It’s rare but it can happen. In fact there was a post recently about HOs who gradually disclosed serious dog health issues, which significantly increased demands. The gradual nature of this disclosure included the sitters being give a long printed document on arrival with all sorts of possible situations and instructions “if x happens do y”. Far from ideal, but sitters reluctantly decided to stay, thinking they would be able to handle the situation. Once the owners had left, it turned out that even the long document had fallen quite short, the situation was unbearable and they didn’t want to abandon the dogs so it took some time to make up their minds to cancel and give owners time to find alternative care.
The legit reason may be there from the beginning but if someone decides to continue because they feel too committed to the pets and things keep adding up I think it is reasonable to say, at some point, enough is enough.
Reading this it still sounds like these sitters were so committed to the pets and responsible that they would have continued sans cooperation from the HOs.
There are genuinely good people out there, and then there are abusers.
They didn’t continue. The dog needed professional health care and supervision. I also think it was a longish sit.
You may need to read my previous posts.So once again: My sitter wrote demanding to cancel and leave from the house. THS would not respond (fast enough) if this is the case, if his demand was registered, accepted, denied, or what to do, until several hours later, possibly next morning. Have you used the emergency line for help? If not then I am not sure you can help in this part, and you have to take my word for what happened.
Anyone might discuss from his couch about more information or other subjective issues, but in such a case to me it is quite obvious you act. Or you can wait to see if the sitter changes his mind. But you would have to accept the possibility that he could have left. It seems easy to judge the outcome at the end, but the point of this forum is to provide SUBJECTIVE and GENERAL advice based on your personal experience, so you can help. Theories and other analysis do not help. The legitimate issue you raised, refers to objective (described in law related documents) but at this point I was not seeking legal advice. And I would avoid seeking legal advice in a forum. I asked the help of other forum users. So please if you have nothing to contribute and simply want more information or ask further new questions, it is not the way I would like to continue. I still have learned a lot from all the other people responing and trying to help (of course subjectively) and I am still interested in their opinions.
To be more clear:
…I have written already more than 3 times, that according to THS you cannot terminate on your own. The sitter has to agree…Please read above.
Also the word legitimate opens up more discussions that require legal knowledge. What is legitimate for you may not be the same for me, not even for THS, so lets avoid legal terms.
Also when you let someone to stay at your home, you enter in a contract with him. Before breaking this contract you need to know what laws apply. I do not. This is why asked: can I terminate? If anyone knows a procedure that would be helpful for future reference.
I used the word ‘legitimate’ simply in respect of THS published terms and conditions, which are applicable to both sitters and pet parents, and (usually) guide actions.
When the sitter contacted you in the middle of the night, was there a time difference (due to location) or was it a true emergency, at that point in time? All things to consider when deciding whether the sitter was unreasonable or truly concerned about his own welfare. Fair enough if you don’t want to disclose any wider information, but in giving just the bare bones of a scenario on here when asking for advice, it’s difficult to take a wider view and determine best advice. Or, did you simply want to know if you could cancel your sitter mid-sit?
Anyhow, hopefully this is behind you now and your pets are all okay? As previously mentioned, both you and the sitter can mention any concerns in your reviews, to alert future potential pet parents and sitters to things which didn’t go well with this sit.
…what do you mean resolved and all is well? You seem to be confusing a situation that had to come to an end (finished) with a different one (all is well and resolved) that is the one I and everyone else imagines when joining the site. No it did not go well, and there are so many people here offering their sympathies for my experience, and I really thank them. I am sorry but find extremelly rude your comment to describe all I went through that I put my best effort to describe here, as all is well and resolved.
For info, you could have taken a screenshot of the sitter’s message stating he intended to leave, and THS would have actioned a cancellation if you were in agreement. I realise this was outside normal business hours and the sitter indicated he would be leaving your pets in the morning. This is unacceptable on the sitter’s part, since no reasonable notice period was given. And it sounds as if that’s the problem here; he stated a departure time which would not allow you to make adequate alternative provision, so put you into a bit of a panic and you saw no other way but to fly home?
I’m not having a go at you here but, it’s widely recommended on here that both sitters and pet parents should have a ‘Plan B’, so that when things go wrong - as it seems was happening here - an emergency contact or third party can step in and provide alternative pet care. It sounds as if this sitter responded in on overblown way, then thought better of it and decided to stay - after causing you a lot of stress, inconvenience and expense - but what if, for example, he’d had a family emergency of his own, or suffered a sudden emergency medical issue? It’s important to think about the ‘what ifs’ and formulate a back-up plan, just in case.
Hopefully you’ll not encounter such an upsetting and stressful situation again, but better safe than sorry, in future…
Best of luck with your future sits.
You said you spoke to the sitter in person, on returning home, and he agreed to stay? So, presumably the problem situation was resolved?
What you’ve written in this thread implies you were happy for him to continue, and he did?
Wishing you the best of luck with sits, going forwards.
I’m sorry you find me ‘rude’ for assuming the situation - whatever that situation was, which prompted the sitter to contact you saying he was leaving the sit due to hygiene reasons - was ultimately resolved, since you let this sitter stay and continue caring for your animals and he agreed to do so. One might conclude if it was not resolved, you’d have terminated the sit when you returned home (as per the title of this thread).
You seem to be reading all my posts with a negative bias, so I will not contribute further to this thread. Everyone conveys and receives information differently, and I have not meant to offend you.
this is not new information, has already been explained before: Of course the message of the sitter that he wants to cancel was sent and seen by THS. In case you still believe this could change something, as mentioned several times : Still THS does not cancel a sitter that requests to cancel, automatically…Also they do not cancel fast, and absolutely not immediately. The procedure is to review the messages you proposed to be reviewed (yes this takes time), then review the situation (takes more time), they will contact both parties(when each is available, takes even more time) etc etc. One would expect to acknowledge this time-consuming procedure that does not help and even FORCES the HO without solutions, not insist on redundant details.
I am contributing my experience here, not what I think that should have been done, or what is mentioned as a rule elsewhere.
The fact that I had to find a solution with him was ALSO supported by THS as the only solution, as explained above. It does not mean all went well, it does not mean I was happy. It simply advanced the situation.
The plan B outside THS is something I did not imagine and had not prepared. Instead I fell for the cancellation policy that eases your mind in the rare case of cancellation…
In my country nothing is free, and if I have someone capable of such a help in a last minute notice, I would use him in the first place for a well planned vacation.
You are having a go at me simply asking these never ending questions about details not important to anyone. So could you, would you do something else in particular, and what?
-Contact THS : done through all channels urgent line, email, phone again the morning: no solution (still need more details?)
-WAIT for sitter to change his mind: not my choice.
-ACT: done, as I wrote all my actions above.
-other: ?
thank you.
Actually, to me it looks like you are having a go at them.
Hello everyone!
I’ve had a read through this discussion, and I think it’s run its course, as I’m a bit concerned it’s starting to get a bit personal.
There’s lots of good advice here, thank you to everyone who came to give OP some support, it’s appreciated as always!
Jenny