Beware when hiring Pet sitters/walkers!

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Kowloon West
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    36

    Beware when hiring Pet sitters/walkers!

    Hi,
    I'm very sorry to be posting this, but thought it too important not to mention.

    A few weeks ago I posted a request for a Dog Sitter/Walker - the person I chose ticked all the right boxes, I even received a glowing reference from one of his other clients. We all met up several times before I had to go abroad. Sadly on day 2 onwards of my absence, I found out that he didn't show up to my place as agreed to be with my 6 month old puppy. He even went as far as saying that he'd 'sent his brother' over on one of the following days which certainly hadn't been agreed, this never happened anyway as my husband had to take time off from work to see to the puppy so he was in when the 'brother' should have called round.

    I was abroad for emergency family reasons, so to hear this was added misery for me... especially when I wasn't offered any sort of logical explanation other than his 'services were needed elsewhere'!!!
    My husband had to make many different arrangements and take time off from his work when he could, after he realised things were going very wrong with the sitter dispite texts, emails, calls to him to find out why he wasn't coming.

    I dread to think what it would have been like if my puppy needed medication or I had an old dog that needed regular care.

    So without trashing the good that other dog sitters and walkers do, please be vigilant as to who you hire. Our pets are special and important to us - and they should be to those that we entrust to do this for us in our absence.

    Very very sadly, I will be reluctant to use a dog sitter/walker again - I will have to send my puppy to the kennels in future which is not exactly the best choice for me.

    Roxy.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Mid-levels, Hong Kong
    Posts
    106

    Sorry to hear that, Roxy. Can you name the username of the dog sitter you hired - just so that we will be warned of him/her in the future?

    Many thanks.

    p/s: perhaps you need to get someone who has dogs to help pet sit your dog. I find that the best way to have a peace of mind.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Kowloon West
    Posts
    36

    Many thanks to you all for your kind comments.
    Flubber, you're definately right about getting another dog owner to help me out..they're the only one's who really know!
    I was reluctant at first to name names, but he upset and inconvenienced us in such a big way that yes I will say - I guess I might get banned from this site for maybe starting 'trouble', but my puppy comes first as do everyone else's pets out there - it's 'apple&dog'.
    I'm mentioning it now as not only did my pup have a bit of seperation anxiety that we were working on, but he then had no routine while I was away and some days spent alone for many hours, so he's now fairly depressed and quiet which wasn't the way he was when I left to go away. My trip was unavoidable due to family ill health, so I am not a bad owner, life throws these curve balls sometimes I guess.
    Anyway....I'm off to take Charlie to the beach now for a well earned spot of cheering up. Have a good day everyone. )


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    shutting this down ..

    apple&dog - if you want to put a post here to explain yourself, email it to [email protected]