Seems there must be some local dog walker, dog sitter, doggy daycare that could help out.
You might call the local vet office and see if someone there could help.
Seems there must be some local dog walker, dog sitter, doggy daycare that could help out.
You might call the local vet office and see if someone there could help.
Greetings,
As @Silversitters stated…this is NOT a problem the OP should be worried about!!! This is an example of someone trying to be too nice (@1gypsygurl), and somehow, it will backfire on her.
It is frustrating to read on some of these forums the problems created by sitters AND HO that are completely unwarranted.
If the host changed the flight, the other sit shouldn’t suffer. OP should let the host that changed the flight figure it out!
I so appreciate your thoughtful and kind ideas! It gives me additional thought as to how this can be resolved. Helpful feedback is so much better than condemnation. Kindness is contagious thank you for spreading it. I wish you well~
Read overlapping sits. This just happened to me . Someone in the forum posted they needed help contacting a homeowner in the same city their sit was in but overlapped, so i contacted the homeowner well i had to apply giving them the information that Someone in their area is interested in that sit but couldn’t apply because day over lapped.
One additional idea—if this would be possible/feasible—take the current dog with you to the next Sit. When the current Owners get home, they can come and get the dog.
I hate the thought that any animals might suffer due to a change in flights!
@1gypsygurl So basically, the pet parents at one of your back-to-back sits needs you there for an extra day? You’ve communicated this to both sets of hosts and are now personally attempting to find a sitter for the extra day? And the pet parents who have added the day are okay with this?
As others have said, sitters cannot contact other sitters (unless you have a dual membership) and, to be fair, have you considered the responsibilities of appointing a sitter on behalf of absent pet parents? Split sits carry their own risks (how to prove which sitter did what, or how the property was left by the first or the second sitter).
Your willingness to solve a problem not of your own making is commendable, but perhaps carries a degree of risk, which will be attributable to you and you alone.
I also doubt very much that you’ll find a local sitter who is prepared to do a one day sit under these circumstances, and who is available. The pet parent’s best bet, in my opinion, is to organise paid sitters or call on the help of a friend, neighbour or relative. Hopefully they should have nominated an emergency contact in their Welcome Guide, who can sort this out?
I think it is nice of @1gypsygurl to try and help out but I also agree that it could backfire.
@1gypsygurl, I think whatever solution you offer you should keep your agreement with the second HO (and the first, of course), so any outside or supplementary help should be to help the first owner with the unexpected overtime and should be directly asked and accepted by them even if you help by giving suggestions or mediating somehow. The owner can list an extra day, you can’t.
Don’t forget the third party policy.
**With the other pet parent’s permission, of course. It sounds as if you’re communicating well with everyone anyway, so this might prove a solution if you have generous and understanding hosts. Of course, much depends on the type of pets you’re caring for and how they get on with other animals in the home.
The response given by @silversitters is entirely dead-on and I would encourage you to consider it again. I believe the expression is ‘don’t shoot the messenger’. I understand your innate desire to help but it is the responsibility of the HO who modified their dates. Well wishes~
Hi @1gypsygurl
If I am the one you are referring to as not being helpful and condescending, I do apologize. My message isn’t meant to be a condemnation towards you. My apology for that.
I do stand by my comments and now your response has triggered a response from me.
Reading the forums and seeing fallout from members bending over backwards is very frustrating as it seems to backfire more than it does not. Your intentions are good, and if everything works out well in the end, that is great. But a lot can go wrong and I don’t think you are seeing that.
You run a risk of getting in the middle of something not going right and the HO you inconvenience won’t necessarily care about your intentions, especially if you have peoples animals in the middle of all this.
You have a lot of great advice from members on here, put it on the owners to contact the other sitters in The Springs. It seems communication is something you excel at. The HO can simply change the dates so all is “kosher” so to speak.
But trust me, if something goes wrong and now you have animals that are being unattended to properly, both the HO won’t care about your intentions, only what happened. They will likely take it out on you, rightfully so.
I am just advising by doing this, you risk a bad experience and you didn’t create this possible mess. Let the home owner that changed their flight fix the problem they created, helping them is a good idea but don’t BE the fixer. The HO is not your friend, your child, your neighbor or anyone else important at this point. Protect yourself and the sit you are SUPPOSED to be acting as the primary on.
I hope this makes sense. I trust all will end well. Best of luck.
Hi @Stefano. @Cuttlefish is correct: you can end a sit and start another one on the same day. I have done it.
The OP wouldn’t be the fixer — she’s looking for someone else to do free pet sitting for nothing in return. If such a person exists, they’d be doing the fixing.
100% agree. If you agree to extend the first sit YOU will have agreed an overlap, which you cannot physically achieve (as cannot be in 2 places at once). Appointing another sitter for a day - if indeed you can do it - is assuming all responsibility for that decision. It is really not a decision which is yours to make IMHO.
@1gypsygurl even if you find a sitter who is willing and available to do this , how do you know that the host will be happy with this solution?
The host should be the ones reaching out to the sitter as this is a stranger coming to their home to take care of their pets . The two need to talk directly . Hosts can contact any sitter so it’s quite straightforward for them to do and if you want to point them in the direction of a sitter you think would be suitable that’s fine .
keep in mind that this interim care of the pets and home by another sitter will not be covered by THS . Unless it is an official confirmed sit agreed and confirmed on both the hosts and the other sitters dashboard - which would have to include an overnight stay .
It also could break the third party rules if you invite the sitter directly - as sitters can’t invite third parties to the home without permission from the owners .
I see there is already a big discussion about overlapping sits, but this is not about that. This is about the fact that THS makes themselves an obstacle to communication.
During discussions with HOs I always want to know what their travel plans are both for start day and end day. That way I can make my plans to ensure the pets are completely covered. But when the corporation takes the heavy-handed approach of blocking communication under the guise of protection it serves no one. Others have put forward scenarios where perhaps a short overlap might work, say when two sitters are involved, but why is THS preventing sitters and HOs from making their own decisions?
I just feel that the ability to communicate when both parties are serious about agreeing to a sit should be available. Some HOs would like a sitter to arrive early but some “cut it close” — one of our favourites sits is for a family we have never met! Coming or going! But that has worked five times for us as it will next month. Blocking communication is never an answer.
I was replying to the above part of your post (as was @Cuttlefish). You could apply and then communicate in your example.
Yep, that overlapping sits post is worthy of a read. A very controversial company decision indeed
You have a kind heart . I absolutely would have done that but they are several hours apart geographically.
Thank you!
Thank you for your input. It’s actually that the first sit’s overseas flight has moved to arrive late evening when it was originally earlier which originally worked. I spoke with both HO’s and we’re trying to split the difference so neither doggo is left alone too long and meals can be accommodated. Everyone is being very sweet and are collectively trying to do the best for all concerned. Sit two is completely comfortable with me finding a better solution if possible. I originally had a friend who was going to fill in and now has experienced a traumatic death in the family so I’m just trying to fill the gap.
Honesty, reaching out in the forum was my way of tapping into a community of people who can most likely relate to “life happening” despite all of the best attempts to plan the contingencies. I wish we could have more access to one another (for those who would be interested) so we can collaborate and support each other beyond a forum)
I would absolutely help out another THS in a jam if I was available at the time and I suspect many of you would as well.
Sorry for the lengthy response. I appreciate you!!
It feels like such an easy fix: the HO who changed their plans needs to find someone to walk/feed their dog on the last half of the last day. If they don’t have a neighbor/friend then they should look at local dog walking services, including sites like Rover. I’ve used Rover and local walkers numerous times in multiple cities. It’s pretty simple. The HO should have multiple options at all times.
The fact you would reach out to strangers and ask them to “fill in” for something with zero compensation or equitable exchange is a bit alarming. Behavior like that is creating the concept that THS is not equitable exchange but on-call free labor. It might be a win for you and this particular HO but it’s a lose for the THS community as a whole.