dog sitter

[snoopiij]

ok so I went away on holiday and had a house sitter to look after my 5 dogs, she is 17 and so responsible and respectful [so I thought] my dogs love her too, prior to going on holiday I had decorated my bedroom, hall and bathroom so everything was sparkling leaving it nice for my dog sitter, I wouldn't leave my muck for anyone.

I didn't expect her to spring clean but I could have cried when I saw the state of my house, my shower was un believable you could have scraped the much off and I left it spotless I spent 2 days cleaning before I went away.

I changed the bed and found me dogs had weed on a brand new duvet something they never did as puppies so I am guessing said dog sitter didn't get up in time to let them out coz that girl can sleep, then 3 days later I went to use my angel perfume brand new 3 quarters of it used, by now I had smoke coming from my ears it was a gift, then days later I found she has used 6 box's of nescafe cappuccino's, marks on my kitchen floor that will not come off, I paid her £140 so I felt I had the right to ask for my money back to replace the brand new quilt and the perfume, her mother says not she called me a bitter old woman well she was right about the old I am 66 but I think she should have brought her daughter up with more respect for peoples personal stuff it wasn't for her to use, I can tell she had gone through everything in my house, not only that she was out with my dogs when I came home they are shih Tzu's and long coated she had walked them in the rain in muddy fields I could have cried when I saw them they were dripping in mud everywhere just sopping mud all through my house, now if you go in this girls house you have to take your shoes off believe me they have nothing to spoil there are 6 kids, 2 pvc settee's a clapped out table and 4 chairs with lino on the floor but they didn't remove muddy boots when coming into mine behind the girl one of her brothers or sisters were stood dripping in mud with muddy boots, I have thought was I over reacting in asking for my money back to replace the damage? I might add she broke a vase a leg had come off one of my settee's, her mothers response was 'well your dogs got looked after didn't they?' and now I wonder how well they were looked after, so before you get a house sitter get references check your house before paying them, I had another 2 days of cleaning to put my house back to how it was

You posted in the Tack Room, you might want to report your own post to ask MN to move it to the Dog Room for more responses.

I have used house sitters for years and it's a mixed bag, some are amazing, some less so. In general you can't expect them to clean, so it would have been best to make arrangements for a cleaner, but I agree with you that leaving a home dirtier than you found it is disgusting.

It's your dogs who weed on the duvet, I think you need to take this one on the chin. The perfume is unacceptable though, it's theft and although it is a small thing it does make you feel awful when someone you trusted in your home steals your things.

Walking the dogs is her job, I don't think you can complain about them being wet and muddy, they are dogs. Did you give specific instructions about when/where they should be walked or how they should be cleaned on returning to the house?

Who broke the vase? If it was your dogs then that's just bad luck, if it was the girl then she can claim on her insurance (does she have any? Professional sitters should have insurance really) or you can claim on your house insurance.

How long did you go away for? I think you may find that 140 is not that much money for a house sitter, they usually change quite a lot - although it is per day so if you only left for 2 days then it is reasonable.

sorry about posting on the wrong page, first time I have posted anything on here because I am so cross I feel violated.

no she broke the vase she said do my dogs couldn't reach it, my dogs weed because she won't have taken them out in time I know that because they can wait a long time and I told her that. she doesn't have insurance she's just a kid who wanted to earn so money doing a job she loved, she knows I don't walk my dogs in mud all I did when I saw her come in with them was oh no oh no where do I start and off she popped and left me to it, muddy coats and dogs dripping everywhere was not what I envisaged coming home from a relaxing holiday.

finding the perfume and food gone was the last straw I knew I will never use her again and will also tell others who had booked her as a dog sitter, to drink over 60 cups of my coffee she must have had a party, and I can see everything in my house has been moved, I put it down to experience now and won't be going away again, I would never leave my dogs in kennels so I knew this would be my last holiday. I am in touch with lots of people who do doggy day care and boarding plus house sitting so I do know they charge a lot, but she let herself down big time and spoilt a business she was going to build up, I think her dad was going to build her some hut to sleep in when she looked after dogs, so that tells you the kind of family they are but I am sure a shed would suffice nothing would get messed up then.

it ruined my holiday and I am still thinking don't go in this cupboard for what I might find is gone, I agree no way should she have spring cleaned but leaving your own mess is not on

Did she have a contract? The contract usually specifies no parties, no more than two guests at a time, no overnight guests, etc. You can also specify the you will pay extra for food rather than her helping herself to your food. All these are worth keeping in mind for next time.

You don't say how long was your holiday. If you went away for a week and paid 140 for 5 dogs then you kind of got what you paid for. Most house sitters will charge a base rate then add on to that depending on the number and type of animals.

no she didn't have a contract she is just a college girl who loves dogs and wants to work with them, we all worked at a groomers together which is how I got to know her, my fault for not putting rules in place looking at it now, she brought brothers and sisters over to help her which trailed mud all through my home, I did say she could have one friend in to sit with her and that was it, looking at it she abused my trust in her, and I know £140 for 5 dogs for a week was cheap, it was like staying at the ritz compared to her home so that should have told me she didn't have the conscience to look after mine as I would, all I expected was her to look after my dogs and leave it as I left it, so much stuff is ruined that's what happens when you don't have someone as meticulous as you, lesson learnt thanks for your imput

It’s hurtful that she’s betrayed your trust and been so dishonest .
And in the back of your mind must be the suspicion your dogs have been neglected .
At 17 she’s too young and silly for this sort of responsibility- and her mother is worse for not making sure your home and dogs were cared for correctly.

you are right, when we all worked together she was the most responsible girl we had ever met she worked hard and was always cleaning, the other girls said when you come home your house will be spotless...……………..how wrong can you be? of course now I do doubt how well my dogs were cared for, when I saw them dripping in mud and their coats as I took them off which dripped onto the floor from the work surface that's how bad it was, to see my dogs dripping in mud bedraggled and of course then they had to be bathed and groomed they were so matted up, of course her mother said I was just a bitter old woman and her daughter would never ever steel and that I had no morals, my reply was you should have made sure your daughter treated my house with respect and before talking about my morals make sure you are squeaky clean, so a big lesson learnt, thanks for taking the time to reply x

Pathetic thing for the mother to say that to you . Bitter old woman ? More like a disappointed and let down woman . 66 is hardly old these days - about my age too !
It maybe that the mother of this girl is right that her daughter wouldn’t steal - but she’s broken all the rules by letting heaven knows how many other people access to your home . If it’s any consolation to you her career caring for dogs will be a short one based on this episode !