Pet Parent here… quick question… I appreciate that Sitters have to provide certain documents in order to become THS ‘Sitters’, but is this checked each year at membership renewal incase the person has moved house etc? Also, do Sitters have to provide THS admin with next-of-kin emergency contact details too?
Basically, our second Sitter went AWOL during the sit (a few months ago) leaving our very distressed dog alone for hours. Dog alerted neighbours by barking for hours (she’s not a barker in general), who had to use emergency keys to gain access and remove dog. We immediately contacted THS emergency number (it was midnight UK time, 2am our holiday time). We and THS could not make contact with Sitter for a considerable length of time. We were all concerned something awful had happened to her. She eventually made contact to say she was returning to our house (5am) and would not leave dog alone again.
What concerned us was the fact that had something happened to her (single female travelling around world) THS had no other details in terms of her next of kin.
I’ve been a sitter member for years and there is a ‘safety & security’ page in my profile that I completed when signing up. It includes an emergency contact name, relationship, and phone number. TH does note - “We would only get in touch with your emergency contact if we can’t reach you. Please let them know you have provided us with their details.”
But as a traveler (whether sitting or not) there is always a risk that something might happen. If I were staying in hotels or airbnbs, there would be no emergency contact info other that what is in my wallet or on my phone.
As a US citizen I can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). But that is more about my safety. I have registered and entered my info when I’ve traveled in
some places but never have received any notifications.
STEP allows you to register your travel dates and destinations, receive customized email alerts and updates from the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and provides your contact information to help the State Department contact you and your emergency contacts in case of an emergency.
THS did collect emergency contact information, but I was not asked to update it during the renewal process. I have started providing the HO with an emergency contact and leave HO contact info with my husband or daughter. I started doing this after traveling to a sit that involved several hours of driving through inclement weather with spotty cell service. If I were in an accident, my family would most likely be notified and could alert the HO so they could make alternate arrangements.
@Bumblesmum, welcome to THS Forum. Gosh that’s awful.
For context, we can’t recall a single instance of such an occurrence on the THS Forum so it is presumably rare.
It seems your post relates to a housesit a few months ago so pet care is not an active issue.
THS has a “Member Dispute” process that can be initiated by either pet parent or housesitter. The protocol and information for this process is specific (see below). Under this protocol, THS investigates allegations of breaches to its terms and has the authority to discipline a member, terminate membership or presumably other action as it deems appropriate.
This is a really good point. Accidents can happen, car or otherwise. As sitters we always have another point of contact, but who would know if something happened to us? Really something to consider.
As a sitter, I alway carry a card in my wallet, next to my identification with the following details:
“I’m currently dog/cat sitting for, names of homeowners, at - I list the address.
Please contact-homeowners/their emergency contact person with all relevant phone numbers, in case of an emergency.
I also included my emergency contact as well as the THS information.
I started doing this a few years ago after thinking, what if I’m in some sort of accident and first responders have no idea where I’m staying and that I’m taking care of someone’s pet.
I’ve never shared emergency contact info with homeowners but THS has that information.
as a solo sitter, I love this advice. I will do the same. currently I post on Facebook on a regular basis, photos of me and whichever dog out and about, but for HO security, nobody knows exactly where I am. It makes sense to do what you do.
And –
remember there are some free data fields in the SOS emergency call feature on the iphone lock page. The same feature is on Android phones - search for emergency or safety and enter the data.
To setup or edit on iphone -
In settings search for and open the Health app - white background with a red heart in the top right corner. In the middle of the page open Medical ID.
On the next page be sure that “Show When Locked” and “Share During Emergency Call” are selected.
Then you can enter ID info, emergency contacts, meds, and at the bottom - Notes where you can enter info about your current sit, etc. This can all be updated at any time.
If TV shows -police/fire/etc procedurals are accurate, people are now looking at the phone for information and this information can be accessed from the lock screen.