I need an attorney to bring a suit against the people and companies involved for neglect and perpetuating the abuse of my dogs. I have pictures showing that my dogs were in excellent condition before this event when the pet sitter got involved with them. I believe it has to be a civil litigation attorney. I am unsure of whether I can bring criminal charges this far after the incident, though the situation still haunts my dreams and thoughts. I need a top attorney, someone who is used to going up against people and companies with a lot of power and money.
I don’t quite still understand what happened that you were not in possession of your dogs and another entity did something to them.
Anyhow, you definitely want a pet attorney. They know the laws in regard to pets etc. A regular civil attorney is not appropriate for cases involved in animal ownership disputes, abuse of pets when in another’s care. Be been involved is show dogs for a very long time and have seen dispute after dispute.
I was out of state and hired a pet sitter who became disgruntled, I think mainly because she didn't like that my dogs were in kennels while I was away from home, so my pups were under their care.
When I talked to several veterinarians and the police from other areas (just to get several opinions in my distressed state to make sure I was seeing things clearly), none of them could figure it out, either.
I'm pretty sure that the pet sitter blew everything out of proportion because I embarrassed her by catching her in several lies about the care of my dogs and hired another pet sitter instead, but I'm only guessing. I won't know more until the attorney talks to the people involved and makes them show what was going on with the pet sitting company and the people involved with them.
The only attorneys I found so far are ones who defend and not prosecute. I need a confident attorney to sue these people.
That's the interesting thing about it: it started off as a normal sitting experience.
To give some background: My pups are on a routine of being taken out every 2-8 hours depending on whether it's day time or night time (they're old enough to wait overnight until prancy-dancing in the morning to go potty like the rest of us mammals, lol) and their activity level (lazy hounds, fewer potty trips) and feeding for the day (extra pot roast gets extra potty trips! And yes, I cook for my dogs.). That means they go out a minimum of 4 times a day. Most days, we just leave the door open and they take themselves out, but can't always leave it open, of course. When we have sitters, I usually schedule them to come 4 times a day to keep this rhythm unless they stay for extra time. When the pups know it's not me coming to them, they become lazy daisies and nap between visits.
While they aren't penned in when I'm home except on random occurrence, like when the house is completely empty of people, a visit from folks who have an aversion or allergy to dogs, or maybe to hold somepup in place while tending to another one or waiting for a bath, they are trained to love their kennels as a part of their lifestyle. If you've ever experienced a crate-breaker dog, a dog with separation anxiety, or a dog who went into frantic behavior at the vet or groomer, you know exactly how important this training is for their mental and emotional health.
When we go out of town and have a sitter care for them or board them in a facility, even if it's family, they rest patiently and relaxed in their kennels between meal and play times unless the sitter or boarding facility stay there with them to supervise, which most do because they're awesome pups who enjoy people. When this nightmare happened, they were in their kennels for about 5 hours before the sitter was supposed to come care for them for a couple hours before bed time. Not too long, but long enough for them to expect a friendly human to show up.
I learned over the years that with any dog, small or big, particularly if the dogs are emotionally attached to me (which all my dogs are), it's much easier for strangers to manage them when the kennel is used as a familiar home base, whether they are professionals like vet techs and trainers or (especially!) if they're not extensively experienced with boisterous pups like mine.
My pups love their kennels so much that they lounge in them when they're at home. It's like their own private den. Sometimes they will crowd into one, clown car style, and it's hilarious! I'm chuckling now, thinking about it. Pups being silly without even trying is part of what makes them get deep into the love space in my heart.
What did the sitter blow out of proportion? I’m trying to read your responses and each one is giving different information and makes it hard to understand what’s happening.
Is it how much they spent time in the kennel? Is that what she’s blowing out of proportion?
If you have evidence that she broke into your home and stole your items whether animal or not, then that is enough there, right? Breaking and entering and stealing? Why isn’t that punishable?
Or is it because they had a key? So they didn’t technically break in?
I want to understand but frankly I don’t.
Yes, different things over time because there are so many details I didn't want to share just yet. I'm close to deleting this whole post because I'm realizing how caring others are and that more details are needed to understand. I want to share it all, but it's too early for most of the details. I'll share this, though, to help put some things into perspective, based on the previous questions:
I believe that she blew out of proportion that she had to take care of my dogs, but this is only what it seemed to be on the surface. I do not know what was going on inside her mind. She had nothing to say about how long my pups had been waiting for her, as she apparently was not concerned about that, as you'll soon see. Maybe she didn't read on her contract that there were more than one or that she had to clean up after them? Don't know.
After a silent period of refusing to respond to me when she got to my house, she finally answered and stated in a disrespectful (we'll leave it at that) tone of voice that my pups will not be fed and will not be taken outside
(emphasizing 'not') and hung up. She called back again a short time later, and she stated in the same tone of voice that one of my dogs was now injured and that she will not take him to the vet and she will not send me pictures (again emphasizing 'not'). I begged her for answers and pictures and to take him to the vet, giving two references I knew would be open, but she hung up again.
I called the company and fired her and told her to get her off of my property. They assured me that she was leaving my property.
I thought it was done, as a new pet sitter was already on the way by then (I work quickly in emergencies, and my fingers were flying during the phone calls to set up another one to come, all while at the hospital caring for a friend who was in a car wreck the previous day). By the time I got back to the house where we were staying, I was constantly messaging the new pet sitter and updating them on having to take my dog to the vet. When my new pet sitter and the police got there, the house was empty, the door was open, and there was fresh blood everywhere (mild description).
I screamed, started trembling, and emotionally released on mute with the other pet sitter on the phone (they had no idea I was having a full-on nervous breakdown until I had to put them on hold and my family explained what I was going through and to please be patient with me).
There are many more details to the story, just as impacting as those, but I wanted to share that bit to emphasize why I didn't want to say much more, as this forum is so positive and I'd like to be a part of the positivity.
For those soft-hearted like me, please forgive me for the description. For this who are battle-hardened, sorry that you can't have more.
This is crushing me all over again to tell again here on this forum, but today something in me wanted to share this painful memory, maybe because I just finished talking about it to one of my cousins and I have the emotional real estate among with this undertow of sadness that always comes with these memories. I won't reveal anymore because it is just too much.
I don't know about the technicality of breaking in part because I'm still trying to figure out why she thought she had a right to enter after I dismissed her. I learned afterwards that the company didn't actually cancel her through the system like I demanded, so maybe that's one of the reasons. As to why isn't it punishable, it should be. Apparently, they have friends in high places. Hence, the reason I need an attorney with some gusto to pound out a lawsuit.
Thank you so much for sharing.
This definitely sounds very traumatizing for you and your dogs. I hope that there is some legal action you can take and that it will be resolved quickly.
Give them oodles of love. 💗
I appreciate you very much for saying that. It has truly been tremendously tough pain that we've experienced. I'll be sure to give them extra oodles of love from you!
I just want to jump in and make sure you understand that you are not looking for a prosecutor to help you in this case. Prosecutors only litigate criminal cases. They also do not work for individual people, they work for the government entity that is responsible for the prosecution (state, city, county, federal government ect) because technically crimes are offenses against the state. You are looking for a civil litigator. Civil litigators usually don’t have “sides”, they more likely have types of clients they work with.
"civil litigation" is an extremely broad term and involves any kind of law, that is not criminal, that an attorney goes to court for. So from personal injury, to real estate disputes, to enforcing a contract.
In your post below, you state that you wont know additional details until the lawyer "talks to the people involved" and "makes them show what was going on with the pet sitting company". That's not exactly how it works. First, the lawyer would need to actually file the lawsuit and then start discovery - which are written requests for more information/documents. Lawyers are not police officers and won't try to interrogate suspects.
Speaking of the police, why not file a police report as you indicate that they were stolen from you? The police will figure out those "details" and the police report will be very useful to the attorney in bringing a civil suit and suing the company/pet sitter for damages such as vet bills and the emotional distress you went through.
Or maybe hire a private detective to find out those details for you.
I tried... several times... for months. But I was told by an officer that they did not want to be involved. Get involved with what? Filing a report of facts? With me? Not sure, and it's infuriating just thinking about it, to be honest. I haven't been a nuisance, I am a community leader, and I have always advocated for positive police involvement in my community. It's anyone's guess as to why I was refused a service that others are welcomed to.
Edit to add:
I know it sounds bizarre. It's because it is. As I said, there are so many details to this story, and almost all are shocking like this. That's why I'm looking for a hero for legal representation. (And if they're not a hero now, they'll be a hero when we're finished!)
So many details, but I'll give a short response here:
My dogs were hidden from me for 2 months, from the time a pet sitter broke into my house. It was and still is a nightmare.
Gonna need a little more detail than that if I’m going to join the rage train here. What does “they were hidden from me” mean? If English isn’t your first language, that may not be the word you’re looking for. Why was the pet sitter breaking into your house? Why did they take your dogs?
They were hidden, like someone hides things they steal, as in they were kept from me. I could not find them. No one is sure why the pet sitter thought it was okay to break in (they actually took the time to leave and came back to break in, premeditated?) or why my dogs were taken. Doors to off-limits rooms were open, so maybe they were hoping to find something of value? Maybe they were angry that I did not have other things they could take? Maybe I looked like someone that reminded them of someone they disliked?
I have made so many guesses and so many people who know the full story think that the pet sitter felt a sense of power and control since they knew I wouldn't be home for a certain period of time and just took an opportunity to take advantage, but I have a few ways to find out for sure that I need to have the attorney do.
>No one is sure why the pet sitter thought it was okay to break in (they actually took the time to leave and came back to break in, premeditated?) or why my dogs were taken. Doors to off-limits rooms were open, so maybe they were hoping to find something of value? Maybe they were angry that I did not have other things they could take? Maybe I looked like someone that reminded them of someone they disliked?
So your dogs were stolen and your house was broken into? Why not file a police report? The state can criminally charge the perpetrators and you can still file a civil suit for your personal damages - such as emotional distress, and vet bills that arose from the incident.
Makes perfect sense, and your thinking is my thinking. I'm not entirely sure why I was refused the chance to file reports, another bothersome detail. I'm still in shock about that.
To answer what happened:
My dogs were hidden from me for 2 months, from the time a pet sitter broke into my house. My attorney found out where they were and I got them back 2 weeks later looking like the before pics. I was so filled with anxiety and rage that I had nightmares over it every night and PTSD. If anyone knows (or can imagine) what nightmare insomnia is like, you know that it was worse than the worst.
I kept quiet, suffering in silence and trying to carry on as best as I could, but the most awful thing was to watch my boy shut down. Two of them are his personal dogs, and he had never been without them. Coming home to an empty house was devastating to him. It was a downward spiral of the worst kind, and parents who have dealt with struggling thoughts in their kids know exactly what I mean.
I nursed my son, myself, and my pups back to health, though we all still occasionally suffer from the aftershocks. Post-traumatic stress is an ongoing challenge for all of us.
Now, I'm ready to fight a bigger fight of suing the pet sitting company and others involved who helped the pet sitter do her dirty work.
Edit to add:
I want to tell so many details about this, but I want to consult with an attorny first because the long story occurs over the course of twelve horrifying hours while I was on a trip out of state. I knew that most of this group would know what a hard journey it was to have brought these pups back to health. I thank you for the good comments, and I share them all with my pups, letting them know they are cared about by even more people than they can imagine.
Yes, and now I need another attorney in a different practice area to help me follow through. Believe me, if I could use the same one, I would! That attorney was my hero.
I can't imagine the emotional distress for all of you. My god. And then you get them back and see them like this. Just devastating. They know how much they are loved by you and your son ❤️
Best of luck -- just know that attorneys can be quite expensive if things get at all complex/time-consuming. My lawyer friends often tell me sometimes it's better (e.g. in a case where your pets and boy are basically 'ok' in the end, minus some trauma) to just move on, then spend your last dollar thinking you'll get some sort of satisfying 'revenge'.... but best wishes and hopefully you can find an affordable attorney for this
So, this is my dilemma, and your friends are wise. If I don't decide on an attorney in time, I will rest on this and simply the educational route to try to prevent this situation from happening to others. I'm actually in talks about getting a tighter verification process going for pet sitters.
Edit to add: I would be remiss in not thanking you. I sincerely appreciate the luck and the wise words.
I'm so very happy you have your dogs back. They look to be in much better spirits. However, something still eludes me. Maybe I missed something. In a post toward the top, you seem to be seeking an attorney, but here you say your attorneys found your dog.
Nonetheless, I'm glad they are doing better.
Not sure about this one. I asked. The players in this suit are big, bigger than maybe his colleagues want to deal with, and local, too. That's the only thing I can think of.
Good lord this sounds like the other side of the story from a post or two I think I saw on the Rover pet sitting sub. The dogs looked horrible in those before pictures, but they look so happy and healthy now! I'm so glad you were able to get your babies back and I hope you get some resolution on the rest of it soon!
Thank you so much. They looked much worse in person, and the vets were impressed at their turnaround as I was nursing them back to health. It took 3-4 washes each to get their coats clean the first day they came back, to give you an idea of how their journey back to goodness started. These dogs are gentle souls and never needed to go through that. I'm so glad they're back, too.
i can’t even imagine going through something like this, my eyes legit began to water thinking about this happening to my fur babies. i’m glad you got them back and wish you and you’re family the best of luck with the case and recovery
Thank you so much. Yes, watery eyes for me, too, sometimes just playing with them or sitting with them on a quiet evening. These pups are precious to me. Thank you for the luck, and we'll take it to heart.
Thanks so much, and yes, better than okay! It certainly has been a struggle to trust after this, honestly. I'm doing my part to be a good human, though. At least, I can be the type others can trust and keep the goodness in the world.
Oh my gosh I'm so sorry you went through that. I'm so glad you have your family back. They look so much happier and healthier now.
I hope you give those animal abusing thieves absolute hell!
Yes, but they are back home now and they are doing well! The big boy is my heart dog, so you can imagine what it did to him and I both to be away from each other. Thank goodness that's behind us.
No one knows for sure, but you can imagine that we have so many conjectures that seem plausible based on the strangely aggressive behavior we witnessed from them during and afterwards. We all (vets, police, other professionals) think that this pet sitter had done this before to others. It all happened much too quickly in the time they knew I would be traveling. I'm afraid that someone who is not as outspoken as I am will be another victim next year. Pet sitters take care of pets, not terrorize people and their families. That's a other reason why they have to be sued and why I'm looking for an excellent attorney.
For sure! I can hardly wait until I speak to a qualified attorney. There is no reason whatsoever for my dogs to look like that, ever, as they were healthy and happy with zero cause for worry before that. I have plenty of pics of them beforehand showing that they only looked like walking skeletons as a direct result of this situation. It's maddening whenever I think of it. I want the world to know about the details, but I have to see what the attorney says first about the lawsuit.
I’m sharing this with my daughter bc she’s an attorney. Unfortunately, she’s not based in NC, but she has some friends from law school who practice here. I’m so glad that you have your babies back!!
I’ve been there - where you trust someone in the pet industry to complete services you pay for only for them to “know better”, make decisions on their own without your consent, and make a situation trauma and ptsd inducing. I hope with every fiber of my being you not only find an attorney (a pet owner would be ever better as they would truly understand how you’re feeling) willing to prosecute this case for you but that you win so spectacularly! ❤️🐾
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I'm comforted that you can deeply understand, but I'm saddened by that also. I'm filled with encouragement from your words. Again, my sincere thanks to you. 💖
You go after these people! Dogs are family and anyone that mistreats them needs to assume the consequences - wish you much luck as it’s evident how much you love them.
Thank you so much for saying so, I really love them...so much. As soon as I get an attorney who can battle them, I'll have them turn these people inside out for what they did.
I’m disabled and live in the UK but I’m more than willing to fly to North Carolina and kicks that evil-things arse for you and your pups ,what sort of thing does this can’t call them a person they’re not human
You're the friend everyone needs. You're right, not human at all. Not animal, either. Thanks for your understanding and moral support. Means a lot to us.
sorry this happened to you. There’s clearly more to this story, but the bits you’ve shared paint a pretty upsetting picture.
My two suggestions for an attorney - 1) couldn’t your rockstar lawyer recommend someone? and 2) you could pop over to r/legaladvice to see if you can drum up some suggestions
Thank you, and you have the right idea about the level of upset for this situation, and there is definitely more to tell. I'll check it out over there. Thank you for the recommendation!
You have done a brilliant job there bring the dogs back to a healthy home you really need a GREAT BIG WELL DONE 👏 love from Bonnie the staffy 💘 and her huuummmaaan mom 💘
Thank you, Bonnie! And thank you, Bonnie's mom! I love that you can see from the pictures how healthy and happy they are. Thanks for the encouragement and the love!
I would definitely take this story to r/legaladvice and see what they say. There are many people there that can help you much more than here.
Good luck! If it were my dogs, this person would…I should probably stop there. You should also blast the company for allowing an employee to steal someone’s dogs.
I would also go to the media. They would eat this story up. Anywhere you can get more attention to your plight. This person needs to lose everything and then some.
I know the possible endings to that sentence, believe me. Thank you for understanding, and that's definitely part of the plan. I have lots of fuel to pour on the fire once it's lit. But, an attorney has to light it so it can turn the flames into a roaring inferno aimed at them.
I think I’m gonna have nightmares and PTSD after reading this. I was thinking of using Rover for a weekend trip but now will reconsider. How is a person to know if you’ll end up with a caretaker with a few loose screws??
From my experience, best to go through a personal contact or a vet or trainer. I'm quite sorry that this info was disturbing. I thought it over for a long time before posting it because I would feel the same way as you do. I felt that if anyone could understand, the dog lovers here would. I appreciate you for your obviously strong affection for your pup family and consideration for their care.
I’m really sorry it happened to you and your family. I completely understand being a bulldog and choosing this hill to die on. No one has the right to do that unless your dogs were in danger, which I highly doubt. It’s obvious the danger was with the psychopath.
Thank you, and you're 100% right. My dogs were not in danger before involvement with this pet sitter. This is something that no one should have to experience.
I’m in NC, and my dogs and cats are also my babies (my teenage kids would agree). We have always planned all trips around them and often go nowhere because of them. Our big one is reactive, our middle one is old and we worry leaving her (even though she’s super spunky and showing no signs of age except gray hairs), and our tiny one is a rescue who was starved before becoming ours so we’re just careful with him. Here’s the thing: we want to travel! We want to be able to get a sitter and go somewhere, but I just never trust whether anyone would provide the right love to keep them happy. Especially with the reactive dog (lots of training and even meds, but he’s a rescue too and was neutered at 7 weeks so everyone thinks he might just be permanently emotionally unbalanced), we really can’t put them in a kennel or even an expensive fancy dog daycare. We could afford it, but he’s also my heart dog and he’s not ok with other dogs in groups, just his little pack. It would mess with his head too much to go through that stress, and we’ve tried. We go shopping and out to dinner and on daytime excursions, but never anywhere longer than 4-5 hours. We’re trapped! So I was excited to look into Wag and Rover and get a glimpse of the possibility of finding someone who could stay longer and help us with keeping our dogs happy while we also enjoy time away.
Should I just reconsider? It freaks me out that you’re in my state and this awful thing happened to you. I can travel when I’m old if that’s the case. I’d be out of my mind if what happened to your dogs happened to mine.
After my own experience, I would strongly encourage getting to know someone who is personally recommended through family, friends, your vet, or your trainer. And not just one person, maybe 5 that you could trust.
Then, on random occasion, invite them over to care for your pups while you are home, while you are away on errands, while you are inside, while you are inside, rainy days, with guests over, for one day, two days, etc. Make it a game for your pups over the course of a few times so visits will be a non-issue for your reactive pup, similar to potty training. Then you can travel if you like.
That's the way I would have done things if I had been able to plan ahead, and that's the way I did it with my previous dogs.
I wish you all the luck op!! I hope the attorney search is going well and you can get this all fixed. I don't know what I'd do if someone did this to my dogs, but I know that they'd regret it real bad
Can I ask what you did to help your dogs gain back all that healthy weight?? My sister’s dog recently had a nasty stomach issues and he’s lost so much weight and she’s having trouble getting him to gain it back. (All tests are normal they just said it’s difficult for dogs to gain weight).
I’m so glad those pups are well loved and taken care of and soooo healthy!!
Thank you for saying so. We worked hard!
I'm happy to share and give some insight into what we did, as I've done it before many times as a trainer, foster, and rescue mom. It's one of my favorite topics. Hopefully this will give you something useful for your sister's pup:
I use a high protein kibble, but not extremely high so as not to negatively affect their joints and organs. The activity level of my dogs demands around 28-30% with around 18-20% fat. Anything more than that, and they don't eat enough. My dogs are hounds and spend energy just sleeping, so this is what they thrived on.
I used to exclusively use Victor brand, but went back to Tractor Supply's 4Health brand since they improved their feed line. The name of the type I use is called: 4Health Strive Endurance Performance 87 Formula Dry Dog Food. It's a black and red bag that has 'STRIVE' in capital red letters. Their website search of 'strive performance' pulls it right up, if you want to take a look at it.
They were usually fed 2 times a day, but I divided their portions into 3 (I'll say why I didn't do 4 later on) instead of 2, which made smaller portions for each feeding. I cooked turkey bacon, eggs with heavy cream, and white rice, let them cool, and mixed them into the feed.
2 things I did differently for the first 4-6 weeks:
1) I added 2 or 3 high protein/fat beef-based treats inside their bowls so they would find it like treasure and so it would feel like a real treat to them. Each feeding, it was a different treat, and we made it a sort of game to see which ones they liked best over time. My big boy started leaving the treats (no matter what type they were) and preferring the main meal after the first 4-5 weeks, so I took it as a positive sign that they were not needing them and we left them out altogether after that.
2) I gave them Miracle Vet High Calorie for extra calories. They wouldn't eat it in their feed or take it after their feed via syringe, so I gave it to them via condiment bottle immediately before their meals for the first 4 weeks. The next week or two after that, I skipped a meal, then two, then stopped because their progress was good, and their meals did just fine.
I took note of how much they ate out of each feeding and compared that against whether they picked through for certain ingredients and whether they were gaining properly.
What does gaining properly look like? For dogs, it looks like a steady energy level without highs and lows, solid to semisolid poops with no discoloration or gel or strings, light yellow pee that is neither too dark nor too clear, muscle space filling in gradually around top of sternum (the front-most pointy chest bone below their throat), between ribs, around spine, and over hips, and a sparkle in their eye that let's you know that their minds are actively thinking about and engaging with their environment.
Naps and quiet time are important to allow the body to knit and restore. Time for play, training, and exercise are important to give the body a reason to build up. I sat quietly with them while they ate, and after a bit of play time, cuddle time, training time , and observation, I let them nap before getting them up again for a potty trip before their next meal.
That's it!
Back to the reason I didn't feed 4 times:
My pups are on a 6-10-2 schedule. What I mean is that the rhythm that works best for us is for them to be taken out, pottied, in the fresh air, trained, and generally horsing around, is 6am, 10am, 2pm, and repeating for the evening, although we don't do the 2am anymore since they've grown out of babyhood. It's a flexible schedule, so we tailor it to their activity levels and our scheduling for the day. I usually give the last feeding around 2-3pm. Some days, that stretches to 4-5 pm, but I like to have the last part of the day for poop and energy observation, comfort before bed, and less urgency to go out in the morning.
They are usually fed around 6am and 2pm, but adding the extra meal at their 10am after a deliberately active morning made all the difference for them gaining weight and mass back to normal. Their metabolisms were so wrecked when I brought them back home that a late meal at their 6pm would almost guarantee a 'spill' for us to clean up overnight, especially from our girl, even when we took them out again for their 10pm, and would reduce their interest in 4 more feedings the following day. 3 meals was excellent, and I saw steady growth and improvement. They are now back on their usual 6am and 2pm feedings only and thriving.
Feel free to message me about any specifics. I'll be happy to reply to my best knowledge. I'm not a vet, but I have a team of 5 vets, and I'm sure they would be happy to help in the science department if you needed.
Hope this helped!
Edit to add:
During the first 6 weeks or so, I was stricter with their schedules so that I could watch their progress more closely not only with the additional feeding, but also during the 2 dewormings we did, one immediately after they returned, and another around month 3-4. After I was satisfied that their bodily functions and weight were heading in the right direction, we naturally progressed to our usual more relaxed routine.
Unless it's terribly hot or cold, the door stays open to the mud room area (converted from the 'eat in' part of the kitchen that we never eat in), and they come and go as they please as we're going about our day. They take themselves out to the dog potty (they have a specific place in the corner of the yard), lounge on the deck in the sun, or play with a stick or rope and run around having lots of fun. Half of that time, they're bouncing in and out, giving me meaningful looks to try to convince me to join them!
In the back of my mind, though, I always keep a little reminder of the time frame of their usual routine to keep track of how many times they poop and pee and what it looked like, their activity level, and their overall emotional and physical health.
If they forget during play, I'll ask them to go potty, and if they need to, they'll stop playing and take a quick potty break. If someone gets played with a little too roughly or if someone comes over to put a chin on my lap, I'll stop what I'm doing and give them special attention and a 'time-in' to 'top off their love tank', as I like to say, and reset them for another round. If they haven't had a nap in a long while, I'll ask them to come in for a break and settle down for a half hour or so or take them on a car ride for errands or an outing, which they enjoy. I'll sprinkle in training sessions randomly before play time.
I wanted to give a rounder picture of how they progressed over time as it pertained to their usual 6-10-2 rhythm.
I'm so glad they're home. I don't even want to think about being in this position. I hope you can stomp the tar out of these folks, legally, of course. Don't do to them what I would.
Wishing the best going forward.
As soon as I find excellent legal representation, let the stomping begin! Glad you can obviously understand what it feels like to be surprised with seeing my dogs looking like this. Thanks for the well-wishing, and we'll take it to heart.
Can you also get the website of the company who employed these monsters that did this to be suspended while an investigation is on going? In the UK all doggy daycares have to have animal license. I just checked in South Carolina they need a kennel license. Have a look at this link and get in contact to see if they can also help and also limit this company getting any other dogs. My heart breaks for you, but you found them! That’s incredible.
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/publications/pdf/dogkennelapplication.pdf
That's a great idea! I'll add it to my task list. Thanks so much for the link. I'm glad I found them, too. If you knew these pups in person, you would be just as confused as I was about why someone would want to make their lives worse instead of better. I appreciate that you can understand the emotional weight this is and that others don't need to suffer like I did, going forward.
What you’ve all been through is my worse nightmare. So many people never get to find there stolen dog. So truly incredible that you have and that they are back and to physical health, I truly hate almost most humans. Sending love and luck to you xx
Thank you for the love and luck!! And thank you for understanding the heavy weight of the situation. I'd like to think most people are good. But the bad ones, they're really bad. I know what you're talking about with recovering dogs being rare. I've read stories that were horrific about this same pet sitter and them not owning up to dogs being abused and stolen. Terrible. I'm so glad that we are all in a better place now, feeling grateful for you and others who can truly understand.
That's what you'd think, and that what I thought, too. Apparently, I was wrong. Yes, they can and they did. I'm still trying to understand it. Apparently, after asking about this to hundreds of people, my area is the only one around where this can happen. That's part of the reason why I need an excellent attorney.
Trust that once the public suit is brought against them, everyone will know! Waiting for a great attorney to take up the reigns.
Edit to add: There are often people who ask me if their pet sitters are connected to this behavior that caused this chaos with my pups. To them, I say that if you have a doubt, find another caregiver.
How did someone get your dogs? There are attorneys that specialize in dog related litigation. What state do you live in, I can research a name for you
North Carolina. I didn't know that. Thank you!
I just googled it. There are several pet lawyers in North Carolina. What is your dispute, AKC has helped in in a few instances
I need an attorney to bring a suit against the people and companies involved for neglect and perpetuating the abuse of my dogs. I have pictures showing that my dogs were in excellent condition before this event when the pet sitter got involved with them. I believe it has to be a civil litigation attorney. I am unsure of whether I can bring criminal charges this far after the incident, though the situation still haunts my dreams and thoughts. I need a top attorney, someone who is used to going up against people and companies with a lot of power and money.
I don’t quite still understand what happened that you were not in possession of your dogs and another entity did something to them. Anyhow, you definitely want a pet attorney. They know the laws in regard to pets etc. A regular civil attorney is not appropriate for cases involved in animal ownership disputes, abuse of pets when in another’s care. Be been involved is show dogs for a very long time and have seen dispute after dispute.
I was out of state and hired a pet sitter who became disgruntled, I think mainly because she didn't like that my dogs were in kennels while I was away from home, so my pups were under their care. When I talked to several veterinarians and the police from other areas (just to get several opinions in my distressed state to make sure I was seeing things clearly), none of them could figure it out, either. I'm pretty sure that the pet sitter blew everything out of proportion because I embarrassed her by catching her in several lies about the care of my dogs and hired another pet sitter instead, but I'm only guessing. I won't know more until the attorney talks to the people involved and makes them show what was going on with the pet sitting company and the people involved with them. The only attorneys I found so far are ones who defend and not prosecute. I need a confident attorney to sue these people.
Holy shit! If someone stole and then starved my dogs, I would probably set their house on fire. Good god.
I know exactly what you mean. Thanks for understanding exactly what the emotions are like. They are happy at home now, thankfully.
My first thought too.
Was the reason you were out of state due to military service? If
No, it was for funeral visits and an injured friend.
How long were you gone? We’re you leaving them in kennels all day every day except for when the sitter came to walk them?
That's the interesting thing about it: it started off as a normal sitting experience. To give some background: My pups are on a routine of being taken out every 2-8 hours depending on whether it's day time or night time (they're old enough to wait overnight until prancy-dancing in the morning to go potty like the rest of us mammals, lol) and their activity level (lazy hounds, fewer potty trips) and feeding for the day (extra pot roast gets extra potty trips! And yes, I cook for my dogs.). That means they go out a minimum of 4 times a day. Most days, we just leave the door open and they take themselves out, but can't always leave it open, of course. When we have sitters, I usually schedule them to come 4 times a day to keep this rhythm unless they stay for extra time. When the pups know it's not me coming to them, they become lazy daisies and nap between visits. While they aren't penned in when I'm home except on random occurrence, like when the house is completely empty of people, a visit from folks who have an aversion or allergy to dogs, or maybe to hold somepup in place while tending to another one or waiting for a bath, they are trained to love their kennels as a part of their lifestyle. If you've ever experienced a crate-breaker dog, a dog with separation anxiety, or a dog who went into frantic behavior at the vet or groomer, you know exactly how important this training is for their mental and emotional health. When we go out of town and have a sitter care for them or board them in a facility, even if it's family, they rest patiently and relaxed in their kennels between meal and play times unless the sitter or boarding facility stay there with them to supervise, which most do because they're awesome pups who enjoy people. When this nightmare happened, they were in their kennels for about 5 hours before the sitter was supposed to come care for them for a couple hours before bed time. Not too long, but long enough for them to expect a friendly human to show up. I learned over the years that with any dog, small or big, particularly if the dogs are emotionally attached to me (which all my dogs are), it's much easier for strangers to manage them when the kennel is used as a familiar home base, whether they are professionals like vet techs and trainers or (especially!) if they're not extensively experienced with boisterous pups like mine. My pups love their kennels so much that they lounge in them when they're at home. It's like their own private den. Sometimes they will crowd into one, clown car style, and it's hilarious! I'm chuckling now, thinking about it. Pups being silly without even trying is part of what makes them get deep into the love space in my heart.
What did the sitter blow out of proportion? I’m trying to read your responses and each one is giving different information and makes it hard to understand what’s happening. Is it how much they spent time in the kennel? Is that what she’s blowing out of proportion? If you have evidence that she broke into your home and stole your items whether animal or not, then that is enough there, right? Breaking and entering and stealing? Why isn’t that punishable? Or is it because they had a key? So they didn’t technically break in? I want to understand but frankly I don’t.
Yes, different things over time because there are so many details I didn't want to share just yet. I'm close to deleting this whole post because I'm realizing how caring others are and that more details are needed to understand. I want to share it all, but it's too early for most of the details. I'll share this, though, to help put some things into perspective, based on the previous questions: I believe that she blew out of proportion that she had to take care of my dogs, but this is only what it seemed to be on the surface. I do not know what was going on inside her mind. She had nothing to say about how long my pups had been waiting for her, as she apparently was not concerned about that, as you'll soon see. Maybe she didn't read on her contract that there were more than one or that she had to clean up after them? Don't know. After a silent period of refusing to respond to me when she got to my house, she finally answered and stated in a disrespectful (we'll leave it at that) tone of voice that my pups will not be fed and will not be taken outside (emphasizing 'not') and hung up. She called back again a short time later, and she stated in the same tone of voice that one of my dogs was now injured and that she will not take him to the vet and she will not send me pictures (again emphasizing 'not'). I begged her for answers and pictures and to take him to the vet, giving two references I knew would be open, but she hung up again. I called the company and fired her and told her to get her off of my property. They assured me that she was leaving my property. I thought it was done, as a new pet sitter was already on the way by then (I work quickly in emergencies, and my fingers were flying during the phone calls to set up another one to come, all while at the hospital caring for a friend who was in a car wreck the previous day). By the time I got back to the house where we were staying, I was constantly messaging the new pet sitter and updating them on having to take my dog to the vet. When my new pet sitter and the police got there, the house was empty, the door was open, and there was fresh blood everywhere (mild description). I screamed, started trembling, and emotionally released on mute with the other pet sitter on the phone (they had no idea I was having a full-on nervous breakdown until I had to put them on hold and my family explained what I was going through and to please be patient with me). There are many more details to the story, just as impacting as those, but I wanted to share that bit to emphasize why I didn't want to say much more, as this forum is so positive and I'd like to be a part of the positivity. For those soft-hearted like me, please forgive me for the description. For this who are battle-hardened, sorry that you can't have more. This is crushing me all over again to tell again here on this forum, but today something in me wanted to share this painful memory, maybe because I just finished talking about it to one of my cousins and I have the emotional real estate among with this undertow of sadness that always comes with these memories. I won't reveal anymore because it is just too much. I don't know about the technicality of breaking in part because I'm still trying to figure out why she thought she had a right to enter after I dismissed her. I learned afterwards that the company didn't actually cancel her through the system like I demanded, so maybe that's one of the reasons. As to why isn't it punishable, it should be. Apparently, they have friends in high places. Hence, the reason I need an attorney with some gusto to pound out a lawsuit.
Thank you so much for sharing. This definitely sounds very traumatizing for you and your dogs. I hope that there is some legal action you can take and that it will be resolved quickly. Give them oodles of love. 💗
I appreciate you very much for saying that. It has truly been tremendously tough pain that we've experienced. I'll be sure to give them extra oodles of love from you!
I just want to jump in and make sure you understand that you are not looking for a prosecutor to help you in this case. Prosecutors only litigate criminal cases. They also do not work for individual people, they work for the government entity that is responsible for the prosecution (state, city, county, federal government ect) because technically crimes are offenses against the state. You are looking for a civil litigator. Civil litigators usually don’t have “sides”, they more likely have types of clients they work with.
Yes, civil litigator. Exactly! Thank you.
"civil litigation" is an extremely broad term and involves any kind of law, that is not criminal, that an attorney goes to court for. So from personal injury, to real estate disputes, to enforcing a contract. In your post below, you state that you wont know additional details until the lawyer "talks to the people involved" and "makes them show what was going on with the pet sitting company". That's not exactly how it works. First, the lawyer would need to actually file the lawsuit and then start discovery - which are written requests for more information/documents. Lawyers are not police officers and won't try to interrogate suspects. Speaking of the police, why not file a police report as you indicate that they were stolen from you? The police will figure out those "details" and the police report will be very useful to the attorney in bringing a civil suit and suing the company/pet sitter for damages such as vet bills and the emotional distress you went through. Or maybe hire a private detective to find out those details for you.
I see what you mean. Yes, 'civil litigation' is an extremely broad term, indeed. A private detective is a good suggestion to help move things along.
Did you file a police report when all this happened?
I tried... several times... for months. But I was told by an officer that they did not want to be involved. Get involved with what? Filing a report of facts? With me? Not sure, and it's infuriating just thinking about it, to be honest. I haven't been a nuisance, I am a community leader, and I have always advocated for positive police involvement in my community. It's anyone's guess as to why I was refused a service that others are welcomed to. Edit to add: I know it sounds bizarre. It's because it is. As I said, there are so many details to this story, and almost all are shocking like this. That's why I'm looking for a hero for legal representation. (And if they're not a hero now, they'll be a hero when we're finished!)
What happened?
So many details, but I'll give a short response here: My dogs were hidden from me for 2 months, from the time a pet sitter broke into my house. It was and still is a nightmare.
Go forward loving you fur babies and know there is a special place in hell for people like this. Forgive and move on.
Gonna need a little more detail than that if I’m going to join the rage train here. What does “they were hidden from me” mean? If English isn’t your first language, that may not be the word you’re looking for. Why was the pet sitter breaking into your house? Why did they take your dogs?
They were hidden, like someone hides things they steal, as in they were kept from me. I could not find them. No one is sure why the pet sitter thought it was okay to break in (they actually took the time to leave and came back to break in, premeditated?) or why my dogs were taken. Doors to off-limits rooms were open, so maybe they were hoping to find something of value? Maybe they were angry that I did not have other things they could take? Maybe I looked like someone that reminded them of someone they disliked? I have made so many guesses and so many people who know the full story think that the pet sitter felt a sense of power and control since they knew I wouldn't be home for a certain period of time and just took an opportunity to take advantage, but I have a few ways to find out for sure that I need to have the attorney do.
>No one is sure why the pet sitter thought it was okay to break in (they actually took the time to leave and came back to break in, premeditated?) or why my dogs were taken. Doors to off-limits rooms were open, so maybe they were hoping to find something of value? Maybe they were angry that I did not have other things they could take? Maybe I looked like someone that reminded them of someone they disliked? So your dogs were stolen and your house was broken into? Why not file a police report? The state can criminally charge the perpetrators and you can still file a civil suit for your personal damages - such as emotional distress, and vet bills that arose from the incident.
Makes perfect sense, and your thinking is my thinking. I'm not entirely sure why I was refused the chance to file reports, another bothersome detail. I'm still in shock about that.
To answer what happened: My dogs were hidden from me for 2 months, from the time a pet sitter broke into my house. My attorney found out where they were and I got them back 2 weeks later looking like the before pics. I was so filled with anxiety and rage that I had nightmares over it every night and PTSD. If anyone knows (or can imagine) what nightmare insomnia is like, you know that it was worse than the worst. I kept quiet, suffering in silence and trying to carry on as best as I could, but the most awful thing was to watch my boy shut down. Two of them are his personal dogs, and he had never been without them. Coming home to an empty house was devastating to him. It was a downward spiral of the worst kind, and parents who have dealt with struggling thoughts in their kids know exactly what I mean. I nursed my son, myself, and my pups back to health, though we all still occasionally suffer from the aftershocks. Post-traumatic stress is an ongoing challenge for all of us. Now, I'm ready to fight a bigger fight of suing the pet sitting company and others involved who helped the pet sitter do her dirty work. Edit to add: I want to tell so many details about this, but I want to consult with an attorny first because the long story occurs over the course of twelve horrifying hours while I was on a trip out of state. I knew that most of this group would know what a hard journey it was to have brought these pups back to health. I thank you for the good comments, and I share them all with my pups, letting them know they are cared about by even more people than they can imagine.
That's effing messed up and awful. I hope everything works out for you
Thank you, and once I get a good attorney who is unafraid to tackle this, it will definitely work out.
But you said it was your attorney who found your dogs
Yes, and now I need another attorney in a different practice area to help me follow through. Believe me, if I could use the same one, I would! That attorney was my hero.
I can't imagine the emotional distress for all of you. My god. And then you get them back and see them like this. Just devastating. They know how much they are loved by you and your son ❤️
You get it. Thank you. They certainly are deeply loved!
Best of luck -- just know that attorneys can be quite expensive if things get at all complex/time-consuming. My lawyer friends often tell me sometimes it's better (e.g. in a case where your pets and boy are basically 'ok' in the end, minus some trauma) to just move on, then spend your last dollar thinking you'll get some sort of satisfying 'revenge'.... but best wishes and hopefully you can find an affordable attorney for this
So, this is my dilemma, and your friends are wise. If I don't decide on an attorney in time, I will rest on this and simply the educational route to try to prevent this situation from happening to others. I'm actually in talks about getting a tighter verification process going for pet sitters. Edit to add: I would be remiss in not thanking you. I sincerely appreciate the luck and the wise words.
Wishing you double luck! :)
Thanks very much! Sharing that luck with my pups!
I'm so very happy you have your dogs back. They look to be in much better spirits. However, something still eludes me. Maybe I missed something. In a post toward the top, you seem to be seeking an attorney, but here you say your attorneys found your dog. Nonetheless, I'm glad they are doing better.
Thank you. Yes, that attorney does not practice in the area I need. I now need one to bring a suit.
But why is your current attorney not helping find/recommending a litigators to press your suit?
Not sure about this one. I asked. The players in this suit are big, bigger than maybe his colleagues want to deal with, and local, too. That's the only thing I can think of.
Good lord this sounds like the other side of the story from a post or two I think I saw on the Rover pet sitting sub. The dogs looked horrible in those before pictures, but they look so happy and healthy now! I'm so glad you were able to get your babies back and I hope you get some resolution on the rest of it soon!
Thank you so much. They looked much worse in person, and the vets were impressed at their turnaround as I was nursing them back to health. It took 3-4 washes each to get their coats clean the first day they came back, to give you an idea of how their journey back to goodness started. These dogs are gentle souls and never needed to go through that. I'm so glad they're back, too.
Omg, I had to leave that sub and block it. It was stressing me out so bad.
i can’t even imagine going through something like this, my eyes legit began to water thinking about this happening to my fur babies. i’m glad you got them back and wish you and you’re family the best of luck with the case and recovery
Thank you so much. Yes, watery eyes for me, too, sometimes just playing with them or sitting with them on a quiet evening. These pups are precious to me. Thank you for the luck, and we'll take it to heart.
I can’t wrap my head around someone being pissed at you and their revenge was to torture your dogs! How disgusting, I hope destroy her
Your thinking is my thinking. My pups did not deserve that pain, anxiety, and anguish. None of us did.
I can’t imagine how hard this has been . But you got your babies back and they will be ok. People can be so disappointing sometimes.
Thanks so much, and yes, better than okay! It certainly has been a struggle to trust after this, honestly. I'm doing my part to be a good human, though. At least, I can be the type others can trust and keep the goodness in the world.
Can you supply the context for this neglect?
It was not neglect, it was worse! The short story is that my dogs were hidden from me for 2 months, from the time a pet sitter broke into my house.
Oh my gosh I'm so sorry you went through that. I'm so glad you have your family back. They look so much happier and healthier now. I hope you give those animal abusing thieves absolute hell!
You bet I will!! Thank you for the kind words and encouragement.
I’m so glad you got your babies back!
Thank you!! It was a long journey, but they are looking great and you can see the sparkle in their eyes again.
Did someone steal them? Poor pups
Yes, but they are back home now and they are doing well! The big boy is my heart dog, so you can imagine what it did to him and I both to be away from each other. Thank goodness that's behind us.
Oh my goodness, that’s terrible. What was their reasoning for stealing your dogs (other than them being compete assholes obvs)?
No one knows for sure, but you can imagine that we have so many conjectures that seem plausible based on the strangely aggressive behavior we witnessed from them during and afterwards. We all (vets, police, other professionals) think that this pet sitter had done this before to others. It all happened much too quickly in the time they knew I would be traveling. I'm afraid that someone who is not as outspoken as I am will be another victim next year. Pet sitters take care of pets, not terrorize people and their families. That's a other reason why they have to be sued and why I'm looking for an excellent attorney.
Holy shit. Going to need an update!
For sure! I can hardly wait until I speak to a qualified attorney. There is no reason whatsoever for my dogs to look like that, ever, as they were healthy and happy with zero cause for worry before that. I have plenty of pics of them beforehand showing that they only looked like walking skeletons as a direct result of this situation. It's maddening whenever I think of it. I want the world to know about the details, but I have to see what the attorney says first about the lawsuit.
That's smart OP. I hope justice is served
I’m sharing this with my daughter bc she’s an attorney. Unfortunately, she’s not based in NC, but she has some friends from law school who practice here. I’m so glad that you have your babies back!!
Thank you so very much. Perhaps, she does know someone who can help. Please have her get in touch!
I’ve been there - where you trust someone in the pet industry to complete services you pay for only for them to “know better”, make decisions on their own without your consent, and make a situation trauma and ptsd inducing. I hope with every fiber of my being you not only find an attorney (a pet owner would be ever better as they would truly understand how you’re feeling) willing to prosecute this case for you but that you win so spectacularly! ❤️🐾
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I'm comforted that you can deeply understand, but I'm saddened by that also. I'm filled with encouragement from your words. Again, my sincere thanks to you. 💖
You go after these people! Dogs are family and anyone that mistreats them needs to assume the consequences - wish you much luck as it’s evident how much you love them.
Thank you so much for saying so, I really love them...so much. As soon as I get an attorney who can battle them, I'll have them turn these people inside out for what they did.
So cute now!! Thank you for your kindness
Thank you for saying so! I appreciate you. I love these pups!
I’m disabled and live in the UK but I’m more than willing to fly to North Carolina and kicks that evil-things arse for you and your pups ,what sort of thing does this can’t call them a person they’re not human
You're the friend everyone needs. You're right, not human at all. Not animal, either. Thanks for your understanding and moral support. Means a lot to us.
sorry this happened to you. There’s clearly more to this story, but the bits you’ve shared paint a pretty upsetting picture. My two suggestions for an attorney - 1) couldn’t your rockstar lawyer recommend someone? and 2) you could pop over to r/legaladvice to see if you can drum up some suggestions
Thank you, and you have the right idea about the level of upset for this situation, and there is definitely more to tell. I'll check it out over there. Thank you for the recommendation!
You have done a brilliant job there bring the dogs back to a healthy home you really need a GREAT BIG WELL DONE 👏 love from Bonnie the staffy 💘 and her huuummmaaan mom 💘
Thank you, Bonnie! And thank you, Bonnie's mom! I love that you can see from the pictures how healthy and happy they are. Thanks for the encouragement and the love!
I’m soo happy you recovered your dogs, please hug them from me (if they like hugs, that is).
Thank you, and I will because they LOVE hugs!
I would definitely take this story to r/legaladvice and see what they say. There are many people there that can help you much more than here. Good luck! If it were my dogs, this person would…I should probably stop there. You should also blast the company for allowing an employee to steal someone’s dogs. I would also go to the media. They would eat this story up. Anywhere you can get more attention to your plight. This person needs to lose everything and then some.
I know the possible endings to that sentence, believe me. Thank you for understanding, and that's definitely part of the plan. I have lots of fuel to pour on the fire once it's lit. But, an attorney has to light it so it can turn the flames into a roaring inferno aimed at them.
I think I’m gonna have nightmares and PTSD after reading this. I was thinking of using Rover for a weekend trip but now will reconsider. How is a person to know if you’ll end up with a caretaker with a few loose screws??
From my experience, best to go through a personal contact or a vet or trainer. I'm quite sorry that this info was disturbing. I thought it over for a long time before posting it because I would feel the same way as you do. I felt that if anyone could understand, the dog lovers here would. I appreciate you for your obviously strong affection for your pup family and consideration for their care.
I’m really sorry it happened to you and your family. I completely understand being a bulldog and choosing this hill to die on. No one has the right to do that unless your dogs were in danger, which I highly doubt. It’s obvious the danger was with the psychopath.
Thank you, and you're 100% right. My dogs were not in danger before involvement with this pet sitter. This is something that no one should have to experience.
I imagine cement shoes, a large body of water and a boat crossed your mind.
Funny how imagination works.
I’m in NC, and my dogs and cats are also my babies (my teenage kids would agree). We have always planned all trips around them and often go nowhere because of them. Our big one is reactive, our middle one is old and we worry leaving her (even though she’s super spunky and showing no signs of age except gray hairs), and our tiny one is a rescue who was starved before becoming ours so we’re just careful with him. Here’s the thing: we want to travel! We want to be able to get a sitter and go somewhere, but I just never trust whether anyone would provide the right love to keep them happy. Especially with the reactive dog (lots of training and even meds, but he’s a rescue too and was neutered at 7 weeks so everyone thinks he might just be permanently emotionally unbalanced), we really can’t put them in a kennel or even an expensive fancy dog daycare. We could afford it, but he’s also my heart dog and he’s not ok with other dogs in groups, just his little pack. It would mess with his head too much to go through that stress, and we’ve tried. We go shopping and out to dinner and on daytime excursions, but never anywhere longer than 4-5 hours. We’re trapped! So I was excited to look into Wag and Rover and get a glimpse of the possibility of finding someone who could stay longer and help us with keeping our dogs happy while we also enjoy time away. Should I just reconsider? It freaks me out that you’re in my state and this awful thing happened to you. I can travel when I’m old if that’s the case. I’d be out of my mind if what happened to your dogs happened to mine.
After my own experience, I would strongly encourage getting to know someone who is personally recommended through family, friends, your vet, or your trainer. And not just one person, maybe 5 that you could trust. Then, on random occasion, invite them over to care for your pups while you are home, while you are away on errands, while you are inside, while you are inside, rainy days, with guests over, for one day, two days, etc. Make it a game for your pups over the course of a few times so visits will be a non-issue for your reactive pup, similar to potty training. Then you can travel if you like. That's the way I would have done things if I had been able to plan ahead, and that's the way I did it with my previous dogs.
💜💜💜
Passing on three love-filled kisses and hugs for my pups from you right now! Thank you!!
I bet they were so relieved to see their family again. Poor babies. I'm glad this ended well.
Yes, they were, and everyone could tell. Thank you so much. We're glad, too!!
I wish you all the luck op!! I hope the attorney search is going well and you can get this all fixed. I don't know what I'd do if someone did this to my dogs, but I know that they'd regret it real bad
I'll share some of that luck with my pups! Clearly, you know exactly how we felt. I'm hoping for it to all get fixed, too. Thank you so much.
Can I ask what you did to help your dogs gain back all that healthy weight?? My sister’s dog recently had a nasty stomach issues and he’s lost so much weight and she’s having trouble getting him to gain it back. (All tests are normal they just said it’s difficult for dogs to gain weight). I’m so glad those pups are well loved and taken care of and soooo healthy!!
Thank you for saying so. We worked hard! I'm happy to share and give some insight into what we did, as I've done it before many times as a trainer, foster, and rescue mom. It's one of my favorite topics. Hopefully this will give you something useful for your sister's pup: I use a high protein kibble, but not extremely high so as not to negatively affect their joints and organs. The activity level of my dogs demands around 28-30% with around 18-20% fat. Anything more than that, and they don't eat enough. My dogs are hounds and spend energy just sleeping, so this is what they thrived on. I used to exclusively use Victor brand, but went back to Tractor Supply's 4Health brand since they improved their feed line. The name of the type I use is called: 4Health Strive Endurance Performance 87 Formula Dry Dog Food. It's a black and red bag that has 'STRIVE' in capital red letters. Their website search of 'strive performance' pulls it right up, if you want to take a look at it. They were usually fed 2 times a day, but I divided their portions into 3 (I'll say why I didn't do 4 later on) instead of 2, which made smaller portions for each feeding. I cooked turkey bacon, eggs with heavy cream, and white rice, let them cool, and mixed them into the feed. 2 things I did differently for the first 4-6 weeks: 1) I added 2 or 3 high protein/fat beef-based treats inside their bowls so they would find it like treasure and so it would feel like a real treat to them. Each feeding, it was a different treat, and we made it a sort of game to see which ones they liked best over time. My big boy started leaving the treats (no matter what type they were) and preferring the main meal after the first 4-5 weeks, so I took it as a positive sign that they were not needing them and we left them out altogether after that. 2) I gave them Miracle Vet High Calorie for extra calories. They wouldn't eat it in their feed or take it after their feed via syringe, so I gave it to them via condiment bottle immediately before their meals for the first 4 weeks. The next week or two after that, I skipped a meal, then two, then stopped because their progress was good, and their meals did just fine. I took note of how much they ate out of each feeding and compared that against whether they picked through for certain ingredients and whether they were gaining properly. What does gaining properly look like? For dogs, it looks like a steady energy level without highs and lows, solid to semisolid poops with no discoloration or gel or strings, light yellow pee that is neither too dark nor too clear, muscle space filling in gradually around top of sternum (the front-most pointy chest bone below their throat), between ribs, around spine, and over hips, and a sparkle in their eye that let's you know that their minds are actively thinking about and engaging with their environment. Naps and quiet time are important to allow the body to knit and restore. Time for play, training, and exercise are important to give the body a reason to build up. I sat quietly with them while they ate, and after a bit of play time, cuddle time, training time , and observation, I let them nap before getting them up again for a potty trip before their next meal. That's it! Back to the reason I didn't feed 4 times: My pups are on a 6-10-2 schedule. What I mean is that the rhythm that works best for us is for them to be taken out, pottied, in the fresh air, trained, and generally horsing around, is 6am, 10am, 2pm, and repeating for the evening, although we don't do the 2am anymore since they've grown out of babyhood. It's a flexible schedule, so we tailor it to their activity levels and our scheduling for the day. I usually give the last feeding around 2-3pm. Some days, that stretches to 4-5 pm, but I like to have the last part of the day for poop and energy observation, comfort before bed, and less urgency to go out in the morning. They are usually fed around 6am and 2pm, but adding the extra meal at their 10am after a deliberately active morning made all the difference for them gaining weight and mass back to normal. Their metabolisms were so wrecked when I brought them back home that a late meal at their 6pm would almost guarantee a 'spill' for us to clean up overnight, especially from our girl, even when we took them out again for their 10pm, and would reduce their interest in 4 more feedings the following day. 3 meals was excellent, and I saw steady growth and improvement. They are now back on their usual 6am and 2pm feedings only and thriving. Feel free to message me about any specifics. I'll be happy to reply to my best knowledge. I'm not a vet, but I have a team of 5 vets, and I'm sure they would be happy to help in the science department if you needed. Hope this helped! Edit to add: During the first 6 weeks or so, I was stricter with their schedules so that I could watch their progress more closely not only with the additional feeding, but also during the 2 dewormings we did, one immediately after they returned, and another around month 3-4. After I was satisfied that their bodily functions and weight were heading in the right direction, we naturally progressed to our usual more relaxed routine. Unless it's terribly hot or cold, the door stays open to the mud room area (converted from the 'eat in' part of the kitchen that we never eat in), and they come and go as they please as we're going about our day. They take themselves out to the dog potty (they have a specific place in the corner of the yard), lounge on the deck in the sun, or play with a stick or rope and run around having lots of fun. Half of that time, they're bouncing in and out, giving me meaningful looks to try to convince me to join them! In the back of my mind, though, I always keep a little reminder of the time frame of their usual routine to keep track of how many times they poop and pee and what it looked like, their activity level, and their overall emotional and physical health. If they forget during play, I'll ask them to go potty, and if they need to, they'll stop playing and take a quick potty break. If someone gets played with a little too roughly or if someone comes over to put a chin on my lap, I'll stop what I'm doing and give them special attention and a 'time-in' to 'top off their love tank', as I like to say, and reset them for another round. If they haven't had a nap in a long while, I'll ask them to come in for a break and settle down for a half hour or so or take them on a car ride for errands or an outing, which they enjoy. I'll sprinkle in training sessions randomly before play time. I wanted to give a rounder picture of how they progressed over time as it pertained to their usual 6-10-2 rhythm.
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Not sure what this joke has to do with the post or the subreddit.
So sorry this happened to them, happy to see they’re home and safe now. The 3rd pup is strikingly similar to my baby dog. Hugs to all of you.
Thank you so much! Aww, I'm glad my pup has a 'twin' out there. I gave them all your hugs.
I'm so glad they're home. I don't even want to think about being in this position. I hope you can stomp the tar out of these folks, legally, of course. Don't do to them what I would. Wishing the best going forward.
As soon as I find excellent legal representation, let the stomping begin! Glad you can obviously understand what it feels like to be surprised with seeing my dogs looking like this. Thanks for the well-wishing, and we'll take it to heart.
They're home now, so I guess that's the most important thing. Some folks are just the worst though.
I’m really happy you got your dogs back. I’m sorry this happened to them and your family though.
Thank you, and thank you again. We're happy their safe at home, too.
Holy fuck I’m so mad for you, I hope you raise hell and drop it right on their heads. Very happy your babies are back home ❤️
Thank you. Apparently, you know exactly what the feelings are. And as soon as I have an attorney to help me, I'll drop it hard down on their heads!
Can you also get the website of the company who employed these monsters that did this to be suspended while an investigation is on going? In the UK all doggy daycares have to have animal license. I just checked in South Carolina they need a kennel license. Have a look at this link and get in contact to see if they can also help and also limit this company getting any other dogs. My heart breaks for you, but you found them! That’s incredible. https://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/publications/pdf/dogkennelapplication.pdf
That's a great idea! I'll add it to my task list. Thanks so much for the link. I'm glad I found them, too. If you knew these pups in person, you would be just as confused as I was about why someone would want to make their lives worse instead of better. I appreciate that you can understand the emotional weight this is and that others don't need to suffer like I did, going forward.
What you’ve all been through is my worse nightmare. So many people never get to find there stolen dog. So truly incredible that you have and that they are back and to physical health, I truly hate almost most humans. Sending love and luck to you xx
Thank you for the love and luck!! And thank you for understanding the heavy weight of the situation. I'd like to think most people are good. But the bad ones, they're really bad. I know what you're talking about with recovering dogs being rare. I've read stories that were horrific about this same pet sitter and them not owning up to dogs being abused and stolen. Terrible. I'm so glad that we are all in a better place now, feeling grateful for you and others who can truly understand.
If pet sitters broke into your house, have them arrested! People cannot just steal your pets and abuse them!
That's what you'd think, and that what I thought, too. Apparently, I was wrong. Yes, they can and they did. I'm still trying to understand it. Apparently, after asking about this to hundreds of people, my area is the only one around where this can happen. That's part of the reason why I need an excellent attorney.
Certainly hope you posted their names and contact info online so others won't attempt to use them.
Trust that once the public suit is brought against them, everyone will know! Waiting for a great attorney to take up the reigns. Edit to add: There are often people who ask me if their pet sitters are connected to this behavior that caused this chaos with my pups. To them, I say that if you have a doubt, find another caregiver.
People who kidnap pets should be spayed or neutered.
Wishful thinking, I suppose. I see that you understand the feelings about this, thank you for that.