@Ken I am ALWAYS vigilant around a home when sitting. E.g. a recent sit, I was checking in a shed where the pool chlorinator was and noticed that there was water leaking onto the ground. I obviously looked into it as it was a long sit and turned out the chlorinator had actually shat itself and needed replacing ASAP. I notified the owners and they organised and paid for a new one and it was installed and this prevented what could have turned into a green, horrible pool in a hot Australian summer.
I always check things generally, a housesit is my responsibility whilst on my watch and I’ve had quite a few things happen that needed addressing, things that just “happen” with everyday wear and tear. I treat a HO’s home as I do my own and am always vigilant and considerate and always on watch for any problems that may occur. Just like yourself, if you saw a little fire but maybe not likely to turn into anything else, you would still address it. You know where I’m coming from You really should have been a barrister!
My wife was a Lawyer, does that count? As for your vigilance that is exactly what I would want from a sitter. it is, as I have said, why sitters have no constraints whatsoever when looking after the cats.
Well I think your wife’s influence has rubbed off on you, that’s not a bad thing by the way! At least we are on common ground now. Enjoy your new sitters
Leaving pets without a fallback is inexcusable. What if the HO’s return had been delayed? Was there an emergency contact? If so, then the sitter had no excuse to just leave a note. If you didn’t leave an emergency contact or that person was unavailable, that’s something I’d suggest addressing with fallbacks in future.
It also would be inexcusable for a sitter to not tell the HO if a pet was developing some kind of ulcer on its face or anywhere visible.
About the leakage: If it were me, I would’ve looked underneath. But some people are oblivious or timid about “permission.” Or maybe inexperienced.
Bigger picture, I’d suggest never storing anything valuable or not waterproof under a water heater, water tank or such to begin with. That seems like a bad idea even if you’re not traveling.
In the U.S., storage under a water tank would be super weird. Most building codes require the water heater/tank to be on the ground or a solid concrete platform of some sort, strapped in, to avoid detaching the gas or electric connection. I mention that in case the sitter was from another country and didn’t know to look into your setup.
If I had been the HO, I would have arranged video calls as soon as the sitter had notified me of the leak. I would have been talking with “my” builder. I would have had another video call with the sitter after the builder had repaired damage. I would not have been unaware that the carpet had been flooded.
Hi Ken. To address the points you’ve made while playing Devil’s Advocate: 1) Our builder (who is also a friend) said he would clear the cupboard out and try to dry out some of the items but the sitter said they would do it, so he left it. By the way, we’re only talking about one cupboard here, which contains the boiler and all our damaged items so there was no need to ‘pry’, it was all there in front of them. 2) We have WhatsApp messages from the sitter saying they were looking forward to seeing us when we got home and sharing a meal together 3) We gave the sitter two telephone numbers of neighbours who would have been happy to help out with any problem or emergency. They were not contacted. No one knew our cat and dog were shut in on their own, so what if something had happened to us and we never arrived? 4) Even if the sitter had been really sick, why not WhatsApp us to warn us? We had been communicating regularly on WhatsApp and they had both our mobile numbers.
We sent a message to the sitter saying how disgraceful it was to leave our pets alone without letting anyone know and that we had reported this to THS. The sitter responded with what was basically a rant, saying they hated sitting for THS, hated the UK, didn’t care what we did, had a right to leave if they wanted to and would look after number one (I guess that means them.) So whilst I appreciate there are always two sides to a story, I think in this case the story is really as cataclysmic as it first appears! We have forwarded the rant to THS, and I hope this results in a permanent suspension as I would hate anyone else to have this person in their home.
Yes, two emergency contacts, neither of which were used. Also we were always contactable.
The boiler is in a cupboard with storage underneath so everything was on view
The water damage was annoying but what was unforgiveable was the neglect of our pets
Yes, totally agree about your pets or anyone else’s pets. This sitter should never be trusted with a living creature if they have such poor judgment or are so callous.
Well it’s nice to have some clarity! You didn’t say in your first post that the sitter had said he would clear out the cupboard, as reported by the builder! The sitter said they were looking forward to welcoming you back and sharing a meal, its very odd that they then appear to have turned very ‘anti’ and left. They did say they were sick but from your tone you obviously don’t believe them. It is also apparent that the dog wasn’t left too long alone or he would have soiled the house. There has been , in my view, a breakdown of communication that has led to acrimony. You have posted your side of the story but I would like to hear the other side! Two sides to every story! Forwarding your complaint doesn’t make it accurate!
This isn’t court or even a mock trial. None of us will ever get both sides here and that’s not the expectation at all. If what folks post isn’t credible to you and you don’t have anything useful to share with them, it’s perfectly fine to skip the thread.
I’m not sure why you feel the need to comment on my original post and frankly I don’t care. What happened, happened. It was unpleasant, unexpected and thankfully THS have taken appropriate action after having seen the sitter’s posts (unlike you of course.)
I dont know if sitter quality is getting worse or just reported more but as a sitter THS do very little in the way of ‘checks’ other than to confirm our identity. It really is on HO to do all they can to ensure they are picking someone who will be as good as they say they are. Ultimately anyone can sign up to THS and of course they want as many ppl as possible to do so. Curious whether this sitter had done previous sits or was new to site?
I’m sorry but I don’t agree. I will vet and decide who is suitable to look after my pets. You seem to want to put that responsibility on to others. I decide who will come to my house and look after it and my pets, no one else! It is your responsibility.
Ken, all these posts will be one sided. That’s because even though there are two sides, that will never appear here. So makes sense for you to skip such threads if so.
Maggie8K,
Yes, posts will be from an individuals point of view, I understand that. Many posters have varied views on a range of subjects, from home care to pet care some I agree with and some I don’t but I don’t question them. We all have opinions. What has happened though in a couple of postings is the strong criticism of sitters which often is supported by several other posters. It is a public forum after all and I think it only fair that alternative opinion is also voiced. The sitters concerned may be completely ‘innocent’ of the accusations levelled at them, that should concern everyone. If I had a complaint regarding anyone I would do it privately through THS and not do it vindictively on a forum. Thanks for the advice anyway!
There is a lot to learn here for both sitters and owners.
For owners:
What is a sitters experience with caring for a house?
Why didn’t the person who was sent in to address the problem with the roof look for water in the cabinet? Was he asked to? Was the area easily visible and accessible? Could the sitter have been advised by you to check? I’ve been caring for homes for many decades. They are all different. They have their quirks. I hunt water problems down but I have a LOT of experience with water intrusion living in hurricane alley. Water incursions rarely happens instantly. They typically leak in small amounts over time. This could have been preexisting. There may have been room for better instruction once the sitter notified you of the issue.
What is the emergency plan in the event that a sitter has to leave? Certainly no sitter should leave unless there is an absolute emergency. And always with notification to the HO. But I’d leave a sitter with a trusted contact or boarding facility for emergency use. Sounds like you did in this situation. My last sit we had agreed that I would leave prior to the HOs return and that her family would check on the dog. Good plan no stress.
For sitters:
Part of what you need to know from the ho is the emergency plan should you have to leave for an emergency. Who to call who can assume care. No excuses for not initiating that plan if you had to leave unless you are unconscious.
Don’t forget you have vets available at THS and you should always have a vets number while at a sit if you’re unsure whether or not the pet needs attention. Your hands should be on the pets every day so that you can access their wellness.
It’s a shame we can’t hear from the sitter. There are always two sides to every story.
No, I mean the sitters in situations you described are anonymous — the HOs aren’t identifying them. THS moderators wouldn’t let them, even if the HOs wanted to.
You really should have been a barrister! 
