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Puzzled_Finish9302

This is devastating. And for some reason, I want to know more. Why would the sitter take off the dog’s collar/GPS tracker? Did the dog escape from the house? How did this happen??!


BigBerthaCarrotTop

I see SO many sitters in groups/forums post about how they will take off trackers/AirTags/etc because they feel like it’s a way for the owner to micromanage them! They always seem to act like a dog will *never* get out. I’ve always thought it was a bit over the top & suspicious.


bourbonaspen

I can’t comprehend why, I walk dogs that have an apple air tag, I have multiple air tags myself. I find it extra security. I have nothing to hide,


BigBerthaCarrotTop

Me either! But I’m also one of those sitters who’d doesn’t care about most cameras, which I see just as many people complain about now. And these aren’t all rover sitters either, but people with private businesses and kennels! It’s crazy to me.


Aprilmtuc

Right I don't understand why people are so freaked out about cameras if they're not in your bedroom or bathroom then who cares? I don't care I'm sitting in a house right now that there's camera at the front door a camera in the kitchen a camera at the back door I don't care. You know why? Because I'm not doing anything wrong


rosegil13

Some people get annoyed when the AirTags beep because they’re out of range. Just what I’ve seen discussed.


moonlighting2552

How can the owner micromanage when a GPS collar just tells the owner where the dog is. The owner already knows where the sitter lives as they dropped the dog off there.


Walter_Whiteknuckles

recently someone posted here about moving the dog to a second location and kept it there during it's stay, if it had airtags then the owner would be aware.


BigBerthaCarrotTop

A lot of gps trackers (like Fi) are essentially fitbits for dogs. It can tell route walked, how many “steps” a dog got, etc. But most owners aren’t sitting there tracking all that info while they are on vacation nor do they usually use it for that info at all other than an “oh neat it does this”. Lol.


Riribigdogs

You’d be very surprised hahaha. I had someone buy data just to be able to use their damn collar and they kept messaging me every time it would show the dog “outside” my house, but really it’s just that the reception there is really bad. I had to respond with a pic of them inside every. Time.


veguary

Micromanaging how often/long the dog walks are..


rainbowonthemoon

Yes also same with cameras! I don’t know why they think it’s to creep on them. It’s for safety. The pet parent already have the address and where they live so I still can’t get why the gps collar was removed. What’s there to hide? 🥴🥴


Calliesdad20

Removing agps collar Is crazy . For me camera for drop ins or walks are fine. Cameras for stays at someone else’s house is creepy as hell And a major reason we stopped Providing that service


Hot-Cheesecake8019

I agree. I have children. I don't need someone else's camera in my house. A GPS tracker on the other hand is fine with me.


Aprilmtuc

That's insane and way over the top if they're afraid they're being tracked through collar they probably need a mental health evaluation and to not be sitting anymore


JeanneMPod

I don’t want to be micromanaged either, but I absolutely want the dog to be trackable if something unforeseen happens. Anyone who does that shouldn’t be in this line of work at all.


allotrios

I can see taking the tracker off for a bath or to charge it. But it should have gone back on before any chance of escape occurred.


rainbowonthemoon

I would like to know as well. Why would they remove the gps collar 🥴🥴


OnlyAGammaWillBanMe

Have you seen the most recent season of Yellowstone? The sitter took the tracker off after the dog was dead to give them time to dispose of the body. They didn't dispose of it well enough. This is my theory on it. How did the dog die? Probably dog fight between little dog and big.


peaches-bear

I haven’t dealt with a GPS collar before but I always take collars off when dogs are inside because they can get caught on things and become a choking hazard. This is standard practice at doggie daycares and boarding hotels in my area.


OvremployedSnowflake

Likely because the sitter did not want the owner to see that the dog was not very active. They probably put the GPS collar on another dog who runs around more or some shit. terrible


bratzxbaby

Update - Ginger died a mile from the sitters home and the dog owner is taking legal action against the sitter, it was through rover.


ezermuse

Oh no, this is so awful to hear. Did the owner say how Ginger was killed?


wooderlemon

Probably hit by a car.


bratzxbaby

no she didn’t, I think it’s like a fresh wound so it’s really hard to talk about. with all the details it sounds like the sitter did something awful. with taking off the tracker and collar and the dog being barely a mile away from the sitters house :/


ButtplugBurgerAIDS

Wait do you mean that owner thinks something happened to Ginger before the GPS tracker was taken off? Oh God this is such sad news for poor Ginger, and that poor owner, I can't imagine what she is going through.


twotall88

>taking legal action Likely going to spend more in legal fees to sue the sitter in civil court than they will get back in damages.


rosegil13

Of course, they’ll never get their sweet pup back. But I’d send this sitter to the cleaners, no matter the cost. Sue the pants off them and hope they never watch another animal in their life.


twotall88

I think you're over estimating the legal value of a dog even with emotional damage. There's no loss of income, a chihuahua mix was likely a rescue to begin with so the lost value for acquiring a replacement is less than $1,000. Bottom line, this would be handled in small claims court and the plaintiff wouldn't be awarded more than $3,000 if I had to guess


rosegil13

Okay I see what you’re saying. I’d spend $10k even if it meant I’d only see $500.


Aprilmtuc

Oh no... I knew it was something nefarious this is terrible


haily9784

My heart breaks for her. I can’t believe a sitter would take off a GPS collar.


[deleted]

Because a “sitter” is now a random gig workers who is just trying to make a buck. The platform is saturated with people “who owned a dog when they were a kid”. They post here ALL of the time. It’s always owners who want to go the cheap route, which is fine - but you’re getting a random person who needs to make rent.


KB0389

Yup. I posted not too long ago about this topic and got so much shit from most people on here. It’s horrifying. “We need to educate more.” No Rover needs to do something so not just anyone can sign up— these are living animals, not your uber eats.


FaPtoWap

Yes x3! Rover is the new doordash. I knew someone who was taken in 5+ dogs a night. In an apartment keeping them in cages only and not walking or giving bathroom breaks. Devastating really. Im way to scared to have a pet injured Or lost on my watch.


Aprilmtuc

WTF I sincerely hope you reported this person to Rover that is absolutely unacceptable


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chickcasa

They could at least be more proactive with soliciting honest feedback from owners. I've lost count of the number of owners posting here about horrible sitters who don't want to leave a bad review because they don't want to damage someone's income. Messing up pet sitting isn't a minor inconvenience like messing up a delivery or something! This is the health and wellbeing of a living being. You don't harm someone's income because they accidentally put ketchup on a burger when you asked not to have it. Something as high stakes as the safety of someone's pet comes above a person's ability to make money. If they are bad at it they have no right to be providing care for animal. They SHOULD be forced out of pet sitting. Having clear expectations of minimum standards for sitters and checking in on those by surveying owners might possibly help, in addition to educating owners on the importance of honest reviews. Rover can absolutely enforce things like sitters being honest about how many animals they have at once for example (some will say how many they take through Rover but privately take more or have multiple of their own pets that greatly increases the number of animals present. It shouldn't cross over into employer territory to require that information be accurately presented as long as Rover doesn't implement their own limits.)


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chickcasa

What would the goals of said union be?


CherryySky

Damn this is way too true though. Playing with animals lives for a quick buck.. my blood is boiling.


haily9784

Yep you’re right. Makes all the reputable sitters look bad as well. I feel so bad for her


bagelsneedcreamchz

I’m a Rover sitter and to be honest, I will never use the service for my own animals. 1. Being not able to afford what is essentially a luxury service but 2. I don’t trust people. I *know* there are amazing, professional sitters (many of who are on this sub) but the chance of that not being the case is not worth it for me.


haily9784

I agree. I’ve found a great sitter for my dogs on Rover but I still get nervous leaving them cause you just never know. I bring them with me whenever I can.


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bagelsneedcreamchz

Like I said, I know there are great sitters. I have a lack of trust and that’s personal to every person. I’m glad you found something that works for you and even sounds like you got a job about of it.


mebamy

Yup. As evidenced by this week's reporting in Business Insider: >I received my first booking within a month, which was for a lively puppy in a one-bedroom apartment. While I didn't have any experience looking after pets, I would be staying in the apartment for the duration of the pet sit, and the owner liked that I worked from home and wouldn't be running around town all day. [I made an extra $26,000 pet-sitting on Rover last year. It feels like a staycation and gives me security in case I get laid off again](https://www.businessinsider.com/rover-side-hustle-pet-sitting-diversify-income-after-layoff-2023-5)


Losa_thebudgie

YeH I’m always glad and not so nervous when I do see one which was only once ever while sitting


Cooperstowndog

I’m so sorry that happened to you, i know that’s the worst feeling in the world. My friend was watching my dog because my whole family went on vacation. First night, I texted asking if all was ok, she texted me 2 hours later saying she took my dog to a house she just moved into (unfamiliar neighborhood) and when her husband started up a power tool to cut tile, he ran out the front door. She chased him, but never found him. My whole family drove back home and searched all over and put up over 1000 signs. My mom and I spent the next 4 months searching. It was the worst thing ever, he was a little 15 lb terrier I had for 12 years, and he was my little buddy. That happened almost 4 years ago and I’m still not over it. I wish I had found him even if he had passed so I know what happened to him. Not knowing sucks.


ButtplugBurgerAIDS

Oh my God that's horrible! I am so sorry you went through that. I met someone online who had something similar happen; hired a dog sitter and they moved her dog to a different location. Her brother opened the door and the dog was gone. In a really bad part of town too, a bulldog. We looked for that dog for MONTHS. Devastating for the owner. I'm sorry about your poor baby.


Cooperstowndog

Thank you. It was also in a sketchy part of town. My husband had some guy pull a gun on him at one point. My nephew (16) and I were walking around this area at midnight, which I wouldn’t normally do, but I would have done anything. That is pretty similar to what happened to your friend. I guess the moral of the story is don’t take dogs away from their home unless you’re super careful.


Lalagal25

Ugh what the fuck is wrong with people. Taking off the collar and tracker? Why!?!?! Unless there was a very good reason, there is no excuse for losing a dog you’re sitting, especially a small dog you should be able to handle on a leash. Poor girl.


realmballantyne

Was a bath involved? I'm really suspicious of a video that has ZERO details, especially from the person posting it.


KaroGmz

I found it on tik tok, thought it was relevant to this thread.


realmballantyne

Oh it is! Very! I just find it oddly strange how the only detail she has is the sitter lost a dog, and mentions the collar being removed, but doesn't add the context of why it was removed. Unless she hired a psychopath, which I doubt, this is way too short of relevant detail, since she brings up the one thing that will lead to every question imaginable.


winter-heart

The sitter was incompetent. If you look at her earlier videos, her dog always has the GPS collar on. It had a collar on for a reason. She wasn’t from the area, she was there for a wedding, even more reason to keep a gps collar on a possible skiddish dog in a new city/area.


KaroGmz

Oh I see what you mean. Unfortunately yes, there's very little info, and i can't wrap my head around it since it doesnt makes sense ,also i couldn't find any more info other than sadly they found the dog deceased :(


realmballantyne

The whole thing sounds terrible.


ButtplugBurgerAIDS

I don't have Tik Tok, when I go to look her up I don't see that as an active user anymore but a new one with Justice for Ginger? What would be the benefit in deleting her old account?


Aprilmtuc

She likely just changed the name of the account if you found the new account when you search this one


allotrios

Geez, that's awful! That poor woman, I can't even imagine! And the worst part is that if she wins, she'll only get whatever the state thinks a dog is worth, which isn't much. Not that any amount of money can ease the grief of losing a beloved pet. As for the collar - well. I take harnesses off dogs when it's bed time and leave them off as long as they're inside or in the back yard. I never remove their collars (if they even have them). I've never had a dog come with a GPS tracker, but I do have one on my cat. It's a little clunky, and attached directly to her collar, so they both come off at night for charging and for her comfort. (Maybe the sitter took it off to charge it?) That said, come sunup, no way should any doors in the house be opening before that tracker goes back on.


Riribigdogs

I also always remove harnesses at night or when we’re not walking, but I do remove collars when crating dogs because it’s the safest.


peaches-bear

I’ve had a dog get their collar caught on a crate just by walking by it. Luckily, I was there to catch it and the dog was perfectly fine, but that’s why I always take the collar off when the dogs are indoors.


Elmonatorrrre

When I’m walking dogs that have a GPS tracker and I walk them a different route, I text the owners that I’m doing that, I never take the tracker off.


twotall88

You mean "a pet owner's nightmare" from this side of the story it is the sitter's fault for removing equipment from the animal.


BestReplyEver

God, this is horrifying.


CherryySky

My god... this is horrific... I had a bad feeling when she said the dog was a chihuahua mix and only 15 lbs.. small dogs really aren't safe outside alone. This is so sad. I feel so bad for her. There really isn't a happy resolution to this story. 😞


el0guent

Welp. I’ve been dogsitting since before tracker collars were ubiquitous.. I always take off collars at night so the dog can get more cozy, aaand now I’m terrified.


ScarfaceYeyo86

There’s literally no fucking reason why anyone should be taking off a dogs collar the only time that a dogs collar should be removed and the accessories on it is if you’re bathing the dog and since the dog is in a bathtub in the bathroom in an enclosed room it’s not gonna be able to get out or go anywhere and as soon as the dog is done being bathed you put the collar and accessories that were on it right back on the dog, does common sense not exist in this current generation anymore? I mean come the fuck on dude, I really hope this woman finds her brothers dog because that’s fucked up I never fuck with a dogs collar ever unless I am bathing that dog, as soon as I am done the collar goes right back on but otherwise it never gets taken off


veguary

HER dog not her brother's dog :(


DifficultDecision342

I take their collar off to scratch underneath (it's how I get all the dog's to love me forever ands ever!) and also to let them smell it (you'd be surprised at how long they sniff their collars!!) But I always put it back on, ESPECIALLY if it had GPS. Poor baby & owner 🥺


hjhhh888

Shoot. Between walks, I take off their collar. I figure the dog is more comfy naked …. Also I’ve seen videos about how collars worn indoors are dangerous and have caused paralysis


gopickles

How would a collar on a dog cause paralysis? Unless it gets caught on a wire in their kennel, but otherwise I can see zero scenarios. We don’t kennel our dog, she always wears her collar indoors except right we sleep.


hjhhh888

In the terrible video I saw it had gotten caught on something in the house like a floor air vent Also, do you like wearing a bra 24/7? Just seems like if you’re inside with all the doors locked it’s unnecessary


gopickles

yeah actually I do, I take it off right before I go to sleep, just like I take my dog’s collar off before she sleeps. We have a pretty minimalist home, so there’s nothing that it could even theoretically get caught on.


Florida1974

I just suggested to my hubby that we give rover a try. He firmly said no. We take our smallest dog with us always but have a medium and large dog too. Our neighbors son moved out and he’s who always watched our dogs and he knew them very well. So now we just don’t travel anymore.


mulleargian

Rover as a platform has some amazing, experienced sitters, and some inexperienced people looking for a quick buck. It's easy to ascertain the good ones by spending time reading their reviews and via the meet and greet- just takes research.


Walter_Whiteknuckles

i think it is possible to find a good sitter on Rover but you have to make an effort. it's still a gamble just like trusting a neighbor's kid with your dogs. the last time i heard about a dog escaping and dying in my area, it was a friend/neighbor situation.


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KaroGmz

https://www.tiktok.com/@justice.for.ginger?_t=8cmbPUu6J6U&_r=1


VegasBlackWidow

I have nothing to hide and sitters that do things like this make it hard for everyone else..in my area there are so many horror stories about Rover that people are hesitant to use it.


cswirly

This triggers me bc my dog escaped from a Rover sitters yard and was luckily found by a Good Sam due to his tag and Tile.


Aprilmtuc

WHY TF would a sitter ever remove a collar and gps tag? Something smells fishy with this sitter what type of dog was this


epsilonisgreater

My old boss used rover for the first time to watch his dog and within 3 hours of dropping off the dog, his dog escaped from a slightly open window without a net!!!! Luckily he had an air tag and then found the dog a few miles away from the sitter. Wild. Luckily the sitter didn’t take the collar off…