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An Oakland, California couple used a popular petsitting app to find a sitter for their dog. Just hours after dropping the beloved pup off with the sitter, he was dead.
Emily and Christian Pelipada used a popular app called DogVacay to find a sitter for their 6-year-old dog, Pippen while they took a trip to Chicago to visit family. Just hours after dropping Pippen off on August 10, they received a call. Pippen had died along with another dog after both were left in a hot car parked outside of a dog park.
The petsitter, contacted by NBC Bay Area, refused to comment, though they may be facing animal cruelty charges in connection with the deaths of both dogs. DogVacay issued a statement of condolences and removed the sitter from their app.
The Pelipadas, who had Pippen since he was only 8-weeks old, are devastated and lost. They want someone to be held accountable, of course, and they also want to warn other pet parents about using DogVacay or other similar apps to find petsitters.
Just last June, a Massachussetts man hired another sitter through DogVacay only to have his dog severely abused and neglected and his home burglarized while he was away.
DogVacay asserts that the sitters listed in their app must pass rigorous background checks before being listed as a service provider.
When choosing a dog sitter, always be careful to check references, ask questions, and check in frequently. Your dog’s life may depend on it.
