I have found myself in a rather strange and difficult situation, and could really do with some help!
I had a family holiday to Greece booked for this week for my Dad’s 80th, and had lined up a sitter through the site. Two days prior, my Dad collapsed and was taken to hospital, and was subsequently declared unfit to travel. So – holiday cancelled.
I contacted the sitter and explained the situation, and as it was such short notice, said I would honour the sit as I didn’t want to leave her stranded, but the choice was hers. She said she still wanted to do the sit, so I moved out to stay at my partners – so I’m living out of a suitcase, and it’s feeling weird and awkward having someone in my house with my dog when I haven’t even gone anywhere!
Since the house sit started on Sunday, I have been asked to dog sit my own dog for two hours so she could go to a class (we had previously agreed that one, as my partner was going to do it), I have been asked to pick her and my dog up when she was unable to get my dog moving half way through a walk, and now she has asked that I take my dog out for three hours while she has a work call in my house, because she says my dog is barking excessively (hasn’t been a problem for me, or the previous sitter).
I’m inclined to tell her I’d prefer the sit to be cut short, as the situation really isn’t working out. Am I being unreasonable? Can anyone offer any advice? I’m feeling really upset about this, as I’m already inconvenienced not being able to be in my own house, while visiting my dad in hospital on a daily basis
Just end the sit. It’s your house, your pet. Be honest that you’d made a mistake in making the offer & with everything going on with your dad you need to be back on your own home. I’m a sitter & even if I was offered would never do this if the HOs plans had fallen through. We’re expected to have a plan B.
If you intend to honour the remainder of the week, I would consider covering part of the cost for her to stay in a hotel. However, given her repeated requests and apparent lack of empathy for your situation, I recommend setting a clear limit on what you’re willing to offer. You’re under no obligation to compensate her.
Keep in mind:
• The app would likely treat this as an extraordinary circumstance — any support you provide is entirely a goodwill gesture.
• It’s her decision not to take precautions such as insurance, which would typically cover situations like this.
• If she has the means to travel, she also has the means to arrange alternative accommodation — which is usually a basic requirement for any insurance claim anyway.
• If that’s not the case either, it’s a strong indication that you may not have a guest who is responsibly looking after your property, pet, or belongings — but rather someone primarily looking out for their own interests. And that’s a very big red flag.
I think this sitter is taking advantage of the situation. I find it most unusual that she is using your home but is asking you for help with the dog, which should at least be her part of the deal. I think you should have a conversation with her.
The mutual exchange is that the sitter takes care of your dog in exchange for staying in your home . If they are not able to take care of your dog then there is no longer a mutual exchange .
It is very nice of you to let her stay, it is something I too would have tried to do if possible but not at all required as it is grounds for cancelling re. the terms.
But then the sitter too need to do their end of the mutual exchange.
If it is not working for you, just end it. She has already gotten some grace from you, so no problem. Just do it on the grounds that you need to go home and for that reason the sit needs to be ended. 24 hours notice should be fine.
That really is a weird situation. It was very kind of you to allow the sitter to stay but, as a sitter myself, I wouldn’t have felt comfortable at all and would have understood you had to cancel. I agree with others, explain that you need to get back into your house.
Although at the same time, as a sitter I would not have been comfortable to suddenly be faced with finding a last minute hotel or AirBnB and the cost associated with that if a sit falls through. E.g. I work from home and with many to most places where I sit, I would not have gone there myself and forked out $$ for a hotel.
I also usually either fly or take an international train to a sit, and finding another sit at the last minute in the same location or nearby for the same period is pretty much impossible except in areas with lots of sits. Hence I would very much appreciate if the HO would let me stay.
I once had an HO change her travel plans at late notice and leave several days later. However I had already booked my flight and she accommodated me in her apartment in the guest room. Which worked out really well, cause it was actually quite fun having conversations with her at the dinner table.
Maybe you could consider whether you have a guest room where she could stay for the rest of the week. E.g. if she traveled from far, she’d be left scrambling for accommodation if her flight back is not till end of the week.
And my travel insurance would definitely not cover the cost of a hotel if a petsit is suddenly cut short.
I agree with Bluehorse regarding offering your guest room. No reason you should have to leave your own home. Unfortunate situations happen. I would also ask her to help you with the dog when you need the help. I assume this sit is for less than two weeks. Meanwhile she may find another while at your home.
I wish all the HOs were like you.
Last year I had a 4+ week sitting booked a few months before the start date.
Just less than 3 weeks before the start the HO cancelled the sitting and for sure she didn’t give me the choice that you gave to your sitter.
As I was already in the Country, I had to quickly find an alternative and it wasn’t easy.
Very easy solution, say no to any requests. A sitter is supposed to look after the pets and property while the host is gone. She is very obviously not. Ask yourself, if the holiday had not been cancelled she would have had to work out these problems on her own. So, make yourself unavailable and see what happens. If she decides to leave on her own accord because you are not helping her ….. mission accomplished
Just end the sit as others have said . She now seems to be considering you as her THS sitter with the added dimension that she has someone to mess and order around. NOt nice. so I would send a message to THS ( enclose if poss some of her messages and state you are or will end the sit early). You have more than accommodating.
Thank you all for your responses, I have really appreciated reading them and getting your points of view. It made me realise what a ridiculous situation I was in – dog sitting my own dog, for the dog sitter! And that it wasn’t a mutually beneficial arrangement at all, in fact it caused me a great deal of stress.
So I did indeed end the sit early, and have been very happy to get my home and dog back The sitter and I agreed to just ‘cancel’ the sit, although I’m not sure that’s possible. I would certainly find it very difficult leaving feedback on this one.
Thanks again everyone who responded, much appreciated.
I think that once the sit commences, you can only cancel by contacting member services. MS sent an email to both parties to confirm the cancellation was mutual before they cancelled the sit on the back-end.
As Seniorsitter and Bluehorse have said you should never have left your own home. Instead you should have said they could stay in a spare room or the sofa, if unable to find alternative accommodation. AS your holiday was cancelled you should have said at the beginning that unfortunately youn would not be travelling anywhere and if they really were unable to find alternatives they could have spare room or sofa. But she was meant to be looking after your dog and clearly she had not intended to do that, if asking you to take care of your own dog whilst she is working etc.
The sitter and I agreed to just ‘cancel’ the sit, although I’m not sure that’s possible. I would certainly find it very difficult leaving feedback on this one.