UPDATE: The family says Sami the dog was found safe Wednesday morning
A Vancouver family is warning others about using apps to find a pet sitter, after an agonizing ordeal involving a lost dog.
Michael Brennan said his family found a dog sitter through Rover — who they said lost their two-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback-shepherd cross Sami, then cut off contact.
Brennan said Sami disappeared on Friday near 28th Avenue and Fraser Street.
“It’s huge, she’s a member of our family. For my kids it’s been really tough,” he told Global News.
Brennan said his family paid the sitter, named Christian, $40 to take care of Sami, who later told him the dog had escaped while in the care of his roommate.
“He then just said, ‘I’m sorry about your dog, I will not be responding to any more of your messages.’ He ceased communication at that point.”
Christian did not open the door when Global News visited his home.
Rover apologized to Brennan, and in a statement to Global News, said, “we are no longer allowing this sitter to offer services through our platform.”
That’s not good enough for Brennan, though, who said he should be able to trust a company based on its reputation.
“We thought we were dealing with a reputable company, or least an individual who could watch our dog for a 48-hour period,” he said.
WATCH: (Aug. 23, 2019) Lost dog from Egypt found south of Peterborough, Ont.