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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect my doggy daycare lady not to leave the dogs alone and go out

79 replies

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:40

Genuine question. I was filling in for someone on Friday and doing care at the house all day for the live-in carer to have a day off. The client needs to be hoisted into and out of bed at the beginning and end of each day and this needs 2 carers so another carer comes to help the live in carer.

To my surprise, the carer who comes to do the hoisting is the carer who provides doggy daycare for me. I know no-one else is there looking after the animals.

AIBU to think she shouldn't be doing this?

OP posts:
2019user44 · 13/02/2022 21:41

Im pretty sure their Local Authority licence requires them not to leave the animals unattended

Theunamedcat · 13/02/2022 21:42

You pay her for constant care? In her home? No she shouldn't be doing two jobs unless you just pay for her to pop in check and walk the dog

SouthOfFrance · 13/02/2022 21:45

So she comes to this one house potentially twice a day?
How many other homes does she also visit?

Did she seem a bit sheepish when she saw you?

dondon23 · 13/02/2022 21:46

No, you're definitely not being unreasonable by the sounds of it.

Fair enough if she's popping out for half an hour now and again for a loaf of bread or to pick kids up from school.

Have you asked her about it? xx

violetmonster · 13/02/2022 21:46

God that must've been embarrassing for her! Bet she wasn't expecting to see you

Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:47

She has a key to the house, picks up my dog about 7.15 and any other dogs she is having that day and brings him back about 4.

The care call is 8.30 and 6.30, for an hour, although i think she goes after 30 minutes, but it's 10 minutes each way travel time too

OP posts:
Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:48

She did seem very embarrassed yes.

I was embarrassed for her, I didn't know what on earth to say. so i said nothing about it.

OP posts:
HalfGreekBitch · 13/02/2022 21:48

No, YANBU!!!

NewYearCalavicci · 13/02/2022 21:49

I would not be happy with that.
How long was your dog left for? Were other dogs in her care at the same time ? ( risk of them fighting ) Even if she only leaves them for a v short while to assist you I would wonder how often she leaves them unattended to go to other peoples homes ( to care for the person) or to the shops or what ever

Goawayangryman · 13/02/2022 21:49

That's outrageous! If she was nipping to the corner shop that is one thing. Leaving them to go to a whole other job... No. If there are multiple dogs that is very risky also. What if one attacks another?

whateveryousay · 13/02/2022 21:49

I don’t mind my doggy daycare lady leaving mine for an hour or so at a time. I expect them to be cared for in her home the same as they would be in mine. And I go out and leave them for up to a couple of hours 🤷🏼‍♀️

Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:50

I don't think she does care callsfor anyone else.

she said, that she just does this one call because they knew her husband and asked her to because he mentioned that she had done care before.

OP posts:
NewYearCalavicci · 13/02/2022 21:51

Oops x post with a few there

MadeForThis · 13/02/2022 21:53

She must have someone else who watches the dogs while she is out. Surely?

BuanoKubiamVej · 13/02/2022 21:53

Totally unacceptable. She is charging you so that your dog isn't left alone while you work, and she is leaving your dog alone in order to do a different job instead.

Find a different dog care service, demand a refund for fees paid fit services not provided. Report to trading standards.

Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:54

I'm upset really. I really like her and the dog likes going but there are other dogs there too.

So I basically have to accept it or find other doggy daycare don't I?

OP posts:
Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 13/02/2022 21:55

@MadeForThis

She must have someone else who watches the dogs while she is out. Surely?
No. It's just her and her partner and he works all day too, d oing gardening, so not working from home.
OP posts:
violetmonster · 13/02/2022 21:56

Hmm, if she'd been up front about the situation e.g. will be leaving the dogs for X amount of time once a week that would be one thing but the fact that you've essentially "caught her" in the act when you presumably were expecting her to be with the dogs would break my trust. I'd be wondering how much of your doggy day care time is actually supervised

Spidey66 · 13/02/2022 22:02

@dondon23

No, you're definitely not being unreasonable by the sounds of it.

Fair enough if she's popping out for half an hour now and again for a loaf of bread or to pick kids up from school.

Have you asked her about it? xx

This. I'm a dog owner. My husband is retired so no need for doggy day care, but if I did, yeah I'd be fine with her nipping out for essentials. If she had kids needing collecting from school, if it was walking distance I'd hope she'd take the dog for the walk but I'd let it go if she couldn't (eg she looked after 2 or 3 dogs) but hell no I wouldn't want her doing another job at the same time!
Emelene · 13/02/2022 22:05

I’d speak to her. And if she hasn’t been providing the service she promised I’d be asking for my money back.

Rewritethestars1 · 13/02/2022 22:11

The whole point of dog dat care is so your dog us not left alone while your at work. So your dog us cared for and supervised all day. Basically what us the point in you paying for her to leave your dig uncared for.

Also risky because dogs do get over stimulated and fight at day care.

Rewritethestars1 · 13/02/2022 22:12

Is ffs sorry

sanbeiji · 13/02/2022 22:13

Did she say she'd never leave them alone or did you just assume?

LemonViolet · 13/02/2022 22:20

Yeah that’s not cool.

You can do another WFH job whilst doing doggy daycare…..I know someone who is an accountant and works flexible hours at home with the dogs hanging out with her and she can take them for long walks during the day etc, and someone else who has a craft business and gets on with that whilst the dogs are with her. But leaving the dogs alone, especially multiple dogs from different households, without the owners knowledge, nope, not on.

Pearldrops04 · 13/02/2022 22:20

Does your dog have major seperation anxiety? Ultimately she’d be entitled to a lunch break and could well get out of the house for an hour to get some space from the dogs/ run errands etc. I don’t see this as any different.

I would want to know that the dogs were separated individually before she left them, wouldn’t be happy with them all being left alone unattended in case a fight broke out, but otherwise this wouldn’t bother me.

I think you need to ascertain whether she’s doing other work or whether it is just this one job and also how they’re left, but I don’t think it’s reasonable not expect to her to be with them every waking minute. Like I say, she’s entitled to a ‘lunch break’

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