Dear Ann - I’m sorry you are not happy with THS, and as a HO primarily (I’m doing my first sit in May in Texas) I’ve had good sitters & bad, one in particular I am still debating if I should file legal action, probably not, but it was that bad. Still THS has been a life saver for me because I would not be able to help my parents who are both on hospice. I would not feel like I’m a responsible pet owner if I had to throw them in some kennel every time I left for a couple weeks or months to attend to my obligation of caring for my parents. I really like having someone here to care for my fur-babies. I do want to let you know the complaint process is not quick, my complaint is still under investigation, but I no longer see the particular sitters profile, so I think they may ban someone if they have a bad enough complaint, not sure how it works. I don’t know how refunds w/ THS happens, but I would encourage you to stick it out, your next sit maybe outstanding. My first sitter, still to this day - the best one I’ve ever had, showed me some pics & videos of sits he’s been on & OMG!!! He’s stayed in mansions & some of the most awesome accommodations in the world, he truly was a world traveler & I was so envious of all his ultra cool experiences. He planned months in advance & seemed to have some really great sits! Another of my wonderful sitters did some sitting in Spain & she ended up buying a condo there, so she ultimately found her place in the world, which she would have never done had she not taken a chance & taken those sits abroad. Anyway, just want to encourage you to give it a bit more time. Maybe try taking some shorter sits, a month seems like a long time to jump in. Best of luck, holding you in prayer & grace.
@anon75707697 it sounds like you are on a tough sit and I feel for you - it can’t be easy for you when it’s such a long one. I can see from your profile and reviews that you are such a pet lover, and that you are so conscientious and hard working, and I really hope that your March sit is more relaxing for you. If you do decide to try again with more sits, I heartily recommend a few short ones where reviews show that the home is in a state where you can fully enjoy the pets.
@anon75707697 you can call the Urgent Support Line it’s a 24/7 phone line .
The number is on your dashboard .
Sitters aren’t slaves, if things are as bad as your post suggests, then why not notify the hosts that, due to xy&z not meeting the T&Cs, you will be leaving the sit in 24 hours and they must find alternative pet care? If you send via WhatsApp, you can screenshot your message and their response, then send to Membership Services and ask them to terminate the sit so you’re free to pursue other sits.
You absolutely do not have to accept dreadful conditions or unspecified tasks (though we’re all still guessing just what exactly is going on, to make you feel so unhappy).
@anon75707697
Kind of interesting to post that but not explain why or ask a question.
What was the motivation to leave your post in the first place? Just very curious.
She has said yesterday that she will write more when she is able to. I haven’t seen postings that she has left (- but maybe she should.) If it is hard conditions other things could have taken priority. Hope member services can help her sort it out.
Thank you all for your support and advice. THS member support is aware of my current sitting assignment. They respectfully scheduled a call with me eight days ago and took the time to listen and advise as I shared the details of my distress with this sit. I understand that THS is a business and respect its policies. While their advice is sound, I cannot simply cancel the 30+ day sit as the HO is in AU, and I am in New England, USA. My priority is the pets no matter how difficult the sit is, and I am committed to caring for the pets with tender loving care and putting this experience behind me as soon as possible.
Most of you have read my profile and the reviews for the two sits I completed in December. In recent years, I have had to say goodbye to three of my beloved dogs due to age and chronic illness, and now I have one tiny dog, Wes. I have employed pet sitters for decades to provide consistency for my pets while I worked and traveled. I still have the same pet sitter for my one dog, and I pay her well and care for her as she is now like family, as she has been with us since 2009. Here is why THS is not for me:
I learned of THS more than one year ago and joined in mid-November to engage in sits that offered a win-win: I would provide exceptional pet/house sitting services for free in exchange for a beautiful and clean home in a desirable vacation location. I envisioned sitting in such an arrangement once or twice yearly across the globe rather than staying in a resort hotel. Despite being a lifelong animal owner and owner of many homes, including luxury homes over 5,000 square feet with extensive gardens, pools, fountains, etc., and meticulously maintained houses and properties, I was told I would not be approved for sits without reviews.
My houses were home to as many as four dogs and two cats at one point in my life, and while the pets ‘owned’ the house in many ways and lived exceptionally well, my homes were spotless and well maintained. My pet sitter loved staying in my homes. The profile only allows three references, which I supplied. Without sounding pompous, I found it a challenge to convey that I was not a nomad looking for a place to live and work 24/7, 365 and caring for a home/property/gardens and pets was in my DNA. I also read advice on this forum, and beyond that, it stated I should apply to local sits to get good reviews, and applying for those in my preferred vacation destinations would be easier.
I followed the advice and immediately started to apply for local sits that I could access by car with my dog. Many applications went unread for days and more than one week. I initially spent a lot of time on the site reviewing locations and started to ‘favorite’ homes. As such, a few HOs contacted me to apply for their sit.
The HO for the Christmas sit I completed sent me a message, desperate to get out of state at the last minute for Christmas to visit her son, and I would be her “angel.” I responded and agreed to meet virtually. The sit was within 45 minutes of my home, and after some discussion, I decided to accept the eight-day sit. She pointed out that I had no reviews and that this sit would help me get to where I want to go with THS. I kindly explained that she was lucky as I did not see this sit as a win-win; it was free dog care for her at Christmas. I visited her and the dogs on my way to my first sit in VT, so the dogs would be familiar with me on my arrival, as she was leaving at 3:30 AM.
The dogs were wonderful, and the home was fine. This was a 3+ acre property, and I was told I did not need to clean up the dog poop as the neighbor’s dogs and family dogs when visiting, ran loose and would eat it. Needless to say, I spent time every day cleaning the yard to get it to a place where I could walk. But I felt like I hired help but with no pay. There was no gesture that it was Christmas, and a rude relative who showed up within one hour of my arrival and walked in without knocking asked when I would run with the dogs. While we are not supposed to expect any compensation for these sits, I did not apply for this sit, and the HO found me for a last-minute Christmas visit and did not leave so much as an orange as a kind gesture. These are cheap people who looked to me as free labor and talked down to me.
My first sit on the farm in VT was fine, except I learned after the sit that the homeowners do not live there, and it is a vacation property marketed full-time on VRBO where the renters pay more than $330 US per night, AND they care for the farm animals. THS is his backup, where he gets free labor to care for his “hobby farm” and avoids paying the caretaker. This explains why he offered a phone call and not a video visit. The last days of the sit were below freezing, and the animal’s water froze continuously. I went above and beyond cleaning the house and the barns and readying it for the next renter. I left a great review as I focused on the positive aspects of this sit after enduring a 10-hour RT car ride in the snow. I felt like I cared about the animals more than the owners, which distressed me greatly.
The HO for the sit I am in now reached out within days of joining THS. I had ‘favorited’ the home as it is nearer Boston, where I often visit for work and stay in hotels with my dog. I thought a lovely home sit could be a win-win for a few days, and I never envisioned a one-month stay there or anywhere, for that matter. We met virtually, and his sparse profile and the conversation seemed fine. He interviewed other applicants and offered me the position within one week.
Despite it being for one month, I agreed and told him I did not view this as a fair exchange, but I needed the reviews and I thought a one-month stay would progress my success with THS. Proximity to colleagues, friends, family, XC skiing, etc., made the decision tolerable. I soon scheduled work appointments in Boston and made a few soft plans with friends. I offered to visit in advance to meet the family and pets and to review the routine, as the HO had been leaving for AU for over a month, and it was a stressful time.
We met one week before the visit; the home is 2.5 hours away. The house was a disaster, and I wanted to cancel it right then. Filthy, cluttered, and in complete disrepair. He said it would be cleaned in a few days, and he would make room for me in the garage. I knew he would not find coverage for his pets and decided to suck it up and create a small footprint for myself to “live” there for one month.
The day I arrived at the sit it was clear the house had been vacuumed and dusted, but the clutter remained. He left behind three cars; the driveway was a sheet of ice and snow with no clear path. He insisted on leaving no house keys and told me to use the garage door opener that he would leave outside in a broken planter. I could barely unload my car and access the house as there was no pathway through the garage to enter the basement. The garage and the basement were filled with garbage and debris that had been there for over a decade. I cried. I thought he would clean up out of respect for someone coming to live at his house for 32 days and care for his pets FOR FREE. He told me to help myself with any of the food and the beer he left on tap. The refrigerator was filthy with old and uncovered meat and food. There was no guest room, and I was supposed to sleep in his bed, which had stained sheets and a filthy bathroom. The laundry room was disgusting, with dirty laundry on each machine and the floor overflowing from hampers.
I stayed one night, took the dog, and drove the 2.5 hours home, and this is where I will remain until he returns. I visit the house daily to care for the two indoor cats and feed the fish. The HO is aware of this and does not understand why I cannot live there. I messaged him the first night, telling him the raised deck where the dogs are to access the fenced-in backyard was solid ice, burned-out light bulbs outside (and everywhere in the house), and the steps were solid ice. My friend went to the store to buy salt and a tool to clean the area over time. My plan to create a small footprint for me to live was not possible. I had nowhere to sleep, eat, work, or relax in comfort. I took dozens of pictures and will share all the details with THS when the sit is complete.
THS advised me to contact the HO and give him 24/48 hours to find alternative pet care. I am waiting to hear from the HO to determine if he has an option for the cats. I am fine caring for the dog in my home. My worry is about the pets. He told me he does not pay for care, and when he travels, he has someone stop by to feed the pets and let the dog out. This is unacceptable for one month for a very active six-year-old golden retriever. Given the last-minute nature of my request, even if he were willing to pay for a sitter or use a kennel, the odds of him finding someone would be slim. I also respect his time with his daughters and am taking the high road here as I am committed to caring for the pets.
He asked me why I agreed to the sit after visiting the house one week prior. I told him I wanted to cancel but did not have the heart to do so. He is new to THS, and this is his first sit. He said he plans to travel often with one-month overseas trips and thought he and I might establish a pet-sitting relationship as he likes this free deal. I plan to meet him when he arrives home to return his sweet dog. I will explain in detail why his house is unlivable and that I reported him to THS. What THS does with him is not my business. I will immediately write an honest review and hope the HO cleans up his act/house or closes his THS profile.
Until then, I will provide him with updates on the pets with pictures of the dog. This has greatly affected my personal and professional life, especially given the 5-hour RT travel every other day to care for the cats. I do not get into the details with him as it puts even more stress on me. I am beyond distressed; this sit has cost me time and money. Yet, I was offered rotten food and warm beer.
I have one last sit confirmed in Boston in March with a lovely couple. I visited their home and dog a few weeks ago. I have every reason to believe the sit will be great. I will close my account soon after I leave my review.
I can’t believe what you’ve been through! What a disaster! This is far beyond what should be expected, and the last one should be kicked off the platform for sure. I really think you should hive him notice and leave. I understand your care for the pets, but it is the life they had before and will have after the sit. From the description - although I’m not sure of the laws in your part of the world? - many places daily pop-ins would be within the animal welfare regulations. Unfortunately. Of course he will exploit someone if he can, and will continue to do so until he doesn’t get away with it. He will turn the responsibility over to someone else (you) if he can. So your wellbeing is really important.
Hi @anon75707697. Thanks for your detailed account.
I understand that, so far, you have not had a win, win sit, where you have a fair mutual exchange. The sit you’re at now is really something extreme and the level of effort and commitment you are putting into it is really above and beyond what would be expected of anyone.
It is, of course, your choice and there’s no point in keeping doing something that you don’t enjoy. However, you can’t judge sitting by these first experiences, that were more like an initial investment in order to get some benefit, why pull out before you can get to enjoy the benefits?
You don’t need to cancel the account, it will expire in November. You can just apply to sits that are really attractive for you, if the owners offer to have a chat, ask as many questions as you like and if you don’t feel it is a good match, just don’t accept the sit. An application is not a commitment. I can tell that what you have lived so far is not at all representative of the vast majority of sits. I can tell you that after 30 + great experiences and 2 not so good but not terrible. I am sure other sitters can confirm this.
You have already made up your mind about continuing this sacrifice until the end of the sit so there’s no point in trying to discourage you from doing so but I don’t think many people would do it. All I can say is good luck and I hope the remaining time flies by.
@anon75707697 Thank you for telling us the whole story. What a horrible nightmare!
I’m really sorry you’ve had to go through this but I have to admit to being a little flabbergasted that you are actively choosing to see this horror one month sit through!!
You don’t have to! You are not a slave!
Many sitters would have cancelled it on the pre sit visit the week before when they saw the state of the place. You would have been perfectly entitled to. (And your intuition was nudging you in that direction too…)
And most others would have cancelled on arrival or soon after on discovery the house was not prepared as he’d promised and that living conditions were intolerable.
Your reasoning that you cannot let the pets down makes no sense- you are not Animal Welfare and you are not responsible for how the HO normally cares so casually for his pets. That behaviour was established before you came and will continue after you leave.
I can understand you leaving (in horror) after one night and even taking the dog with you- temporarily- to your home, but to continue this regular 5 hour round trip to care for the other pets is way too much! Your sense of misplaced duty is causing you unnecessary distress! Personally if I’d chosen that route I’d have done the round trip just the once (if that), having given the HO 24 hours notice, to organise alternative coverage. The whole situation would have made me so angry and resentful I’d have been looking to escape asap! I am ofcourse speaking after 6+ years experience- learning the hard way- and I know I put up with more in the beginning -when still building up reviews- but there are limits to tolerance!
I do understand how disillusioned you must feel after these first few less than satisfying experiences- its all a huge learning curve! Most sitters, myself included, will have had one or more horror sits. But the trick is to learn from them and do it differently next time. Over time you become much more discerning and choosy when sitting. It seems a pity to give up and cancel completely when you’ve paid the money and your membership is valid till November. Why not just leave it open? Do the next sit you’ve planned and then take a break. You mentioned above thar your original intention was to use THS just occasionally for holiday type sits. Well you can still do that! Thousands of sitters have experienced wonderful sits and you can too!
But I don’t want to preach or persuade! Only YOU know what is best for you so whatever you decide to do I wish you well going forwards.
Take care! 
@anon75707697 this is a horrible situation and not typical of a TrustedHouseSitters experience . I think that the advice given to you by THS 8 days ago is the best and only solution .
THS has been great experience for us . However, it only works if you are willing to say no to unsuitable sit invitations and walk away from to unsuitable sits .
THS don’t vet members to see if they are kind, reasonable, respectful , appreciative or demanding . It’s up to sitters / hosts to do this for themselves .
Over 2 years we have received a least 100 invitations to sit, all of which we’ve declined , for a variety of reasons. We are also very selective about the sits we apply for . It has to be a mutual exchange for it to work.
With this strategy, we have completed 30 lovely sits, meet great hosts who have become friends, visited beautiful locations and looked after so many lovable pets. We’ve spent time and money to get to these sits, but that’s because the sits were in locations that we wanted to visit .
Several hosts now invite us to stay with them as friends even when they are not going away.
**Please follow THS advice to leave the sit **
Taking the dog to your own home is a private arrangement outside of THS and you won’t be covered by THS liability insurance if anything happens whilst the dog is at your home .
After you have left the sit you can use the remaining days that would have been spent on this sit to reset and reflect.
You seem like a very kind person who wants to help others with no gain back for yourself . Those are admirable qualities which could be well channeled into volunteering for an animal charity or shelter or helping elderly people with dog walks etc .
THS is not a charitable service.
@anon75707697 I’m sorry you are dealing with this situation. It’s definitely not a typical housesitting experience.
Just know that you absolutely do not have to continue caring for this person’s pets. This is an exchange, it’s not volunteer, and it should not be a sacrifice. You are sacrificing your well-being as well as your time and money in driving back and forth. The HO has not provided their part of the exchange which essentially nullifies the agreement. I see new sitters post on here about staying in bad situations because they don’t want to leave the pets which I understand. But the care of the pets is the HOs responsibility. You agreed to an exchange. If the HO does not provide their side of the exchange, you have every right to end the sit. Giving 24 hours notice should be ample time for the HO to implement a backup plan. Whether that’s friends, family, paid care, or returning from their trip, that’s up to them and it’s not the sitter’s responsibility.
It’s certainly your choice if you want to finish the sit, but please understand that you do not have to.
I also just want to point out for you and other newbies that you do not have to take bad sits to get started. Sometimes it’s easier to get sits if you focus on shorter ones or those with low applications. However, sometimes sits have low applications because there is something wrong with the sit. Other times great sits may have low applications just because they are not in popular areas. It’s important to screen out the bad ones. Avoid any sits with any red flags, even things that may seem minor because there are usually additional issues.
I started sitting with no experience (other than with my own pets) and no reviews or even references. References weren’t required when I signed up and I didn’t see the point of asking a friend to write a letter. I did link my Airbnb profile where, at that time, I had around 25-30 Airbnb reviews from my travels. I had no problem getting sits right away. I stayed in my own country (the US) in the beginning, but didn’t need to do any local or short sits to get started. Now, I’ve done over 50 sits. I’ve done 4 that I consider my ‘bad’ sits, but those were not even close to what you are experiencing and I’ve done a few that were just ok, I probably wouldn’t go back. But the vast majority of the sits I’ve done have been wonderful experiences. I’m currently on a fantastic repeat sit in London and then I go back to the US for another repeat sit of 6 weeks that was one of my favorite sits and I’m looking forward to returning.
I hate to hear that your first experiences have been so bad. But do keep in mind they are not typical. I really hope that your next one is great so you can really see what sitting is supposed to be.
I’m sorry you find yourself in this awful situation , THS isn’t for everyone. I think I am leaning to agree with you. You have given it a go, but I don’t think it is for you.
It’s been a steep learning curve…
Why were you so surprised to discover you needed reviews to get accepted for sits having been the owner of a luxury home with pools and fountains?
Why did you, as a brand new sitter, think you would provide a better service than nomadic sitters, many of which have years of pet sitting experience?
Why did you think it appropriate to tell a home host she was lucky to have you as you did not see the sit as a win-win, rather you saw it only as free dog care for her at Christmas?
Home hosts who leave a gift are generous, home hosts who leave nothing are not ‘cheap people’
You applied for, and were accepted for a sit where people usually pay $330 per night to stay but still looked on it negatively?
On the final sit , again you thought it appropriate to tell the home host you did not view it a s fair exchange. Then you visited before the sit was due to start, found it to be “filthy, cluttered and in complete disrepair” - but still agreed to do it!
The sit you are currently on sounds horrendous, As already mentioned, you are not animal welfare. I suggest you follow THS advice, give the home host notice and end the sit ASAP
Thank you. 15 days to go.
Having just read the OP’s explanation of events my thoughts - and questions - echo those of @Colin , exactly.
It sounds, @anon75707697 , that you have approached each of your 3 sits from a position of assumed superiority, informing all the pet parents that you don’t see this situation as equally beneficial. That should have been your reason to decline, not to accept the sits!
You accepted this third sit after previously visiting and viewing the state of the property, yet again ignored the very clear alarm bells. It sounds as if you did so out of concern for the pet’s welfare - which is commendable - but you’ve made a rod for your own back I’m afraid and, as a sitter, you can’t change or control how others choose to live or keep their pets.
You’ve taken it upon yourself to take the dog back to your own property and visit (first you say daily, then state you go every other day?) to feed the 2 cats and the fish. This action contravenes THS T&C’s, unless the pet parent has given permission, sitters absolutely must not remove pets from the premises overnight, and must themselves stay at the premises. Since you feel unable to do that - and I do understand why - the acceptable next step is to give 24 - 48 hours notice, so that alternative care can be implemented. Membership Services have advised you of this but you are choosing not to follow their advice.
Clearly, you are an animal lover, but you have made some poor sit choices, ignored red flags and committed to a long sit which you knew would be a considerable personal challenge. That’s on you, I’m afraid. I feel you’re right in thinking that sitting maybe isn’t for you, and that’s okay because it’s not suitable for everyone.
I’d urge you to follow the advice given by MS and many experienced sitters on here: give notice, let the HO make other plans - that’s his responsibility, not yours - and take his dog back home ASAP.
@colin and @Happypets bring up some great points. It’s important for new sitters to think about why they want to sit and what their expectations are. If someone only wants to sit in luxury homes in extremely popular tourist areas, they may be disappointed. Those sits are very few and are highly competitive if you can even get in an application at all. Most of my favorites sits have been modest homes. But they’ve been extremely clean and comfortable with wonderful hosts and pets.
What constitutes a fair exchange will vary depending on what hosts and sitters priorities are. If you don’t think a sit is a fair exchange, don’t take it. If you don’t see any sits that seem like a fair exchange then sitting probably isn’t for you. I’m very selective and scroll past lots of listings. I’ve also declined sits after video chats if something seems like a red flag. But even being very selective, I still find lots of sits that are great exchanges.
It’s unfortunate that you didn’t feel like you were getting a fair exchange - because what you were getting were reviews, which are very valuable currency in getting better house sits. I would never tell a pet parent that i wasn’t getting an even exchange - even if i felt that way - especially if i accepted the sit. I’ve accepted sits for many reasons, sometimes just for a review.
Your current sit sounds horrible. I’m sorry you have had bad experiences.
I’m pondering the mismatch between a sitter psychologically and what THS offers. You may have correctly identified some traits within yourself not well suited to decision making in the context of free pet sitting. This isn’t a criticism but more confirming what you’ve discovered for yourself. Assertiveness, clear boundaries, realistic assessments of potential HOs are all high order skills required of sitters and come with life experiences. Also I’d add that THS has clear policies to follow. You need to return the dog to its home and follow THS advice.
Hi @anon75707697
Thank you for replying with the details, which must have been difficult to write. Nobody should be subject to such poor living conditions and my admiration goes out to you for continuing to think about the pets in this house.
You have great responces from @Garfield @Newpetlover @Lokstar @Silversitters and others. You will have read that even long-established sitters with many reviews to their credit can also identify ‘less than ideal’ (read that as horrible) situations. They have the experience to identify red flags and to say ‘no’.
You are to be admired that you stuck this out (for the pets sake) and that you have told THS and us on the forum about it. The final task after all this is over is to write that honest non-emotive review so that this home’s condition is exposed. After that you should forget it (but learn from it) and go enjoy your sit in March. You deserve to have a nice time, with a good homeowner who will appreciate you.
As another newbie, I have learnt from you, and I thank you. I have learnt that not every home has the standards and conditions in which I expect to be welcomed as a guest. I have learnt I must follow my head and not my heart. I must set my personal boundaries/limits for example short sits (unless a re-sit) to build up reviews. I’m not a slave/servant and if there isn’t a fair reciprocal benefit then I won’t accept it.
Thank you Ann Marie. If you can save one other sitter from the experience you had, then the time you have taken to document what happened has not been wasted.
Edited for typo.
Thank you Colin for being honest and stating these facts. I agree with you 100%