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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:
perimenofertility · 14/02/2022 10:07

If you are paying for a business service, for professional dog care, then the dog should remain with her in her care all day, she should not “pop out” anywhere and leave the dog.
If she is offering more casual dog sitting then I think it’s fine to pop out for a short time, half an hour or so, but I would only pay for the time she is with the dog.
Presumably your dog can be alone for short periods if she is doing this? If so then instead of picking the dog up at 7 and leaving it alone in her home, why can’t she do her early care job and pick up the dog on her way back so at least the dog is alone in it’s own home.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 14/02/2022 10:11

The brass neck of her.

I wouldn't be happy, sorry but If I'm paying for my dogs to be supervised and they aren't then I might as well leave them at home where they aren't supervised and I'm not paying for a non service.

I also would be surprised if this was her only other job, it was the only one she was caught for.

Beautiful3 · 14/02/2022 10:13

No it's not on really and you know it. What if a new dog came, and bit the others while she left. Or are they all crated when she leaves the house?! Not good at all. I doubt very much she only does one client a day!

godmum56 · 14/02/2022 10:22

@Rewritethestars1

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.

This. This absolutely. I know kids are not dogs but how would you feel if the childminder nipped out and left the kids?

I would be really cross. Well done you for not raising it in front of the client.

Kuachui · 14/02/2022 10:24

i mean the whole point of daycare os so dogs arnt left alone... its unacceptable, Your paying for a service that you just arnt getting

AngelicInnocent · 14/02/2022 10:33

Contrary to what most people believe, home boarders and doggy day care providers are permitted under their licence to leave the dogs they are looking after for up to 3 hours at a time.

Providing they then check on them, they can then leave them for another 3 hours.

Many of them also offer dog walking and pet visiting services so are leaving the other dogs unattended while doing these visits.

Sparticuscaticus · 14/02/2022 10:34

I think she's risking her licence and will lose it white rightly over this. I don't believe this is a one off care call, she's doing two jobs snd charging you whilst she neglects you dog.

Day care for dog: Establishments that provide day care for dogs at a business premises must be licensed by the local authority.
If she is unlicensed she will get a fine and ordered to stop.

Law: Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018
For dog day care- The regulations state that dogs must be supervised at all times. (It has to be 1:8 or 1:10 at minimum depending on size of dog facilities / their registration with local council as determined by application and original assessment visit)

www.findpetboarding.com/advice/change-regulations-dog-day-care-2018.asp

Contact the local council as she is breaching her registration. Yes you need to move your dog. Look up list of local dog day care on your borough council website

TwoShades1 · 14/02/2022 10:39

I would have thought the whole point was that your dog wasn’t left alone! If you were happy for the dog to be left alone you wouldn’t be paying for someone to look after it. I can understand maybe the occasional pop out to the local shop or if she had to leave due an emergency, but working a whole separate job at the same time seems a bit much.

AngelicInnocent · 14/02/2022 11:00

Sorry but those regulations don't apply to people who are looking after dogs in their own home unless they have a big enough space to have more than 6 dogs at once.

All pet sitters and boarders should be licensed but if they are taking less than 6 in a private home, it is a different licence and different rules apply.

BuanoKubiamVej · 14/02/2022 19:31

@AngelicInnocent can you back up that assertion with a link to something confirming this?
The only exceptions I can see in various sources I have looked is if the dog sitter is only taking in less than £1000 per year in income for casual dog sitting work ie not on a commercial scale. I doubt that the setup described by the OP doesn't sound like it would qualify.

BuanoKubiamVej · 14/02/2022 19:32

Sorry I got distracted there I meant either "I doubt that the setup described by the OP would qualify." Or " The setup described by the OP doesn't sound like it would qualify"

TrippinEdBalls · 14/02/2022 19:39

@AngelicInnocent

Contrary to what most people believe, home boarders and doggy day care providers are permitted under their licence to leave the dogs they are looking after for up to 3 hours at a time.

Providing they then check on them, they can then leave them for another 3 hours.

Many of them also offer dog walking and pet visiting services so are leaving the other dogs unattended while doing these visits.

It might be legal but I can't believe it's providing anything like the service that was advertised - surely there is absolutely no one who would pay for dog care who would be happy with that? The whole point of it is so the dog isn't left alone/unsupervised, who would pay for someone else to not watch their dog?!
AngelicInnocent · 14/02/2022 19:42

Sorry, the documents I have are paper copies not a link I can post.

I work with animals and two of our contracts are with councils to inspect boarding and care facilities. The guidelines issued to us by the council environmental and licensing teams state the difference in standards required for those premises which class as a standard domestic dwelling, licenced for less than 6 animals and those which class as a commercial premises of any size.

AngelicInnocent · 14/02/2022 19:44

And I agree, it isn't what most people think they are paying for and morally, shouldn't be the case.

Movingonup22 · 14/02/2022 19:48

I think this is appalling!! I bet she has dogs who are there because they have separation anxiety and can’t be on their own. It is a HUGE breach of trust.

I’d report her to the council who licence her. I really would.

And I’d write her an email to say how unethical it is that she is lying and leaving poor dogs alone.

Youcansaythatagainandagain · 14/02/2022 19:48

I would automatically assume she is doing other paid work too and leaving the dogs alone frequently. Even if she said this was not the case, I would not trust her.

Your dog will settle at a new dog minders.

winterchills · 14/02/2022 19:49

If she was upfront and honest in the first place then I wouldn't mind but it's the sneakiness of it!!

Darbs76 · 14/02/2022 19:51

I’d be annoyed as she’s charging people for day care and not providing it fully. Plus who knows if some of the dogs might have a fight when left in the house. My dog just has walks now but I wouldn’t want him left in her house when she did daycare with a lot of other dogs. I’d have rather she dropped him back home if she had something to do which she did on occasion which was fine as he was ok on his own. For me it would be the fact I’m paying for someone to be watching my dog and worried incase they didn’t get on with others

WiddlinDiddlin · 14/02/2022 19:58

Regardless of whether it is legal, if you sent your dog there either on the understanding she'd be there all day OR, without being told she wouldn't - she has breached her contract with you.

I would want to be told where my dog would be left and with whom - she could have different dogs in every day, how does she know they are all fine to be left, if she isn't explaining to owners that they will be, and even if she is, she has NO idea if they'll be fine being left with other dogs that they may not know.

Is she crating dogs, or shutting them in seperate rooms, or leaving them all together, or has she got outside kennelling?

BGJO · 14/02/2022 19:59

Is she defo registered & above board? The first place I took ddog too, was someone's house and whilst he seemed like a nice guy and was cheaper than others something didn't sit right with me.

He wasn't in one morning (picking up other dogs) and he said to leave ddog in the back, fairly quiet area but it was unlocked. The dogs only seemed to have the run of the garden and kitchen. I stopped sending him when he sent me a pic of him sitting out in the rain.

No way would ddog ever willing sit outside in the rain.

He now goes to a proper doggy daycare facility, it's not that much more than the first place, I get regular updates, he loves it and it's the one night a week, we have total peace and quiet.

If something doesn't feel right, don't send him.

Vispa · 14/02/2022 20:09

I know of a dog who was killed in his home when a fight broke out amongst the group dogs he lived with - they were all family pets and it was horrific. I would be so worried that something like this could happen really easily in a group of dogs who don't live together and might not get on. I also couldn't trust someone who had deliberately deceived me in this way.

Nailsbythesea · 14/02/2022 20:28

I’d message her and ask her who she had left my dog with

Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 14/02/2022 20:37

£18 a day, West Midlands, including pick up and drop off

OP posts:
ChargingBuck · 14/02/2022 20:40

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

How about "who the fuck is looking after my dog while you neglect him & defraud me?"

Original poster
ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 14/02/2022 20:45

Yes, I need to get organised with another dog sitter, thats clear. Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
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