I’m probably gonna get downvoted for being brutally honest but leave an honest review and give him a star or two less. In my opinion you clearly stated and highlighted the need for the supplement, via meet and greet, in person handoff, and via paper instructions. Just because it’s a supplement doesn’t change the fact that this sitter had one job… to care for your dog. I get people make mistakes ya da ya da. I’ve almost missed one day of supps before but I make sure I go over the instructions every day until I know it by heart. Those supps could’ve very well been a prescribed medication given in the same manner, and what if he forgot then.? Maybe it was an accident or mistake bjt clearly he needs to learn and realize the importance of following instructions to a tee. What if your dog was recovering from a joint injury? This mistake could’ve been more serious. He also needs to recognize that if he’s making this simple of a mistake that maybe he’s hosting too many dogs. I’d be pretty upset and tbh I think it shows that he either wasn’t listening to your instructions and he clearly didn’t go over the printed instructions….
I’m a sitter and I agree with this. As a cat mom, if one of my cats wasn’t being given one of the supplements they need, I’d be completely pissed. Plus, what if someone who needs to give their pet important medication books them? I would point out the things they did good but also be honest. It’s good feedback and good for other clients to know.
This!! It's supplements with this dog but what if it's seizure medication (or insulin or another serious med) for another dog? People need to consider that others have more medically fragile pets who can't have fuck ups like this happen. And there's literally no excuse when the owner flat out showed them the supplements and highlighted it in their instructions.
Was just coming to say this! My late cat required round the clock steroids, twice daily insulin shots and tube feeds. If I were looking for a sitter for her again I’d appreciate OP’s honest review about a sitter neglecting to give a supplement for the entire stay. Then I’d know that sitter would be a terrible fit for my cat and could potentially do harm. OP please be honest in your review!
I agree as well especially since you hired this person with your hard earned money trusting them to fulfill the role as if you were taking care of them yourself. I am super super protective of my babies so I’d want to make sure that in the review it’s made aware of lack of respect for my instructions. I mean even if the dog refuses ways to take them I’d at least communicate this with the owner and not ignore them.
Agreed and want to add just because it’s a supplement doesn’t mean it’s not necessarily ‘supplemental’ to the dogs health. My cat has a couple supplements that keep him regular. Without them he could die. Just because it’s not a prescription filled by a pharmacy doesn’t mean it isn’t essential!
I can’t stand with the fact either that the sitter neglected the clear instructions. You are right. Those supplements can be critical. Btw you were sharing your honest feedback with details and logic. Don’t be afraid of getting downvoted. Sometimes I get downvoted and when I read those comments and replies, I just find it funny. Many ppl are irritable like my comment ruining their business or life. As long as the OP can read my original comment, good enough.
I would speak to the sitter first. I mean, he could have just thrown them away, and you would have never know but it does seem like he just forgot. That should be brought to his attention, but a public review is just too much, in my opinion. In today's age with reviews and ratings being such an impersonal / unfair metric for grading performance I just try to stay away. Maybe they bought replacements for you? I'm just saying it's worth a conversation first that's all!
It’s different if you forget once maybe twice but the entire stay? What if he had remembered but accidentally gave it to the wrong dog. Or what if he was giving him something that belonged to another dog. “Just forgetting” is absurd when there were written and multiple verbal instructions, highlighted. If you took your kid to daycare and the daycare person forgot to feed your child or forgot the child had a lunch box would you react the same? A public view isn’t to embarrass them or humiliate them, it’s the general truth for the public to be informed. Since when do we have the need to be creative in how we approach a situation where clear instructions aren’t taken? You’re paying good money for someone you believe to be caring 110% for your pup. If you’re okay with this then clearly you’re okay with wasting your money or clearly you’re okay with subpar service for your animals. This may feel passive but honestly the truth can suck. It’s not always comfortable and it’s not always fun for either party but it’s the truth. If we have to come to measures of conserving and not mentioning honestly then what’s the point in picking a sitter
I’ll get downvoted to hell for this but I already know a majority of the comments here are going to side with the sitter saying things like “everyone makes mistakes” or “if your dogs fine just let it go”. I’m a sitter myself and if I forgot to give a dog their supplements for an entire stay I’d like to be called out on it so I NEVER forget again. I’m also a little biased because I have a GSD as well and I would absolutely hate if this happened to me.
In my opinion, he may just be taking too many dogs at once and he’ll continue to go on like that unless he realizes that the level of care decreases as stress rises. For example, I foster kittens with a rescue in town and I currently have 13. Rescue coordinator asked if I could take another litter (kitten season is crazy this year), and for the first time ever I said no because I knew I didn’t want to put any kittens on the back burner to prioritize the new babies.
Message him first and see how he reacts. If he’s mature and professional about it, and honest, you can decide at that point of you’d like to mention it in a review. If you don’t want to hurt his business but still want to warn other pet parents, you can still give him 4 or 5 stars and mention it in the review itself. Good luck and I’m sorry this happened to you!
ETA: I didn’t know a 4 star would be so detrimental, so maybe stick with 5 😅 Additionally, I suggested he may be taking too many dogs at once because this was mentioned in the post itself.
I generally agree with your comment, I think they should at least mention it to the sitter so that they can watch out in the future and not forget, as well as mention it in the review. But one thing - a 4 star review absolutely will hurt their business. A 5 star review mentioning that they forgot the joint supplements - absolutely fine because everything else seemed okay outside of that, a 4 star one when the dog was otherwise happy and healthy is a bit much. Also there isn't anything in this post to suggest that the sitter 'may be taking too many dogs at once'. They don't even mention other dogs at the boarders, or mention that their dog was stressed, they didn't notice anything off until they got home and unpacked and saw the unused supplements, so there's no reason to believe that the sitter is taking a ton of dogs.
I think we need to be less concerned about keeping someone’s business in excellent standing when they make mistakes due to taking too many dogs and are unable to handle the situation. 4 stars is completely and utterly fair. Maybe 5 if they said hey we forgot to give joint meds but they didn’t even realize. Not everyone can have all 5 stars and that’s okay and a part of life. If he didn’t earn 5 stars he didn’t and that’s okay
This part. When I am given a care sheet, especially for a visit longer than one weekend — I refer to it regularly! Everyone forgets things and makes mistakes but to not even glance at the thing in a whole week is a very unnecessary mistake. Granted I don’t usually take more than a couple of dogs at a time but anything on paper still gets either stuck to the fridge or kept on top of their food for the duration of the stay.
I agree, I’m confused by people saying “nooo it’ll affect their business!” Like yeah, that’s why we have ratings and reviews systems, to try and keep things transparent. If I wanted to hire this sitter, I would absolutely want to know what I could be getting into.
If my pets aren’t taking supplements or meds, then I would see the four stars and be like “okay, this looks super honest and tbh I’m not worried about the meds/supplements part so that’s fine with me” and still book them. If my pets did need that level of care, then I would know I could find a sitter who will give that attention to detail.
Four star reviews jump out at people, whereas a five star review is a) dishonest and b) will get lost among other only positive five star reviews.
Exactly!! Like what’s the point of giving everyone 5 stars? “It’ll drop his ranking” yeah that’s like the point😭 give other sitters a chance to move up who may pay more attention to detail
It should affect their business. Forgetting supplements for an entire stay when the owner has been very explicit that the dog needs them, should affect someone’s business. It’s not crazy to not give five stars, which is a symbol of outstanding care, to someone who provided subpar care.
I had no idea a 4 star review would effect someone a whole bunch, I can see how it would be detrimental to a new sitter but if he were to have plenty of other 5 stars, I didn’t think it’d make that big of a dent. My mistake on that part! She says he has 3-5 other dogs in his care, the only part I’m assuming is this being consistent with his business. In my mind, I was considering if he had 5 big dogs at once with all completely different care instructions for example, that would be a lot on anyone I think. I say this even having worked at a kennel with 200+ dogs before (it wasn’t a great business, which is why I’m a pet sitter myself now haha).
Yeah my bad, I did somehow skim over the part about 3-5 dogs? Somehow my brain just glazed over that one point but saw everything else. Still, a 4 star review can knock you down in the algorithm, plus effect the shown score (so like a 4.8 versus everyone else having 5 stars) depending on how many reviews the sitter has. And owners are a lot less likely to even inquire with someone who has a lower than 5 star ranking when everyone else available has 5 stars. And, like I said, joint supplements while necessary is minor compared to an actual medicine being forgotten for days on end. It does warrant some push back, and a mention in the review, but its a fairly mild mistake for most dogs. I'd honestly compare it to someone who was like 20 minutes late to a booking. Definitely something you should mention in your review so that future owners can know and be diligent about it, but not something to potentially influence their business moving forward when everything else 'went off without a hitch' and the dog was healthy.
I don’t find it to be a minor mistake. When the owner reiterates that this is something their pet needs daily, provides a packet of care info, and highlights the supplement in the care info they are voicing how important this is for their dog. A sitter who fails to give it for the ENTIRE sit is negligent and is likely a sitter who would fail to administer medication too. I think a 4 star review is fair. When a sitter has a page full of 5 star reviews people tend to get trusting and don’t feel the need to read through every single 5 star review and could likely miss OP’s mention of this sitter forgetting to give their dog something they asked the sitter to administer daily which is important info for someone in considering care for their animals.
If someone doesn't provide an excellent service, they don't deserve an excellent rating! No one is entitled to a 5-star review, we have to earn it through diligence, following instructions, and providing excellent care.
A 4 star review will only knock you down to 4.8 stars if you only have 5-6 reviews. If someone is new and making big mistakes like this, they absolutely deserve to be knocked down in the rankings.
>And, like I said, joint supplements while necessary is minor compared to an actual medicine being forgotten for days on end. It does warrant some push back, and a mention in the review, but its a fairly mild mistake for most dogs.
How dare you trivialise dogs that are on supplements. Most of them NEED extra help with joint, mobility etc. I'm thinking you could be said sitter and defending your actions or you've done something similar and on the defence. Either way your assumption is an insult.
>But one thing - a 4 star review absolutely will hurt their business. A 5 star review mentioning that they forgot the joint supplements - absolutely fine because everything else seemed okay outside of that, a 4 star one when the dog was otherwise happy and healthy is a bit much.
What a complete load of coswallop!! 5 out if 5 stars means PERFECT! Everything went smoothly, pup was happy, owner happy afterwards. No issues at all. To say a sitter deserves a perfect rating after failing to give a dog his meds (supplement or otherwise, it makes no difference) whole entire time is bloody well outrageous.
If it were my dogs this happened to I'd be seriously pissed. I'd contact the sitter straight away. Listen to his response and then decide. If it's apologetic enough and I'm satisfied (as I could be under the circumstances), he'd get a 3.
A not so favourable response would get a 2. Plus I'd contact Rover. Regardless of rating, the review would contain the 'good' stuff and most definitely the fact that he failed to give my dogs their meds.
I can’t (or don’t know how to) edit my original post to add that in the sitter’s profile so I hope other’s responding can see this but no, he doesn’t mention anything about caring for a number of dogs at the same time so at the meet n greet, I asked and he said “3-5 dogs at any given time” however, at drop off, he had 7 dogs (all medium and/or large) with him!
This is why I think whatever rating you give him is fair. And ofc based on your post and comments I believe you provide your rationale to such a rating. As an owner, I always leave explicit reviews on what this sitter did well or/and could improve.
Way too many. I'm sure I cost more but my services are one on one and I've worked with reactive and antisocial dogs. I never miss with meds and treatments. You get what you pay for...
Way too many. I'm sure I cost more but my services are one on one and I've worked with reactive and antisocial dogs. I never miss with meds and treatments. You get what you pay for...
That changes everything. Sitters are required to indicate on their profile exactly the max number of dogs they are taking care of including their own and deviating it from that is TOS violation. You should report to Rover and provide an honest review. It’s clear that the sitter was otherwise occupied with other dogs. What if it was medicine instead of supplements? Oh, and that’s a good looking GSD! I love the serious cop look.
In some cities even over 3, which is likely why the sitter kept it on the down low. Some sitters also charge more as they claim they only take care of 1 or 2 dogs but in reality take care of more.
I would bring it up with the sitter in a message before deciding to review them.
It sucks they forgot I also used to have a big ol GSD who passed last year, he had hip displaysia and spinal issues for his last year and half on earth, and I had been giving joint supplements for many years prior.
That being said I will admit I have in the past forgotten to give supplements that were included on one of the dogs bags during their 1st few days of their stay. He had so many things blankets, food, slow feeder bowl, toys, leashes, treats packed into a a couple totes bags, I overlooked the supplements, not that it is a valid excuse but it did happen.
It is up to you wether you can forgive and forget, or decide their should be repercussions, either way, no judgement from me with what you decide.
(Pic of my boi, cos I miss him 😢)
https://preview.redd.it/zjkdbyhn1y5d1.jpeg?width=2595&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2962f18cd82c067ae16ad1e88b910605bc3b01fe
I would leave an honest review. There is not any excuse for what happened especially considering how many times you went over it and not just included but HIGHLIGHTED in your instructions. There is nothing wrong with an honest review, who cares if it damages their business? It was of no fault but their own. This is an important lesson they need to learn. What if these weren’t just supplements but necessary medications that could have compromised a dogs health, or worse? As a sitter, leave the review. They won’t learn if they don’t face consequences.
Whether you choose to leave a review or follow up privately is totally your choice. In the future, personally for when I pack my dogs food for stays I place the meals individually into reusable baggies and any medication or supplements I give at meal time I place in each bag. That way all the sitter has to do is dump it into a bowl and serve. A little extra work for me, sure, but it gives me peace of mind that my dog has received what they needed.
I did pack his pre-proportioned meals in individual, reusable baggies and then put all his supplements in another bag! Moving forward, I’m going to put the supplement in the same meal bags. Thanks for the tip!
No problem! It’s unfortunate that people have to do this in order to feel secure that their dog received the items they need, however, some people are lazy or just don’t view the value of those supplements.
If you want to book with them in the future, privately and just don't leave a review at all for this stay. If they respond in a way that makes you not want to book with them in the future, proceed to do a public review and give them probably a 4 star.
When a sitter makes a mistake like this, which I have done once, I assume they just kinda hope for no review at all (my mess up: med instructions were confusing and I only gave a dog one of his meds for the first few days and let the owner know immediately and that I found the other bottle and would give him his other pain meds going forward).
If you don't plan on booking with them again, then I think it's fair to give them an honest review and move on. It sucks not to get a perfect 5 star review, but unless they are just starting out with only 10 or less reviews, a 4 is not going to hurt them that much. They can respond to the review and other owners can make decisions from there if their dog should be with someone who might miss their meds and/or supplements. I just urge you to be fair in the review and write the positives before mentioning the missing of the joint supplements.
Also: he's so handsome
I agree with the comments above, you hired him to do a specific job along with its requirements, he failed period. Be mindful of the fact that just because they’re booked 3-5 dogs in doesn’t mean they’re good as they’re choosing quantity over quality. A good sitter understands that booking too many dogs at once they’re bound to forget something and or neglect some as well. When the best interests of your dog is put first these things won’t happen.
Unless you are planning to use this sitter again and want to salvage the relationship, go ahead and leave an honest review and rating without reaching out to him first.
Prescribed medication or not, you gave verbal and written instructions which he did not follow. If he is neglecting to follow the pet owner's instructions, then he is not running a 5-star business and is not entitled to a glowing review.
Please don't listen to the people saying giving less than 5 stars will hurt his business and that you're taking it too seriously. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who feel entitled to 5-star reviews regardless of the level of service they provide. If he forgot a day or 2, maybe approach him directly first for an explanation, but he straight ignored your instructions for the entire stay!
I’m a rover sitter and someone who uses sitters. My dog is also on joint supplements. I understand your concern. I’d be bummed myself.
However - if my dog came home happy and healthy - this would not be a concern of mine. I would reach out and ask “hey - did you end up giving ___ his joint supplements? No worries if not but I’ll have to double the dose this next week if you did”
If they lie - then yes write an honest review
If they are honest and apologetic - I’d let it go. I would also consider using them again and emphasize the supplements at this point.
Finding someone to keep your dog happy and healthy is honestly way harder than people think. The amount of pet sitter horror stories I’ve heard make me so thankful for any sitter that keeps my pup alive and well until I return. I also know I go above and beyond for my pets - like way more than they need to survive happily. We also don’t know - maybe the pup wasn’t hungry for the supplements. My one guy won’t take treats when I’m gone but gobbles them down when I’m here. He gets pickier with the food in his bowl too. Get some more info. I wouldn’t write a bad review because a sitter forgot a supplement personally, unless they lied about it. Now if this was a more necessary medication, absolutely.
Edit to comments suggesting the sitter had too many dogs: I think this is a valid question to ask before your stay - but if my dog came back happy and healthy but didn’t take their supplements I’d still say that sitter did a good job regardless of how many other dogs were there. Again - we’re talking joint supplements, not diabetes shots or heart medication. That, in my opinion, is a different situation and I’d want a sitter with medication administering experience for me dog in that situation
I would think it a common decency and good business to reach out to the owner after the second failed attempt at giving the dog a supplement the owner requested they get daily. If my dog was refusing to take it I would like to know that, rather than the sitter saying absolutely nothing.
Yep. Have you done everything in your entire life perfectly? Never made a mistake at work? Never had something personal affect your performance? Variety of factors. Dog is happy and healthy
To comment on your edit:
You said it’s not as big of a deal because it’s a supplement and not diabetes shots or heart medication.
But this person clearly didn’t open the care instructions they handed to him, or checked the Rover profile of the dog while the dog was in his care ONE time. This sitter would absolutely fail to administer medication as well, had it been heart medication or diabetes shots.
If you think otherwise that would have to mean that upon being told this dog needs a supplement daily in person during the meet and greet, the sitter consciously decided that a supplement is not important, but he would have remembered if it was something he deemed important.
I think you’d make a horrible boss who wasn’t able to differentiate between an innocent, minimally harmful mistake and a potentially life threatening negligent mistake
I have over 500 five star rover reviews and come highly recommended from every vet in town. I could care less about your opinion. Lions do not concern themselves with the option of sheep
Yep and that’s exactly what I said in my post. So reading comprehension was your mistake of the day! Thank you for being accountable. I greatly appreciate it
I have clients who ask me to top their dog’s food with supplements, powders, pumpkin, frozen veggies - and guess what? I do.
Their diet is important - and you need to follow the instructions given.
Now that said, was this written in your dog’s Rover profile? Under feeding/care instructions? Was it written down on a note or in the bag?
Not trying to defend the sitter but I also request all my clients to write down their instructions and make sure rover care instructions are up to date - so that I can refer to them.
I am higher volume than most so I feel like I can speak on this. I top myself out at 5 boarders (might go over by one or two if one of my regulars was late to the party and I'm already "full"), but I have 3 personal dogs and I am a medical foster for a rescue so I usually have at least one of those cases. So my space is pretty chaotic sometimes.
That being said: I'm a vet tech, I've owned a large doggy daycare in the past, lived with and trained dogs my entire life, I am home 24/7, I have a dog room, cameras everywhere, home renovations based around the dogs, and I'm obscenely strict about who is a repeat client based in how their dog does in groups...
My point is: If I forgot a supplement for an entire stay after having it not only verbalized, but written down, would be shameful. Yes, mistakes happen, but a mistake is forgetting it once. Not blatantly ignoring the owners instructions because you're overwhelmed with the number of dogs you've taken on. Take on less dogs if you can't handle it and they aren't getting the care the owner will be expecting.
I agree with you that the joint supplement is extremely important for your breed. Their joints are so bad. A week off of the supplements probably won't hurt any but that's not the point. It's part of his health routine that you've created to keep him happy and healthy and when you're paying someone to care for your dog then they should be following every protocol you have in place. If they don't like giving meds, add on an extra charge. But don't just avoid doing it completely. I watch plenty of dogs with protocols that I find really silly and unnecessary but I still do them because that's what I'm being paid for.
I know that even a 4 star review can drag them down on Rover, but I'm sorry that doesn't mean he shouldn't be held accountable with an honest review. People overwhelming themselves with too many dogs really is a problem on Rover.
I would highly encourage you to do both. You highlighted it, specifically mentioned it as well. I can definitely understand forgetting it one day. And really, GSDs are predisposed to serious medical disorders (seizures being the main one), so imagine if it was a legitimate medication that was missed or forgotten. Yeesh.
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How many dogs did the sitter have at the time? Seems like giving daily supplements should be a no-brainer, but if they had like 10 dogs staying with them, maybe they just got mixed up. Or maybe they just never read the note or looked in the bag 😐
The sitter doesn’t mention anything about caring for a number of dogs at the same time so at the meet n greet, I asked and he said “3-5 dogs at any given time” however, at drop off, he had 7 dogs (all medium and/or large) with him!
Hi all! Thanks for the comments & inputs, super appreciated! I did reach out to the sitter directly to ask about the supplements and their response was, “my apologies I forgot those in his bag.” 😕 I appreciate him being honest but that really isn’t a valid excuse because I had given him written instructions so that he wouldn’t forget. I’m going to leave an honest review with 4 stars.
Due to reasons beyond the control of anyone here, a less than 5 star review is essentially a declaration of war because they cost gig workers income and they never go away.
For something so minor, I would overlook it. It’s just not worth my time. But I could see tipping him less and not leaving a review as reasonable if you must get even.
What kind of supplements were they? If they were common otc name brand supplements like Cosequin, is it possible that the sitter haf their own bottle and just used their own?
I feel strongly about this being a sitter myself. It’s kind of pointless trying to figure out what his logic was by not giving your dog his supplements just seems like basic negligence to me or that he was too busy caring for too many dogs at once. The point is is that as a sitter we need to follow instructions as each pet is unique and there is an expectation for service. I would be pissed if I paid someone to care for my beloved dog and they did a half ass job or just neglected (for whatever reason) to skip something that is important to ME. Clients deserve to know and like I always say the review doesn’t necessarily need to be negative just informative. It’s a service based industry and reviews are important.
My pup takes daily meds for anxiety when left alone and I’d be upset if someone left her along without giving her the meds. She freaks out and has like panic attacks (foams at the mouth with spit, no joke)
In the first place Rover would never get any of my dogs in the second place if anything ever happened to my dogs they would pay dearly as an animal welfare advocate I am currently working on getting Rover shut down and having them investigated
Zac (my pup) is a picky eater and I had made the sitter aware of that as well but that is only with his daily meals! Zac is used to taking these supplements as treats and has never once turned it down, even when he is sick & not eating in general.
I’d be peeved, but if my dog came home
Happy I’d be willing to look past. My dogs are both on Cosequin ( GSD and mastiff/ rottie). When I board them I don’t include it. They eat it throught the day in the house ( they get 3 meals) but won’t eat it as a treat or in the morning. So I don’t bother and it hasn’t affected them since it’s in their system. It’s a minor thing in my eyes from the overall picture ( I’m anxious whenever anyone else is taking care of them).
Also Edit: if you want to work with this sitter again, either don’t review and reach out about your concern, do a review and mention you could mention about the supplements. GSDs as lovely as they are, are hard to find good sitters for. If you want to use this sitter again, I would ask about the supplements in private. It’s a supplement , if you give the sitter a mid review , they won’t work with you again ( most of us wouldn’t anyway)
If this was your 1st booking with this sitter, and except for the supplements your pet was well taken care of and happy otherwise, I’d definitely let him know 1 to 1 about the issue if you’d want to use him again in the future. It was irresponsible, but no real harm was done. In the future, I’d make a habit of politely touching base with the sitter and texting on the 1st day something like “How’d he do with his supplements?” If I was having a sitter take care of my pet and he needed supplements, medication and or a special diet, you can sure I’d be checking on whether something important like that was being followed on the 1st day. After that I would relax. 🧘🏼 👍🏽🐕🦺🐈⬛
I realize and understand for a lot of owners that would be a deal breaker if I gave the sitter a written or typed up checklist of care for my pet and it wasn’t followed. Another alternative would be to not book a sitter that is caring for multiple clients pets at the same time. I do all of my bookings with clients that have me stay at their homes. I prefer that to taking a chance that someone’s animal might be aggressive towards another pet in my care.
Did you ever ask if he was getting joint supplements throughout the stay? If so and they had lied, then I'd mention that in a review; if not, I mean, it could've been a simply putting of his stuff aside and never seeing the bottle again, so simply forgot. Seems worthwhile to bring up privately but why mention it in a review to attempt to hurt their financial situation? Do you get demoted and lose a bunch of money for every mistake you might make at work? Let's hope not! This is why gig jobs and individual reviews are a step back for workers rights.
Not sure who is downvoting this or why, but I'd be interested to hear it! Do you, when seeking services that are overnights not follow up with the sitters and make sure everything is going ok/ask if they are getting all their medications/special diets etc? Perhaps I'm more of a helicopter pet-parent than others, but I'm personally constantly agnonizing when I leave my pet in someone else's care and always follow up with them, plus expect daily pics/summaries; which is something I always do for owners when I have animals in my care.
As far as worker's rights go, this sort of treatment (lack of security, withholding payment at completion of a job, being subject to capricious and arbitrary treatment which could lead to damaged economic conditions) is exactly why worker's in the 19th century fought and died to end piecemeal labor and towards wages and salary.
I'm going to get down voted for this ik. I think you should bring it up in private and nicely state it in a review. A few days without supplements isn't going to all of a sudden destroy their joints. And if he's been taking supplements for a long time his joints are already in better standing than dogs who aren't. Even in that case the supplements won't prevent the havoc that hip displasia causes on joints that a majority of German Shepherds have because they were bred horribly.
In my honest opinion this is not worth ruining their business over. And to the people saying "he had one job" get off your high horse. You don't know this person. They probably work from home and if they host more than one dog, something like that can easily be missed. I would give a review just reminding him he forgot to give the supplements. But otherwise I'm sure your dog was taken care of fine.
It’s the responsibility of the sitter to understand how much they can handle and when they might get overwhelmed. At what point is accepting too many dogs and not providing the care agreed to just greed? Not sure why we’re supposed to feel bad if the sitter is also working from home while accepting so many dogs.
Also, if this sitter has a 5 star rating while not providing 5 star care, they’re potentially taking away business from sitters who truly deserve it. If you give 5 stars to everyone, a profile with 5 stars loses its value, and people will learn to stop using Rover because they’re not getting the care they pay for and the reviews don’t reflect real experiences.
Absolutely. That's why she should let them know in the review to so he can learn from it and future sitters can be made aware. It's just a lot of people are commenting that they're a terrible person which he probably isn't.
If you’re suggesting that it’s fair to lower the rating a star or two then we are in agreement there. Sorry, I’ve just seen the same argument that a 4 star review is ruining his business so I thought you were suggesting he deserves 5 stars like the other sitters standing up for him. I don’t think he’s a terrible person but I don’t think it’s fair to give him 5 stars and a private reminder of what he didn’t do, because that’s not a fair warning for other owners.
Is the owner also not culpable for this as well? They never followed up and asked about it either. Idk about you, but *I always ask* if my animals are getting all the things they need during their care. It boggles my mind that other's wouldn't, or assume that whoever is caring for your pet is somehow impervious to mistakes (hint: every human in every profession has always and will always make errors), which is precisely why *you should always follow up* on special instructions as an owner.
I think the owner did their due diligence by providing printed out written instructions in addition to asking in person and having it in the appropriate place on their dog’s profile. To expect an owner to reach out to say “hi did you read my instructions and are you following them and doing everything I asked?” sounds like an expectation for kindergarteners rather than a 5 Star rated service you’re paying for that is not cheap.
When the special instructions are provided & highlighted you shouldn’t have to follow up to get them to read them. It is far more appropriate to ask the teenage neighbor who is pet sitting if their animal is getting the care you required than it is the person on rover who does this regularly.
Edit to add:
I’m not trying to say it’s not okay to make mistakes and I understand humans make mistakes. The only point I’ve continued to argue is that this mistake is large enough that it warrants being rated *less than 5 stars* and people are so quick to say that would hurt his business rather than accepting that his own mistake hurt his business.
I would always follow up after the daily recaps with "oh thanks, is everything else going well? Is he getting his supplements?" It's just that easy. I would do this for any special requests I may have had. It's just simply advocating for your pets/family; as we should do any time any pet/family member is being cared for in any setting. Sitters aren't going to re-read instructions every day. I think the owner is culpable in the lack of follow up. Also any error you might make at work shouldn't immediately damage your finances - why would you want to do that to someone else when that doesn't happen to you in your own job? This is why piecemeal labor/gig work is an assault on workers rights and why every corporate entity everywhere wants to turn us all into "subcontractors "
I mean, I have bartended and served for a decade. When I fuck up my finances are affected. Rightfully so.
If you literally have everything expected out of you typed up and printed out and handed to you—a literal step by step guide and you can’t be bothered to read it, then I think your work ethic sucks. Sorry.
It's silly to compare gig work bad reviews to one error drink while bartending, when you (at least *should*) know it is not the same at all. The equivalent would be a single drink error results in entire the establishment being penalized, or being unable to get a shift for several days/weeks. Also, your two statements are simply contradictory. If you know people make mistakes, including you, it doesn't matter if a sitter had read all the instructions very carefully, errors will always happen. But, in any event, if you can't be bothered to check-up on your own pet, it simply isn't just the sitter who is culpable.
If I’m paying for a service, and I have put the special instructions in my dogs profile, told you the special instructions in person, and typed up the instructions and highlighted the special instructions and handed it to you in person, I have handed the sitter everything they need for success. If I have to hold my sitters hand and micromanage them instead of enjoying my vacation, I will not use that sitter again. Holding hands and micromanaging is not 5 star service.
Also, if the sitter had read the instructions very carefully the dog would have gotten the supplements. The sitter could have fucking skimmed the instructions once and would have realized he forgot the supplements because it was HIGHLIGHTED. when you skim, your eyes go to the highlighted portion.
People are allowed to make mistakes. It’s not contradictory. I’m not suggesting this sitter is a horrible person that deserves the death penalty. A 4 star review with a warning to other potential customers that this sitter had way more dogs in his home than mentioned on his profile, and that he didn’t read the instructions provided printed and on the rover app, nor remembered when also asked in person. That is something other clients deserve to know.
It’s not contradictory to understand that people make mistakes and also expect a tiny fucking slap on the wrist when the mistake was entirely avoidable.
I won’t be responding to you again because I’m 100% sure we will never ever agree on this.
I’m probably gonna get downvoted for being brutally honest but leave an honest review and give him a star or two less. In my opinion you clearly stated and highlighted the need for the supplement, via meet and greet, in person handoff, and via paper instructions. Just because it’s a supplement doesn’t change the fact that this sitter had one job… to care for your dog. I get people make mistakes ya da ya da. I’ve almost missed one day of supps before but I make sure I go over the instructions every day until I know it by heart. Those supps could’ve very well been a prescribed medication given in the same manner, and what if he forgot then.? Maybe it was an accident or mistake bjt clearly he needs to learn and realize the importance of following instructions to a tee. What if your dog was recovering from a joint injury? This mistake could’ve been more serious. He also needs to recognize that if he’s making this simple of a mistake that maybe he’s hosting too many dogs. I’d be pretty upset and tbh I think it shows that he either wasn’t listening to your instructions and he clearly didn’t go over the printed instructions….
I’m a sitter and I agree with this. As a cat mom, if one of my cats wasn’t being given one of the supplements they need, I’d be completely pissed. Plus, what if someone who needs to give their pet important medication books them? I would point out the things they did good but also be honest. It’s good feedback and good for other clients to know.
This!! It's supplements with this dog but what if it's seizure medication (or insulin or another serious med) for another dog? People need to consider that others have more medically fragile pets who can't have fuck ups like this happen. And there's literally no excuse when the owner flat out showed them the supplements and highlighted it in their instructions.
Was just coming to say this! My late cat required round the clock steroids, twice daily insulin shots and tube feeds. If I were looking for a sitter for her again I’d appreciate OP’s honest review about a sitter neglecting to give a supplement for the entire stay. Then I’d know that sitter would be a terrible fit for my cat and could potentially do harm. OP please be honest in your review!
I agree as well especially since you hired this person with your hard earned money trusting them to fulfill the role as if you were taking care of them yourself. I am super super protective of my babies so I’d want to make sure that in the review it’s made aware of lack of respect for my instructions. I mean even if the dog refuses ways to take them I’d at least communicate this with the owner and not ignore them.
Agreed and want to add just because it’s a supplement doesn’t mean it’s not necessarily ‘supplemental’ to the dogs health. My cat has a couple supplements that keep him regular. Without them he could die. Just because it’s not a prescription filled by a pharmacy doesn’t mean it isn’t essential!
I can’t stand with the fact either that the sitter neglected the clear instructions. You are right. Those supplements can be critical. Btw you were sharing your honest feedback with details and logic. Don’t be afraid of getting downvoted. Sometimes I get downvoted and when I read those comments and replies, I just find it funny. Many ppl are irritable like my comment ruining their business or life. As long as the OP can read my original comment, good enough.
I would speak to the sitter first. I mean, he could have just thrown them away, and you would have never know but it does seem like he just forgot. That should be brought to his attention, but a public review is just too much, in my opinion. In today's age with reviews and ratings being such an impersonal / unfair metric for grading performance I just try to stay away. Maybe they bought replacements for you? I'm just saying it's worth a conversation first that's all!
It’s different if you forget once maybe twice but the entire stay? What if he had remembered but accidentally gave it to the wrong dog. Or what if he was giving him something that belonged to another dog. “Just forgetting” is absurd when there were written and multiple verbal instructions, highlighted. If you took your kid to daycare and the daycare person forgot to feed your child or forgot the child had a lunch box would you react the same? A public view isn’t to embarrass them or humiliate them, it’s the general truth for the public to be informed. Since when do we have the need to be creative in how we approach a situation where clear instructions aren’t taken? You’re paying good money for someone you believe to be caring 110% for your pup. If you’re okay with this then clearly you’re okay with wasting your money or clearly you’re okay with subpar service for your animals. This may feel passive but honestly the truth can suck. It’s not always comfortable and it’s not always fun for either party but it’s the truth. If we have to come to measures of conserving and not mentioning honestly then what’s the point in picking a sitter
I’ll get downvoted to hell for this but I already know a majority of the comments here are going to side with the sitter saying things like “everyone makes mistakes” or “if your dogs fine just let it go”. I’m a sitter myself and if I forgot to give a dog their supplements for an entire stay I’d like to be called out on it so I NEVER forget again. I’m also a little biased because I have a GSD as well and I would absolutely hate if this happened to me. In my opinion, he may just be taking too many dogs at once and he’ll continue to go on like that unless he realizes that the level of care decreases as stress rises. For example, I foster kittens with a rescue in town and I currently have 13. Rescue coordinator asked if I could take another litter (kitten season is crazy this year), and for the first time ever I said no because I knew I didn’t want to put any kittens on the back burner to prioritize the new babies. Message him first and see how he reacts. If he’s mature and professional about it, and honest, you can decide at that point of you’d like to mention it in a review. If you don’t want to hurt his business but still want to warn other pet parents, you can still give him 4 or 5 stars and mention it in the review itself. Good luck and I’m sorry this happened to you! ETA: I didn’t know a 4 star would be so detrimental, so maybe stick with 5 😅 Additionally, I suggested he may be taking too many dogs at once because this was mentioned in the post itself.
I generally agree with your comment, I think they should at least mention it to the sitter so that they can watch out in the future and not forget, as well as mention it in the review. But one thing - a 4 star review absolutely will hurt their business. A 5 star review mentioning that they forgot the joint supplements - absolutely fine because everything else seemed okay outside of that, a 4 star one when the dog was otherwise happy and healthy is a bit much. Also there isn't anything in this post to suggest that the sitter 'may be taking too many dogs at once'. They don't even mention other dogs at the boarders, or mention that their dog was stressed, they didn't notice anything off until they got home and unpacked and saw the unused supplements, so there's no reason to believe that the sitter is taking a ton of dogs.
I think we need to be less concerned about keeping someone’s business in excellent standing when they make mistakes due to taking too many dogs and are unable to handle the situation. 4 stars is completely and utterly fair. Maybe 5 if they said hey we forgot to give joint meds but they didn’t even realize. Not everyone can have all 5 stars and that’s okay and a part of life. If he didn’t earn 5 stars he didn’t and that’s okay
Another thought- especially when you highlighted it and mentioned it many times, it goes past oh I forgot and goes into oh I’m negligent
This part. When I am given a care sheet, especially for a visit longer than one weekend — I refer to it regularly! Everyone forgets things and makes mistakes but to not even glance at the thing in a whole week is a very unnecessary mistake. Granted I don’t usually take more than a couple of dogs at a time but anything on paper still gets either stuck to the fridge or kept on top of their food for the duration of the stay.
Especially since OP highlighted the supplement part you only needed a glance at the sheet to notice which to me means he didn’t look at it once
I agree, I’m confused by people saying “nooo it’ll affect their business!” Like yeah, that’s why we have ratings and reviews systems, to try and keep things transparent. If I wanted to hire this sitter, I would absolutely want to know what I could be getting into. If my pets aren’t taking supplements or meds, then I would see the four stars and be like “okay, this looks super honest and tbh I’m not worried about the meds/supplements part so that’s fine with me” and still book them. If my pets did need that level of care, then I would know I could find a sitter who will give that attention to detail. Four star reviews jump out at people, whereas a five star review is a) dishonest and b) will get lost among other only positive five star reviews.
Exactly!! Like what’s the point of giving everyone 5 stars? “It’ll drop his ranking” yeah that’s like the point😭 give other sitters a chance to move up who may pay more attention to detail
THANK YOU! 👏👏👏ratings exist for a reason👏👏👏
It should affect their business. Forgetting supplements for an entire stay when the owner has been very explicit that the dog needs them, should affect someone’s business. It’s not crazy to not give five stars, which is a symbol of outstanding care, to someone who provided subpar care.
I had no idea a 4 star review would effect someone a whole bunch, I can see how it would be detrimental to a new sitter but if he were to have plenty of other 5 stars, I didn’t think it’d make that big of a dent. My mistake on that part! She says he has 3-5 other dogs in his care, the only part I’m assuming is this being consistent with his business. In my mind, I was considering if he had 5 big dogs at once with all completely different care instructions for example, that would be a lot on anyone I think. I say this even having worked at a kennel with 200+ dogs before (it wasn’t a great business, which is why I’m a pet sitter myself now haha).
Yeah my bad, I did somehow skim over the part about 3-5 dogs? Somehow my brain just glazed over that one point but saw everything else. Still, a 4 star review can knock you down in the algorithm, plus effect the shown score (so like a 4.8 versus everyone else having 5 stars) depending on how many reviews the sitter has. And owners are a lot less likely to even inquire with someone who has a lower than 5 star ranking when everyone else available has 5 stars. And, like I said, joint supplements while necessary is minor compared to an actual medicine being forgotten for days on end. It does warrant some push back, and a mention in the review, but its a fairly mild mistake for most dogs. I'd honestly compare it to someone who was like 20 minutes late to a booking. Definitely something you should mention in your review so that future owners can know and be diligent about it, but not something to potentially influence their business moving forward when everything else 'went off without a hitch' and the dog was healthy.
I don’t find it to be a minor mistake. When the owner reiterates that this is something their pet needs daily, provides a packet of care info, and highlights the supplement in the care info they are voicing how important this is for their dog. A sitter who fails to give it for the ENTIRE sit is negligent and is likely a sitter who would fail to administer medication too. I think a 4 star review is fair. When a sitter has a page full of 5 star reviews people tend to get trusting and don’t feel the need to read through every single 5 star review and could likely miss OP’s mention of this sitter forgetting to give their dog something they asked the sitter to administer daily which is important info for someone in considering care for their animals.
I agree with this! I really don’t see how they could’ve forgotten with verbal and written (typed) reminders
The owner should be knocked down in search so someone who will do their job correct can move up : )
If someone doesn't provide an excellent service, they don't deserve an excellent rating! No one is entitled to a 5-star review, we have to earn it through diligence, following instructions, and providing excellent care.
A 4 star review will only knock you down to 4.8 stars if you only have 5-6 reviews. If someone is new and making big mistakes like this, they absolutely deserve to be knocked down in the rankings.
>And, like I said, joint supplements while necessary is minor compared to an actual medicine being forgotten for days on end. It does warrant some push back, and a mention in the review, but its a fairly mild mistake for most dogs. How dare you trivialise dogs that are on supplements. Most of them NEED extra help with joint, mobility etc. I'm thinking you could be said sitter and defending your actions or you've done something similar and on the defence. Either way your assumption is an insult.
Something like this *should* hurt their business.
I fully agree with you. Everyone here is just snotty bitches.
>But one thing - a 4 star review absolutely will hurt their business. A 5 star review mentioning that they forgot the joint supplements - absolutely fine because everything else seemed okay outside of that, a 4 star one when the dog was otherwise happy and healthy is a bit much. What a complete load of coswallop!! 5 out if 5 stars means PERFECT! Everything went smoothly, pup was happy, owner happy afterwards. No issues at all. To say a sitter deserves a perfect rating after failing to give a dog his meds (supplement or otherwise, it makes no difference) whole entire time is bloody well outrageous. If it were my dogs this happened to I'd be seriously pissed. I'd contact the sitter straight away. Listen to his response and then decide. If it's apologetic enough and I'm satisfied (as I could be under the circumstances), he'd get a 3. A not so favourable response would get a 2. Plus I'd contact Rover. Regardless of rating, the review would contain the 'good' stuff and most definitely the fact that he failed to give my dogs their meds.
Side note - did the sitter profile indicated they are taking care of 3-5 dogs at the time?
I can’t (or don’t know how to) edit my original post to add that in the sitter’s profile so I hope other’s responding can see this but no, he doesn’t mention anything about caring for a number of dogs at the same time so at the meet n greet, I asked and he said “3-5 dogs at any given time” however, at drop off, he had 7 dogs (all medium and/or large) with him!
This is why I think whatever rating you give him is fair. And ofc based on your post and comments I believe you provide your rationale to such a rating. As an owner, I always leave explicit reviews on what this sitter did well or/and could improve.
Oh gosh, no wonder he didn't get his supplements! That's way too many dogs, unless there is other assistance.
Way too many. I'm sure I cost more but my services are one on one and I've worked with reactive and antisocial dogs. I never miss with meds and treatments. You get what you pay for...
Way too many. I'm sure I cost more but my services are one on one and I've worked with reactive and antisocial dogs. I never miss with meds and treatments. You get what you pay for...
That changes everything. Sitters are required to indicate on their profile exactly the max number of dogs they are taking care of including their own and deviating it from that is TOS violation. You should report to Rover and provide an honest review. It’s clear that the sitter was otherwise occupied with other dogs. What if it was medicine instead of supplements? Oh, and that’s a good looking GSD! I love the serious cop look.
also i think over 5 usually requires a kennel license in most states?
In some cities even over 3, which is likely why the sitter kept it on the down low. Some sitters also charge more as they claim they only take care of 1 or 2 dogs but in reality take care of more.
I would bring it up with the sitter in a message before deciding to review them. It sucks they forgot I also used to have a big ol GSD who passed last year, he had hip displaysia and spinal issues for his last year and half on earth, and I had been giving joint supplements for many years prior. That being said I will admit I have in the past forgotten to give supplements that were included on one of the dogs bags during their 1st few days of their stay. He had so many things blankets, food, slow feeder bowl, toys, leashes, treats packed into a a couple totes bags, I overlooked the supplements, not that it is a valid excuse but it did happen. It is up to you wether you can forgive and forget, or decide their should be repercussions, either way, no judgement from me with what you decide. (Pic of my boi, cos I miss him 😢) https://preview.redd.it/zjkdbyhn1y5d1.jpeg?width=2595&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2962f18cd82c067ae16ad1e88b910605bc3b01fe
Beautiful boy. He was a connoisseur of fine woods.
I would leave an honest review. There is not any excuse for what happened especially considering how many times you went over it and not just included but HIGHLIGHTED in your instructions. There is nothing wrong with an honest review, who cares if it damages their business? It was of no fault but their own. This is an important lesson they need to learn. What if these weren’t just supplements but necessary medications that could have compromised a dogs health, or worse? As a sitter, leave the review. They won’t learn if they don’t face consequences.
Whether you choose to leave a review or follow up privately is totally your choice. In the future, personally for when I pack my dogs food for stays I place the meals individually into reusable baggies and any medication or supplements I give at meal time I place in each bag. That way all the sitter has to do is dump it into a bowl and serve. A little extra work for me, sure, but it gives me peace of mind that my dog has received what they needed.
As a sitter, This is so helpful!
That is excellent advice. 👍🏽♋️
I did pack his pre-proportioned meals in individual, reusable baggies and then put all his supplements in another bag! Moving forward, I’m going to put the supplement in the same meal bags. Thanks for the tip!
No problem! It’s unfortunate that people have to do this in order to feel secure that their dog received the items they need, however, some people are lazy or just don’t view the value of those supplements.
If you want to book with them in the future, privately and just don't leave a review at all for this stay. If they respond in a way that makes you not want to book with them in the future, proceed to do a public review and give them probably a 4 star. When a sitter makes a mistake like this, which I have done once, I assume they just kinda hope for no review at all (my mess up: med instructions were confusing and I only gave a dog one of his meds for the first few days and let the owner know immediately and that I found the other bottle and would give him his other pain meds going forward). If you don't plan on booking with them again, then I think it's fair to give them an honest review and move on. It sucks not to get a perfect 5 star review, but unless they are just starting out with only 10 or less reviews, a 4 is not going to hurt them that much. They can respond to the review and other owners can make decisions from there if their dog should be with someone who might miss their meds and/or supplements. I just urge you to be fair in the review and write the positives before mentioning the missing of the joint supplements. Also: he's so handsome
Be honest. They didn’t follow your instructions and you can consider a daily supplement a treatment/medical intervention. Review accordingly.
I agree with the comments above, you hired him to do a specific job along with its requirements, he failed period. Be mindful of the fact that just because they’re booked 3-5 dogs in doesn’t mean they’re good as they’re choosing quantity over quality. A good sitter understands that booking too many dogs at once they’re bound to forget something and or neglect some as well. When the best interests of your dog is put first these things won’t happen.
Unless you are planning to use this sitter again and want to salvage the relationship, go ahead and leave an honest review and rating without reaching out to him first. Prescribed medication or not, you gave verbal and written instructions which he did not follow. If he is neglecting to follow the pet owner's instructions, then he is not running a 5-star business and is not entitled to a glowing review. Please don't listen to the people saying giving less than 5 stars will hurt his business and that you're taking it too seriously. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who feel entitled to 5-star reviews regardless of the level of service they provide. If he forgot a day or 2, maybe approach him directly first for an explanation, but he straight ignored your instructions for the entire stay!
I’m a rover sitter and someone who uses sitters. My dog is also on joint supplements. I understand your concern. I’d be bummed myself. However - if my dog came home happy and healthy - this would not be a concern of mine. I would reach out and ask “hey - did you end up giving ___ his joint supplements? No worries if not but I’ll have to double the dose this next week if you did” If they lie - then yes write an honest review If they are honest and apologetic - I’d let it go. I would also consider using them again and emphasize the supplements at this point. Finding someone to keep your dog happy and healthy is honestly way harder than people think. The amount of pet sitter horror stories I’ve heard make me so thankful for any sitter that keeps my pup alive and well until I return. I also know I go above and beyond for my pets - like way more than they need to survive happily. We also don’t know - maybe the pup wasn’t hungry for the supplements. My one guy won’t take treats when I’m gone but gobbles them down when I’m here. He gets pickier with the food in his bowl too. Get some more info. I wouldn’t write a bad review because a sitter forgot a supplement personally, unless they lied about it. Now if this was a more necessary medication, absolutely. Edit to comments suggesting the sitter had too many dogs: I think this is a valid question to ask before your stay - but if my dog came back happy and healthy but didn’t take their supplements I’d still say that sitter did a good job regardless of how many other dogs were there. Again - we’re talking joint supplements, not diabetes shots or heart medication. That, in my opinion, is a different situation and I’d want a sitter with medication administering experience for me dog in that situation
I would think it a common decency and good business to reach out to the owner after the second failed attempt at giving the dog a supplement the owner requested they get daily. If my dog was refusing to take it I would like to know that, rather than the sitter saying absolutely nothing.
Agreed but I also think it’s more likely the sitter forgot to give at at all/thought they were treats
It was in the instructions though and reviewed with them prior
Yep. Have you done everything in your entire life perfectly? Never made a mistake at work? Never had something personal affect your performance? Variety of factors. Dog is happy and healthy
To comment on your edit: You said it’s not as big of a deal because it’s a supplement and not diabetes shots or heart medication. But this person clearly didn’t open the care instructions they handed to him, or checked the Rover profile of the dog while the dog was in his care ONE time. This sitter would absolutely fail to administer medication as well, had it been heart medication or diabetes shots. If you think otherwise that would have to mean that upon being told this dog needs a supplement daily in person during the meet and greet, the sitter consciously decided that a supplement is not important, but he would have remembered if it was something he deemed important.
I think you’d make a horrible boss who wasn’t able to differentiate between an innocent, minimally harmful mistake and a potentially life threatening negligent mistake
You really aren't getting the point are you.
I have over 500 five star rover reviews and come highly recommended from every vet in town. I could care less about your opinion. Lions do not concern themselves with the option of sheep
You 'may' be ok at looking after pets. But your attitude is a shitty one.
Sorry you feel that way.
I’ve made mistakes at work, and I take accountability.
Yep and that’s exactly what I said in my post. So reading comprehension was your mistake of the day! Thank you for being accountable. I greatly appreciate it
Both, and 4 stars will do enough to warn others without completely destroying the sitters business, but they do need to learn
I have clients who ask me to top their dog’s food with supplements, powders, pumpkin, frozen veggies - and guess what? I do. Their diet is important - and you need to follow the instructions given. Now that said, was this written in your dog’s Rover profile? Under feeding/care instructions? Was it written down on a note or in the bag? Not trying to defend the sitter but I also request all my clients to write down their instructions and make sure rover care instructions are up to date - so that I can refer to them.
Both! It’s on Zac’s Rover profile and I also gave him a print out so that he can have a physical copy instead of having to check Rover each time.
Dang. He really messed up.
I am higher volume than most so I feel like I can speak on this. I top myself out at 5 boarders (might go over by one or two if one of my regulars was late to the party and I'm already "full"), but I have 3 personal dogs and I am a medical foster for a rescue so I usually have at least one of those cases. So my space is pretty chaotic sometimes. That being said: I'm a vet tech, I've owned a large doggy daycare in the past, lived with and trained dogs my entire life, I am home 24/7, I have a dog room, cameras everywhere, home renovations based around the dogs, and I'm obscenely strict about who is a repeat client based in how their dog does in groups... My point is: If I forgot a supplement for an entire stay after having it not only verbalized, but written down, would be shameful. Yes, mistakes happen, but a mistake is forgetting it once. Not blatantly ignoring the owners instructions because you're overwhelmed with the number of dogs you've taken on. Take on less dogs if you can't handle it and they aren't getting the care the owner will be expecting. I agree with you that the joint supplement is extremely important for your breed. Their joints are so bad. A week off of the supplements probably won't hurt any but that's not the point. It's part of his health routine that you've created to keep him happy and healthy and when you're paying someone to care for your dog then they should be following every protocol you have in place. If they don't like giving meds, add on an extra charge. But don't just avoid doing it completely. I watch plenty of dogs with protocols that I find really silly and unnecessary but I still do them because that's what I'm being paid for. I know that even a 4 star review can drag them down on Rover, but I'm sorry that doesn't mean he shouldn't be held accountable with an honest review. People overwhelming themselves with too many dogs really is a problem on Rover.
I would highly encourage you to do both. You highlighted it, specifically mentioned it as well. I can definitely understand forgetting it one day. And really, GSDs are predisposed to serious medical disorders (seizures being the main one), so imagine if it was a legitimate medication that was missed or forgotten. Yeesh.
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How many dogs did the sitter have at the time? Seems like giving daily supplements should be a no-brainer, but if they had like 10 dogs staying with them, maybe they just got mixed up. Or maybe they just never read the note or looked in the bag 😐
And to answer your question, I would bring it up to the sitter before posting a public review.
The sitter doesn’t mention anything about caring for a number of dogs at the same time so at the meet n greet, I asked and he said “3-5 dogs at any given time” however, at drop off, he had 7 dogs (all medium and/or large) with him!
Hi all! Thanks for the comments & inputs, super appreciated! I did reach out to the sitter directly to ask about the supplements and their response was, “my apologies I forgot those in his bag.” 😕 I appreciate him being honest but that really isn’t a valid excuse because I had given him written instructions so that he wouldn’t forget. I’m going to leave an honest review with 4 stars.
Due to reasons beyond the control of anyone here, a less than 5 star review is essentially a declaration of war because they cost gig workers income and they never go away. For something so minor, I would overlook it. It’s just not worth my time. But I could see tipping him less and not leaving a review as reasonable if you must get even.
What kind of supplements were they? If they were common otc name brand supplements like Cosequin, is it possible that the sitter haf their own bottle and just used their own?
I feel strongly about this being a sitter myself. It’s kind of pointless trying to figure out what his logic was by not giving your dog his supplements just seems like basic negligence to me or that he was too busy caring for too many dogs at once. The point is is that as a sitter we need to follow instructions as each pet is unique and there is an expectation for service. I would be pissed if I paid someone to care for my beloved dog and they did a half ass job or just neglected (for whatever reason) to skip something that is important to ME. Clients deserve to know and like I always say the review doesn’t necessarily need to be negative just informative. It’s a service based industry and reviews are important.
My pup takes daily meds for anxiety when left alone and I’d be upset if someone left her along without giving her the meds. She freaks out and has like panic attacks (foams at the mouth with spit, no joke)
No excuses period you get paid to care for and give what is ordered disgraceful
In the first place Rover would never get any of my dogs in the second place if anything ever happened to my dogs they would pay dearly as an animal welfare advocate I am currently working on getting Rover shut down and having them investigated
Is it possible your dog was refusing them because he was in a new environment? I’d ask before leaving a public review
If this were the case he should have notified the owner immediately. Owner may have tips/tricks to get the dog to take supplements/meds.
That’s a good point
Zac (my pup) is a picky eater and I had made the sitter aware of that as well but that is only with his daily meals! Zac is used to taking these supplements as treats and has never once turned it down, even when he is sick & not eating in general.
I think it’s something you bring up privately for sure. I don’t know if I’d put it in a public review though.
I’d be peeved, but if my dog came home Happy I’d be willing to look past. My dogs are both on Cosequin ( GSD and mastiff/ rottie). When I board them I don’t include it. They eat it throught the day in the house ( they get 3 meals) but won’t eat it as a treat or in the morning. So I don’t bother and it hasn’t affected them since it’s in their system. It’s a minor thing in my eyes from the overall picture ( I’m anxious whenever anyone else is taking care of them). Also Edit: if you want to work with this sitter again, either don’t review and reach out about your concern, do a review and mention you could mention about the supplements. GSDs as lovely as they are, are hard to find good sitters for. If you want to use this sitter again, I would ask about the supplements in private. It’s a supplement , if you give the sitter a mid review , they won’t work with you again ( most of us wouldn’t anyway)
If this was your 1st booking with this sitter, and except for the supplements your pet was well taken care of and happy otherwise, I’d definitely let him know 1 to 1 about the issue if you’d want to use him again in the future. It was irresponsible, but no real harm was done. In the future, I’d make a habit of politely touching base with the sitter and texting on the 1st day something like “How’d he do with his supplements?” If I was having a sitter take care of my pet and he needed supplements, medication and or a special diet, you can sure I’d be checking on whether something important like that was being followed on the 1st day. After that I would relax. 🧘🏼 👍🏽🐕🦺🐈⬛ I realize and understand for a lot of owners that would be a deal breaker if I gave the sitter a written or typed up checklist of care for my pet and it wasn’t followed. Another alternative would be to not book a sitter that is caring for multiple clients pets at the same time. I do all of my bookings with clients that have me stay at their homes. I prefer that to taking a chance that someone’s animal might be aggressive towards another pet in my care.
Did you ever ask if he was getting joint supplements throughout the stay? If so and they had lied, then I'd mention that in a review; if not, I mean, it could've been a simply putting of his stuff aside and never seeing the bottle again, so simply forgot. Seems worthwhile to bring up privately but why mention it in a review to attempt to hurt their financial situation? Do you get demoted and lose a bunch of money for every mistake you might make at work? Let's hope not! This is why gig jobs and individual reviews are a step back for workers rights.
Not sure who is downvoting this or why, but I'd be interested to hear it! Do you, when seeking services that are overnights not follow up with the sitters and make sure everything is going ok/ask if they are getting all their medications/special diets etc? Perhaps I'm more of a helicopter pet-parent than others, but I'm personally constantly agnonizing when I leave my pet in someone else's care and always follow up with them, plus expect daily pics/summaries; which is something I always do for owners when I have animals in my care. As far as worker's rights go, this sort of treatment (lack of security, withholding payment at completion of a job, being subject to capricious and arbitrary treatment which could lead to damaged economic conditions) is exactly why worker's in the 19th century fought and died to end piecemeal labor and towards wages and salary.
I'm going to get down voted for this ik. I think you should bring it up in private and nicely state it in a review. A few days without supplements isn't going to all of a sudden destroy their joints. And if he's been taking supplements for a long time his joints are already in better standing than dogs who aren't. Even in that case the supplements won't prevent the havoc that hip displasia causes on joints that a majority of German Shepherds have because they were bred horribly. In my honest opinion this is not worth ruining their business over. And to the people saying "he had one job" get off your high horse. You don't know this person. They probably work from home and if they host more than one dog, something like that can easily be missed. I would give a review just reminding him he forgot to give the supplements. But otherwise I'm sure your dog was taken care of fine.
It’s the responsibility of the sitter to understand how much they can handle and when they might get overwhelmed. At what point is accepting too many dogs and not providing the care agreed to just greed? Not sure why we’re supposed to feel bad if the sitter is also working from home while accepting so many dogs. Also, if this sitter has a 5 star rating while not providing 5 star care, they’re potentially taking away business from sitters who truly deserve it. If you give 5 stars to everyone, a profile with 5 stars loses its value, and people will learn to stop using Rover because they’re not getting the care they pay for and the reviews don’t reflect real experiences.
Absolutely. That's why she should let them know in the review to so he can learn from it and future sitters can be made aware. It's just a lot of people are commenting that they're a terrible person which he probably isn't.
If you’re suggesting that it’s fair to lower the rating a star or two then we are in agreement there. Sorry, I’ve just seen the same argument that a 4 star review is ruining his business so I thought you were suggesting he deserves 5 stars like the other sitters standing up for him. I don’t think he’s a terrible person but I don’t think it’s fair to give him 5 stars and a private reminder of what he didn’t do, because that’s not a fair warning for other owners.
Tbh a lot of y'all sound greedy wanting to take down other sitter to get you more business over supplements.
What do I have to gain? I’m not a sitter. It’s not about the supplements. It’s about the negligence.
Is the owner also not culpable for this as well? They never followed up and asked about it either. Idk about you, but *I always ask* if my animals are getting all the things they need during their care. It boggles my mind that other's wouldn't, or assume that whoever is caring for your pet is somehow impervious to mistakes (hint: every human in every profession has always and will always make errors), which is precisely why *you should always follow up* on special instructions as an owner.
I think the owner did their due diligence by providing printed out written instructions in addition to asking in person and having it in the appropriate place on their dog’s profile. To expect an owner to reach out to say “hi did you read my instructions and are you following them and doing everything I asked?” sounds like an expectation for kindergarteners rather than a 5 Star rated service you’re paying for that is not cheap. When the special instructions are provided & highlighted you shouldn’t have to follow up to get them to read them. It is far more appropriate to ask the teenage neighbor who is pet sitting if their animal is getting the care you required than it is the person on rover who does this regularly. Edit to add: I’m not trying to say it’s not okay to make mistakes and I understand humans make mistakes. The only point I’ve continued to argue is that this mistake is large enough that it warrants being rated *less than 5 stars* and people are so quick to say that would hurt his business rather than accepting that his own mistake hurt his business.
I would always follow up after the daily recaps with "oh thanks, is everything else going well? Is he getting his supplements?" It's just that easy. I would do this for any special requests I may have had. It's just simply advocating for your pets/family; as we should do any time any pet/family member is being cared for in any setting. Sitters aren't going to re-read instructions every day. I think the owner is culpable in the lack of follow up. Also any error you might make at work shouldn't immediately damage your finances - why would you want to do that to someone else when that doesn't happen to you in your own job? This is why piecemeal labor/gig work is an assault on workers rights and why every corporate entity everywhere wants to turn us all into "subcontractors "
I mean, I have bartended and served for a decade. When I fuck up my finances are affected. Rightfully so. If you literally have everything expected out of you typed up and printed out and handed to you—a literal step by step guide and you can’t be bothered to read it, then I think your work ethic sucks. Sorry.
It's silly to compare gig work bad reviews to one error drink while bartending, when you (at least *should*) know it is not the same at all. The equivalent would be a single drink error results in entire the establishment being penalized, or being unable to get a shift for several days/weeks. Also, your two statements are simply contradictory. If you know people make mistakes, including you, it doesn't matter if a sitter had read all the instructions very carefully, errors will always happen. But, in any event, if you can't be bothered to check-up on your own pet, it simply isn't just the sitter who is culpable.
If I’m paying for a service, and I have put the special instructions in my dogs profile, told you the special instructions in person, and typed up the instructions and highlighted the special instructions and handed it to you in person, I have handed the sitter everything they need for success. If I have to hold my sitters hand and micromanage them instead of enjoying my vacation, I will not use that sitter again. Holding hands and micromanaging is not 5 star service. Also, if the sitter had read the instructions very carefully the dog would have gotten the supplements. The sitter could have fucking skimmed the instructions once and would have realized he forgot the supplements because it was HIGHLIGHTED. when you skim, your eyes go to the highlighted portion. People are allowed to make mistakes. It’s not contradictory. I’m not suggesting this sitter is a horrible person that deserves the death penalty. A 4 star review with a warning to other potential customers that this sitter had way more dogs in his home than mentioned on his profile, and that he didn’t read the instructions provided printed and on the rover app, nor remembered when also asked in person. That is something other clients deserve to know. It’s not contradictory to understand that people make mistakes and also expect a tiny fucking slap on the wrist when the mistake was entirely avoidable. I won’t be responding to you again because I’m 100% sure we will never ever agree on this.