You are in an awkward situation, my advice is just eat humble pie, say no more and put this sit down to experience. A bad one was going to happen eventually
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Absolutely right! There will always be negative experiences to contend with. Despite this unfortunate situation, it’s also quite eye opening.
CGC is Canine Good Citizen which is a certification for dogs who have passed a 10 skill test administered by AKC approved trainer. Link for context: https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
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I appreciate everyone’s input. So glad I found this forum, and I’ll definitely be using it more often!
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Situations like this fully endorse why HO naturally prefer repeat sitters. Hope it ends well for you
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I don’t understand why hosts would choose a sitter with such reviews. If it were my pet and my home, there’d be no way they’d get a sit. I’d rather pay, find someone I know to swap sitting with or not go.
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Out of interest, what made you choose this particular sitter?!?
My home-owner’s perspective mainly echoes what others have said:
- it would be reasonable to curtail this sit (contacting THS) if you are able to return home or arrange an alternative
- if not, assume your pets are otherwise being looked after, just sit tight until the end of the sit
AND I would add - make sure you include this in your review of them, so future home-owners can be forewarned.
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Yes, it is quite surprising that such sitters still manage to get new sits. But for some HOs it may not matter much, when they believe that they do not have many rules or when they think they do not need much communication.
HOs may also not be aware how rare it is with a string of such reviews.
And then when it is the only applicant. And there is not much time left…
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Yup, some folks are willing to take risks even with red flags.
I don’t recommend that approach unless you’re willing to deal with unnecessary grief.
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@dogshenanigans I would say the sitters are entirely responsible if anything happens with a child who they have not been authorised to bring on the sit! It is underhand of them to have done this and you should definitely reference this in your review. THS will not be helpful- no point informing them. This is between you and the sitter.
You have not authorised the child to be on the sit or to walk your dog. You are not responsible for its welfare with your dog or if anything happens in your house. The sitter is responsible.
End of.
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Legally, in some (many, most?) jurisdictions that is not true, I believe.
Legal liability is not always the same as moral responsibility.
And in legal discussions, “end of” takes much longer 
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In the U.S., there might be default liability in some cases if something happens at your home, unfortunately. The legal complications are potentially messy enough to make it undesirable to risk a sitter who makes crummy decisions on your behalf. And in the U.S., insurers often have wide latitude to drop your coverage, which can make it problematic for a homeowner to maintain a mortgage, for example.