 14:31

I think it's ok to say that you'll go into the vets for the keys if she doesn't return them but to say it in a nice way, for example

"Hi dogwalker - please return our keys as soon as possible. If it's difficult for you to get here, please don't worry, I can easily just pick them up at the vets on Monday morning"

And then do that.

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PoisonousSmurf · 18/02/2018 14:33

Even IF the dog walker had given the job to someone else, they shouldn't do that anyway! The OP wanted her and only her to walk the dog. By the way, does the walker even have public liability insurance?

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Aftereights91 · 19/02/2018 07:46

I can't believe she still hasn't given you your keys back. I'd change the locks and invoice her for the locksmith

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MichaelBendfaster · 19/02/2018 10:42

I don't think the OP should change the locks. Why put herself to expense and hassle when it's the dog walker's fault? (and I'd bet my bottom dollar she'd never see payment if she invoiced her for the locksmith).

Just get the police involved, and tell her you're doing so.

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TooFewHands · 21/02/2018 14:53

She probably thought your dog was going to be ill still and booked an extra shift at the vets hence the lie and why the vet was stunned.

My mind likes to run away with me though

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Ineke · 22/02/2018 12:12

Is there no possibility that you missed her, she said she came at 8.45. If not, then I would just say thanks, but you won't be needing her any more. If she asks you to give a reference tell her that she can give them your number and if any one calls you then you could warm them off her. It's deceitful and not good for the dogs. How many other dogs are let down. I must admit, she has some nerve saying she had been, even though you were there the whole time, must be missing a brain cell or two.

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Ineke · 22/02/2018 12:26

I just read that someone has a dog cam on their dogs! Wow, that should be fun viewing, but if I was the dog walker for that dog it would make me feel untrustworthy and uncomfortable. Surely, there is a need for plain honest trust in all working relationships. Other wise it feels like Big Brother. Now that you know she is an excellent dog walker, can you not trust her enough to take off the cameras . Unless of course, watching the doggie walk through doggie eyes is too much fun, which I can imagine it might be, or not, depending on whether they are poo snifters!

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lifechangesforeverinjuly · 22/02/2018 12:47

That's me with the dog cam. I don't have it for the dog walker per se, I had it before we needed a dog walker at all. I like to be able to see my dogs are OK when I'm not there - either at work or otherwise. We also use it when on holiday with the dogs just to keep a check on the house.

The dog walker knows that the camera is there and we're not her only customers that have them. We trust her implicitly, she boards the dogs for us as well.

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lifechangesforeverinjuly · 22/02/2018 12:48

Sorry - I've just realised you think it's a camera actually on the dogs! Nooo it's just one that sits on our kitchen worktop!

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DasPepe · 22/02/2018 13:10

I would charge her for the new lock.

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DavidBowiesNumber1 · 22/02/2018 16:04

lifechangesforeverinjuly
I too thought it was a doggy-cam, worn on the dog! I'd imagined you being able to view your dogs walks and loved that idea Grin

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2018February · 22/02/2018 21:16

Stops googling dog cams and steps away from the laptop #sadface

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oobeedoiwannabelikeyou · 23/02/2018 22:25

Still no keys, it's lock changing day tomorrow though Grin
In other news the dogs are loving me coming home at lunchtime and my girl is loving our lunchtime walks, there's a field nearby and I've discovered if we both run through it instead of just her running around we have plenty time.
Will update again if we ever get the keys back

OP posts:
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WhatCanIDoNowPlease · 24/02/2018 09:59

Wow you still haven't got your keys? Is there nothing you can do to get the cost of new locks back? It's shockingly bad of her.

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Blondeshavemorefun · 24/02/2018 10:04

i dont get why you havnt gone to vets and asked for keys back

its theft of your property

andalthugh i dont have a dog,mystep son does so i would love to have a doggy cam to see what he does when imaway

sits on sofa farting probably Grin

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frasier · 24/02/2018 10:08

What on earth is she going to do with your keys? Throw them away, keep them forever? Have you told her it's theft?

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aaaaargghhhhelpme · 24/02/2018 10:44

You need to go and get the keys off her. It's crazy

If she works at your vets you need to go round there and say you want your keys back. She's been ignoring your messages and its theft of your property.

I think you're being way too polite about this!

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lifechangesforeverinjuly · 24/02/2018 12:29

There are definitely dog cams that go on your dog though - I think Go Pro does a specific harness to attached their cameras to your dog Wink

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MichaelBendfaster · 24/02/2018 13:59

OP, she's in unlawful possession of your keys.

In the nicest way, rather than pissing about changing locks you need to get them back. Tell her you're contacting the police about it, and then contact the police.

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YourWinter · 24/02/2018 23:13

I agree absolutely with previous posters, your former dog-walker's failure to return your keys amounts to theft. You should not have had to go to the expense and hassle of changing your locks because of her dishonesty and frankly disgraceful behaviour.

Do you have her address? I suggest you put in writing exactly what has happened and deliver it by hand. Whether her employers should be copied in is tricky, your contract wasn't with them although the original introduction may have been. They need to stop recommending or endorsing her dog-walking service, if that's what they're doing. She needs to have enough pressure put on to kick-start her into action, you've done nothing wrong here and it's shocking that she has kept your keys despite being asked to return them. Even if personal circumstances have genuinely turned her world upside-down, and you had no way of knowing, she has disregarded all opportunities to apologise and is only digging her hold deeper. There has to be a conclusion you're happy with.

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