Video catches pet sitter hired via app throwing couple's puppy to ground
VICTORVILLE, California -- A home video captured an apparent case of animal abuse by a pet sitter.
A couple hired a puppy sitter to watch over their dog Lucy. Video recorded in the home shows the sitter taking the small dog and slamming her to the floor.
The couple got a motion alert from their home security camera on their phone. In real time, the husband was able to yell at the woman and tell her to leave.
She did and apologized.
Animal Control is now looking into the incident.
Fortunately, Lucy was checked and is expected to be okay, but Lucy's owners were shocked at the incident.
"It's heartbreaking because the reason we use a pet sitter is because we love our pet and we don't want to leave her unattended for very long because she is a baby," said Amanda Roy. "So, we trusted someone to come into our home and look after a pet that we consider a family member."
The puppy sitter was hired through the Rover app, an app created to help pet owners find sitters and dog walkers. Upon learning of the situation, the company issued the following response:
"The activity depicted in this video is shocking and appalling. We have permanently deactivated this sitter from our platform and will continue to investigate. Any incident of this nature is extremely rare on our platform, and we take it very seriously. Additionally, we have offered to pay for any veterinary expenses that may have been incurred as a result of this incident. We have been assisting local law enforcement with their investigation and will continue to offer support."
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