Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Dog walker lost our key

43 replies

Wantabub · 15/10/2021 17:18

I may be being dramatic but I'd like other people's opinions please.
Our dog walker lost our back door key today.
She asked me this morning if she left it at our house but she didn't. Then messaged to say she has checked everywhere but its lost.
She is very apologetic and happy to pay for another key to be cut.
Am I being dramatic that I want the back door locks changed instead?
Our dog sleeps in the kitchen and I feel uncomfortable someone might have the key.
She is very active on social media with the walks with dog names and photos etc and our dogs name was on the key.
Should I just pay for the locks to be changed or should I ask our walker?

OP posts:

HavfrueDenizKisi · 15/10/2021 17:21

Shit happens occasionally I'd say - she didn't deliberately lose them. If you're worried I'd change the locks and pay for it yourself.

Quotelover · 15/10/2021 17:23

I would feel exactly the same. If I was you I think I would get the locks changed but I wouldn't ask her to pay for it.

TheCraicDealer · 15/10/2021 17:24

I'd change the locks and send her the bill. She shouldn't label the keys that way, it leaves you as the client exposed if they do go awol. If she's legit she'll have have liability insurance for this type of thing anyway.

CSJobseeker · 15/10/2021 17:26

I'd change the locks and send her the bill. She didn't mean it, but that doesn't mean you should be out of pocket.

Maspara · 15/10/2021 17:27

Difficult one. If I was the dog walker, I would feel terrible and would personally give it a day or two to see if the key turned up (our local Facebook page is forever showing lost keys found out and about and reuniting them with their owners). If it didn't, then I would be offering to pay to have the locks changed.
As the home owner, it is a tricky one. I guess it depends on your relationship with your dog walker. If you get on really well and wish to continue with the arrangement, then I think I would tell her that you are going to have to change the lock and explain your reasons. Hopefully, she will be decent enough to offer to pay but if not, then you can't really force the issue. Accidents do happen and it will certainly not havd been done deliberately (I hope!) but that doesn't really help you.

FrazzledY9Parent · 15/10/2021 17:27

I probably wouldn't have the locks changed but I am pretty lax on security! I would suggest you get them changed if that would give you peace of mind, pay for it yourself, but feed back to her that you'd like her to have a code for labelling the keys so that they are not so easily identifiable.

Dog walkers don't earn that much, so paying for a new set of locks would probably be a big financial set back for her.

CSJobseeker · 15/10/2021 17:29

Dog walkers don't earn that much, so paying for a new set of locks would probably be a big financial set back for her.

Which is why she needs to be really bloody careful not to lose people's keys. Or get appropriate insurance.

MrsWooster · 15/10/2021 17:29

All it needs is a new barrel in the lock and it’s easy to do. I’d probably ask her for a fiver towards the new key and sort the lock myself.

Elieza · 15/10/2021 17:38

I’d want the locks changed. Especially if the name or address was on your keys. 100%

For tonight I’d be bolting it from the inside or leaving my key in the lock half turned so a thief can’t get the lost key in.

If she’s a professional dog walker she should be insured for damage, which presumably this is. So you could claim her via her insurance. She’d have to phone them and proceed with whatever locksmith they sent out. Her premium would presumably increase next year but not your problem. However she may increase her rates to cover it so your dog walking may get dearer!

If she’s just a wee lassie that walks your dog for cheap then I’d change the locks but consider whether or not she’d likely be able to afford more than say a tenner towards it.

Elieza · 15/10/2021 17:40

PS I don’t know if you’d have to claim on her via YOUR insurance. If that’s the case I wouldn’t. As your premium would go up too even if they got their money back o think they can still bump up your premium as you had a claim. Whether or not they pay out.

DeireadhFomhair · 15/10/2021 17:43

My cleaner lost our key a few years ago, it's unfortunate but things happen.
It's highly unlikely someone who found your key would use it to steal your dog. Change the locks if you want, but pay for it yourself.

GinIronic · 15/10/2021 17:45

@CSJobseeker

Dog walkers don't earn that much, so paying for a new set of locks would probably be a big financial set back for her.

Which is why she needs to be really bloody careful not to lose people's keys. Or get appropriate insurance.

Agree. A lesson needs to be learnt here.

Floralnomad · 15/10/2021 17:46

Does the key itself have any identifying features if not I would just get another one cut as it’s pretty unlikely that someone who finds the key would know that it belonged to your house .

Ostryga · 15/10/2021 17:49

Yeah with that info she needs to pay for the locks to be changed. She should have insurance for this I would have thought.

If not it’s an expensive lesson for her to learn.

Harlequin1088 · 15/10/2021 17:51

I'm a professional dog walker and my business insurance has a key cover component where it covers lock changes for any lost/stolen clients keys. Just ask her to check her policy documents to see if she has such a cover in place as you/she can just claim the cost back this way.

If she's uninsured then please stop using her and switch to a legitimate company who is insured else you can end up with no end of problems if things go wrong.

Original poster

Wantabub · 15/10/2021 17:52

@Floralnomad

Does the key itself have any identifying features if not I would just get another one cut as it’s pretty unlikely that someone who finds the key would know that it belonged to your house .

Yes, Its a new build so it had the name of the building company on it.

OP posts:

Original poster

Wantabub · 15/10/2021 17:53

All your replies are so helpful. Thank you.

OP posts:

Roselilly36 · 15/10/2021 18:02

I wouldn’t like this one bit, seems really irresponsible to me, I wouldnt trust my dog with an adult that can’t keep my key safe. I had a cleaner that held the key to our our house & had her own alarm code for the house alarm, she managed never to lose it. I would be hiring a new walker for my dog.

PollyRoullson · 15/10/2021 18:05

She should have insurance. if she doesnt change dog walker!

Her insurance will cover for locks to be changed.

Pices · 15/10/2021 18:08

Does it have your house number in it? If not I think it's madness to get the locks changed. Either way I wouldn't be billing her to change the locks. It's hard to find a dog Walker who is reliable, kind and competent. If she's otherwise been good I'd just let it go. Shit happens. Our nanny lost our keys. I certainly didn't charge her.

EggbertHeartsTina · 15/10/2021 18:17

My cat sitter posted my key back to me without telling me (cat had died so didn’t need her anymore). Months later I asked if I could get my spare key back and she said “oh I posted it to you ages ago”. Firstly, you don’t post door keys right?! With the address on the envelope?! And secondly I lived in a block and any neighbour could’ve taken it.

I made her fund a lock change but lucky for her, her partner was a locksmith

icedcoffees · 15/10/2021 18:17

Hi @Wantabub - I'm a dog walker.

My insurance would cover replacement keys and a new lock. She needs to ring her insurance company and put a claim in to cover your costs - you shouldn't be out of pocket due to her error.

Accidents happen, which is why she has insurance. If she doesn't have insurance, please don't use her anymore.

Funnyfive · 15/10/2021 18:22

I couldn’t get worked up about this, it’s a risk you take and shit happens, people lose things. I also wouldn’t be so worried about changing the locks because in reality the chances of a thief picking up the key, putting 5 and 5 together, finding your house and breaking in is so so small. Furthermore the excess on any insurance policy is almost guaranteed to be far higher than the cost of replacing the lock so not worth claiming anyway.

RunningFromInsanity · 15/10/2021 18:26

Unless the key had your full address on it then I wouldn’t bother changing the locks.

dustofneptune · 15/10/2021 18:27

I'm a dog walker and my insurance covers key replacements and lock changes. You should check with your dog walker what she is covered for. Some insurance companies only cover the cost of the key itself.

But for peace of mind, nothing wrong with getting your locks changed.

Flip

1 2