Multiple Dogs Die in Rover’s Pet Sitter’s Care, Owners Say

HOUSTON — A Rover dog sitter is under investigation for animal cruelty after several dogs died in her care.

Jessica Hayward and her husband are mourning the sudden loss of their 1-and-a-half-year-old dog, Goose, who they left in the care of a woman they found on Rover.

“Goose was everything to us. We don’t have children and he was our child. We did everything for him,” Hayward said.

The couple dropped Goose off at the woman’s home in Timbergrove on Thursday.

On Saturday, they received a call from the woman who was looking after their dog. They said she was in tears.

“I asked her if Goose was alive and she said no. I told her what happened. She said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know,'” Hayward said.

The Haywards weren’t the only ones to experience tragic loss.

Another couple, Jordan and Matt Johnston, also left their chocolate labrador, Porter, in the hands of the same Rover keeper.

“She called us crying and said, ‘I don’t know what happened, Porter left,’ and I was like, ‘How is this happening?'” they said.

Goose and Porter were two of four dogs who suffered heatstroke and died at the dog sitter’s home. Three other dogs ended up in hospital in critical condition, including 11-month-old Archie.

“He’s alive but he’s fighting for his life,” Andrew Seerden said.

Seerden didn’t get many responses either.

“She told us her air conditioning was broken,” he said.

Last weekend it was dangerously hot. The families now believe the dogs were kept together in an outside shed on the property.

“None of us knew that’s where they would be kept and if we had known, we would never have left our dogs there,” Seerden said.

These families never thought such a thing would happen.

“She comes back with 5-star reviews. One of the highest-rated Rover employees on the entire app,” Hayward said.

Now they warn others before it happens to someone else.

“We want answers. We want justice. We want her to never handle dogs again. We don’t want any other dogs to be in this situation or for people to feel the way we feel,” Johnston said.

The animal sitter does not face criminal charges at this time.

Rover released this statement:

At Rover, most of us are pet owners ourselves and we were deeply concerned by this incident. Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased pets and we hope that the dogs currently under veterinary care will make a speedy and full recovery. We are committed to supporting these pet owners throughout this heartbreaking ordeal, including reimbursing the families for veterinary costs associated with this ordeal.

Our 24/7 Trust and Safety team is conducting a thorough investigation and we will work with local law enforcement to the fullest extent of our abilities if contacted. The safety of our community is a top priority and we have disabled this babysitter’s profile from our platform.

Marcelino Benito on social networks: Facebook | X | Instagram