AIBU to question paying the dog sitter after chocolate poisoning?

[Choclab2026]

Asking for a friend (really!). Elderly mid sized dog with a few background health issues (including taking steroids) was dropped off with dog sitter. Let’s call her Paula, is a friend of a friend and has looked after the dog before when he was quite acutely ill a few months ago. Dog managed to get some dark chocolate left at the back of the countertop I believe and now has ended up back at the vet for emergency treatment and overnight monitoring. My friend is obviously very upset and is wondering what is reasonable regarding the payment to the Paula for the dog sitting session (I’m not sure exactly how much this would be) and the vet fees (likely £850+).

Wouldn't the dogsitter's insurance pay the vet bill?

absolutely nothing, and if they are a registered dog sitter, I would be reclaiming vet bills on their insurance

If the dog sitter wasn't insured (up to the owner to check that before leaving the dog!) then owner will have to pay vet bill.

If it was a genuine dog sitter then they will have insurance.

As for the fee, the dog sitter should not be charging!!

They just need to claim on the dog sitters insurance

Pretty sure uninsured as a friend of a friend. But thank you thats a point worth asking when a discussion of money comes up

I wouldn't pay a penny and I'd go one step further, I'd be sending her the vets invoice.

Then it was entirely the owners responsibility to check insurance before leaving the dog.

Dogs are little shits. They find stuff and eat it. As this wasn't a professional dog sitter then they probably overlooked the fact that the dog could get to the chocolate. Not their fault.

The owner needs to pay the vet bill and renegotiate the dog sitting fee depending on whether they feel the person was negligent or it was just an accident.

Absolutely need to claim the vets bills through the dog sitter’s insurance. Did your friend sign any sort of contract? With my cat sitter part of the agreement did state that I would still have to pay even if cat was unwell and had to stay at vets so missed any feedings, although it didn’t say what would happen if it was the cat sitter’s fault but pet sitter is fully insured. In the case of it being her fault I would probably still expect to pay for care up until the accident but not for the time dog was with the vet overnight.

If your friend didn’t use a proper pet sitter with full insurance that is on her unfortunately.

Pretty sure it was a casual arrangement with no contracts and probably no insurance.

was it made clear to dog sitter dog is a food thief and will
clamber on a counter to steal from the back? My
lab was a greedy shit and would, my parents Doberman wouldn’t!

Not sure but I think it was definitely a surprise to the sitter that dog was able to get up there!

I think friend is expecting now to have to cover the vet bill but not to have to pay the sitter

She’s not really a dog sitter then she’s a friend. Does the friend have experience of dogs? Not all people know that dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate. Whose choc was it?

Dog sitter at fault completely. Any professional child/pet sitter needs to risk assess, know which household items are toxic, and never leave toxic items anywhere someone in their care has the remotest chance of access.

She should be grovelling to you and offering to pay the vet excess.

I hope your dog recovers soon.

Is she actually a dog sitter or a friend who was watching the dog for a bit of money? It’s never good to leave your dog to someone without insurance- so risky. If dog sitter is a friend she should be declining payment due to the vet bill but your friend should never have left her dog with her

Paula should cover the vets bills or at least pay the insurance excess.

And this should be a big lesson to the owner to only use insured professionals in the future 🫣

Idk about her experience - I think the first time she took the dog it was a very short notice because he was acutely ill so not many choices were available.
Her chocolate but not left out somewhere silly like a coffee table and I think yes experience of dogs previously. Last time she had him he wasn’t well so much less mobile!

So friend of a friend does a favour as dog owner feels nicer for dog (and cheaper for them) to go to somebody they know rather than kennels and they agree payment which will be in cash.

Dog owner pays sitter and the vet bill. If dog owner doesn't have their animal insured for vet fees then that's their problem.

Animals get into pickles.

So a friend is looking after a very poorly trained dog for you! The poorly trained dog jumped on a worksurface and stole food.

Who is at fault ???

The friend has looked after the dog and re-arranged her life for you.

I have a Labrador who knows not to steal food as it could be dangerous. We have left our house for a few hours with a bowl of crisps on the side table, come home to find them still there.
Please pay your friend for her inconvenience and pay your excess and finally join a dog trainer who can help support you!

Steroids give dogs a crazy appetite so I'm not sure it's the sitters fault.

Does the owner have pet insurance

Not a friend- Paula was a name I think the owner got from her friend in a bitnof a previous dog care crisis. And she charges as much as a kennel. Dog unfortunately not insured as he was a rescue and they decided the high premium wasnt worth it. Steroids have definitely upped the appetite/ poor behaviour recently I think. Just to remind everyone- not my dog! I have some very poorly behaved cats of my own but no experience with dogs so can’t really judge the situation particularly well.