How could you be in an apartment in a major city in North America without good plumbing? That sounds strange.
@Huronbase It’s a first for me too. Would’ve made sense if the water had been shut off completely across the whole complex temporarily for maintenance, but that wasn’t the case here.
The phrase “slum landlord” springs to mind.
This sounds like martyr complex. If that’s your POV, then you’re essentially going to have to ride out any sit that hosts trick you into.
@buttercup I am wishing for a thumbs down icon. You are getting some serious flak for being a kind person. I for one do not believe you suffer from martyr syndrome, not that I would be qualified to judge. Too much judging already.
Onward!
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Why, thank you - what a gift to receive such civilized conclusions, floating in from nowhere.
And my apologies for not reacting to your first comment…
How fortunate we all are, to have you generously pouring out so much - never missing a chance. Your shoulders must be heavier than mine, carrying all that weight of wisdom.
So… I guess, in that context, bless your heart, my fellow martyr. We’ve earned our crosses, haven’t we⛪️
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It’s not really in fashion anymore, is it?
Are fairly unbothered by petty attempts at insults from strangers… often find them quite entertaining, actually.
Still, imagine if all that anger and insecurity were put into something useful -they’d be rich, or at least interesting, by now.
But hey, everyone needs an outlet
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Just reading this thread. You had a truly awful experience and possibly in shock or despair attempted to make the best of it. Sometimes a horrible experience can also be ‘interesting’ in terms of what we learn….there’s something about this that’s so awful it makes us all into voyeurs maybe…
So what can we learn?
- It’s extremely difficult to fully assess the situation during a brief handover… who checks the shower whilst the HOs are leaving? I know I don’t…
- We all think we can manage most situations, and find a working solution especially for a short sit. You found a way to cope, but it’s causing lingering grief and angst so the pain of the sit doesn’t stop when you leave. I continue to recall with horror my 1st sit (sleep deprived sitting a puppy!)
- That there’s a lack of ‘ease of use’ about what to do in this situation…I mean the THS systems. You’ve already had experience which understandably colours your decision making.
- You’ve brought up interesting questions leading to some thoughtful caring responses (and some quite frankly unhelpful name calling, shame on them.)
- Finally it further reinforces my personal belief that assertiveness is difficult at times, it’s somehow easier to battle on and see it out than walk away …. you did pretty ok in dreadful circumstances. Best wishes.
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I agree.
@buttercup, you have a good heart, keep doing you, especially when faced with these really heart breaking situations. Poor doggo 
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This is a reminder about our kindness guidelines:
Let’s keep TrustedHousesitters a friendly place for everyone. Respect is key. We love discussions, but let’s keep them kind, respectful and non-judgmental.
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Wow. Just wow. I am honestly gobsmacked at some of the situations HO’s leave for sitters to deal with (and I’m an HO). So sorry you had this experience.
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WOW, what a nightmare. Your Sunday school teachings did right by you & your “moral compass”. Also, I am impressed by your writing acumen & wit that made me laugh. Have you considered stand-up when you’re THSitting? SMILES, FPM (Fairy PetMother)
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Thank you 
You’ve indeed captured the whiplash of it all. True, once you sense that something feels “off,” there’s no right playbook. You’re processing in real time while trying to manage the situation, avoid leaving a living creature in the lurch, and somehow also stay clean without a proper shower.
I was this close to burning my shoes and everything after being there, pretty sure the Uber driver asked me five times how my day was before I even registered he was talking to me It lingers because it’s all so surreal.
Yes, even if I had decided to terminate after the first night, I’d still have needed to give 24 hours’ notice. So, was essentially going to leave around that time anyway.
Lesson learned: From now on, checking if the shower works, even if staying in Versailles😅
And if I ever encounter another situation where someone postponing meeting me beforehand, I’ll be keeping my luggage at the hotel or using the Stasher app.
That’ll (1) definitely make that person nervous and think twice about whether I actually intend to stay there or not, (2) provide a natural, very obvious opening for them to do a proper walkthrough - something they should have done from the beginning instead of postponing.
If they haven’t been transparent, especially about something as basic as the shower - I’ll be able to turn around and leave on the spot, before it even begins. Voluntary, right?
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Thank you, that’s really sweet, appreciate it❤ Most of the times, it’s been very lovely. This just wasn’t one of those times.
Found out by accident that the dog had severe liver disease on top of everything else. As @Garfield mentioned, it really is about letting this sweet creature find peace and pass the rainbow bridge.
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Indeed❤ Haven’t thought about switching careers, but I have roasted people on television - though in a slightly different format than Comedy Central😅 That said, if I ever run into these hosts again, it could easily end in a very rare ‘Sunday roast’… but it’d be completely wasted. They’re operating from a different planet.
Appreciate your words (and humor) thank you😊
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Thanks for letting us know about your horrendous sit. So sorry this happened to you. It just boggles my mind that a HO would leave a home in that condition and not only that, leave a very sick dog. That just breaks my heart.
Our previous dog got cancer and went downhill pretty fast. When you are around them 24-7, it’s hard to see certain things. We had a vacation scheduled a few years ago in April and in late March we noticed something wasn’t right. He ate no problem and didn’t have problems going to the bathroom. Long story short, we had to put him down right before our trip because the vet didn’t think he would make it until we got home. It was very hard for us, but there is no way I would have left our beloved dog to a sitter in this condition and this was a sitter who was family. Forget doing that to a stranger!
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Thank you, that means a lot, and I hope you found a resolution with your situation too. Your city is absolutely mesmerizing, definitely in my top 3 cities in Europe, so beautiful😊
Yes, things can clearly go horrible wrong. Already have a friendly header on my profile asking people to please give it a read before reaching out (especially since many just check the reviews and skip the rest).
Really shouldn’t be necessary to also ask that the general Terms be read and followed… but I suppose there are people - on both sides - who slip through the net during the membership process. Thankfully, there are a very easy solution for that too.
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Thank you so much for your kind words. So sorry about your dog, its such an incredibly hard decision, but also the responsible one.
That’s what I keep coming back to as well - they knew their pet was in such pour condition, yet chose to leave him with a stranger to go camping off-grid. That’s beyond what I’d consider basic decency.
I’ve been through something similar with my own elderly pet. Letting her go after so many years was devastating, like losing a family member, but was the right thing to do.
I took time away afterwards.
The best thing you can do for yourself is leave after. The worst thing you can do to your pet is leave during.
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What a nightmare. You have a lot more fortitude than I would have, to stick it out – even for that short time. It sounds like, at least, when you weren’t cleaning up, that poor dog would have received some kindness from you, which maybe he didn’t get much of from his owners.
Cheers for the Sunday school hours that gave you a heart to serve like that… but sadly, sometimes we just get taken advantage of when we try to be nice.
I hope the memory of this awful sit will soon be muted by some much nicer ones. I also hope you’ll let us know what came of it in the end – member dispute, did they get kicked off TH, were the people reported to the SPCA and child services, etc.
Wishing you better travels in the future.
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As a home.owner/pet parent, I am absolutely livid for you. I simply cannot imagine treating a sitter this way. We do everything possible to make sure our home is comfortable and welcoming.
(Post edited by the Forum Team to comply with the Community Rules).
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