I agree. I’ve only been a member for not quite 2 years and even in that time I’ve seen a change in listings. This should be a mutual exchange and I think THS does have a responsibility to it’s members. It’s easy to say just scroll by listings and those of us who are experienced do so. However, people who are new, young, or inexperienced may not know better and should not be exploited as free labor. I strongly feel that THS does have obligations.
I recently saw a sit where the dog could not be left along at all. The sitter was even expected to take the dog to the grocery store (in a state where it is not legal to do so). A sit that is clearly exploitative should not be allowed. They wouldn’t even be able to hire a paid sitter for that sit because it would be in violation of labor laws (no breaks ever).
I don’t think saying to scroll by listings is sufficient. There should be some minimum standards that HOs should be made aware of by THS. Sitters are an equal part of this relationship and should be treated with respect. Some hosts do seem to think that their membership fee is paying for unlimited pet care and their fee is all they have to provide. They don’t seem to understand that they are actually paying to connect with potential sitters to work out a mutually beneficial exchange and that they have obligations on their side too.
The vast majority of my sits have been absolutely wonderful (just 2 that were bad), but I am concerned about the direction things are heading. If these sits are allowed to be listed, they can become the new normal.