Las Vegas couple says Rover sitter lost their dog

Joe Moeller talked with a Las Vegas couple who said the sitter lost their dog, Coco, while they were out of town. They hope their dog will be found soon.

By: Joe Moeller

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Pet parents leaving their dogs with a sitter, only to have them go missing…

It’s a story we have covered at Channel 13 before involving the pet-sitting app Rover.

I talked with a local couple who said it has now happened to them, and they hope their dog will be found soon.

“We don't have children, so our pets are vital to our family,” Kalani Gilman said.

Kalani and Lee Gilman live in Las Vegas. Before going on vacation in late June, they needed a dog sitter for their two pups.

“Last year we used Rover with a different babysitter but she wasn't available this year, I found Scott and found his great reviews,” Lee said.

“We thought cool, we'll use Rover,” Kalani said.

They met the sitter who lived near Torrey Pines and Vegas Drive and inspected his yard.

They left their dogs – a large one that was a bully breed and a small one, Coco, a chihuahua mix.

“Everything seemed good until we got our call from him,” Lee said.

They said the sitter told them one of the dogs went potty inside and the sitter put the two dogs outside at midnight on July 2.

“He said he fell asleep and he didn't wake up until six in the morning to go look outside and Coco wasn’t there,” Lee said.

They said hours later they got the call she was missing and came back from their trip right away.

I called the Rover sitter to find out what happened. While he declined an interview, I spoke with him on the phone. He told me the dog must have gotten out through the side fence, and shared this photo with me of the small gap.

He said he feels bad about what happened and that he's searched and helped put up signs around the area to find the dog.

Since the incident, Rover has removed him from their site. I reached out to Rover for comment and they sent me this statement saying they also helped with signage, reward money, and notices to pet sites and shelters. They also refunded the family.

"We can imagine how stressful this situation must be for Coco’s family, and we join them in hoping for a safe and immediate reunion.

In the rare event that a pet is separated from a care provider on Rover, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team works directly with the pet sitter and pet parent to support search efforts. Our team will sponsor a reward, purchase hundreds of flyers, and post them in online pet-finding forums that send alerts to local shelters and veterinarians. We also contact other local Rover community members, alerting them of the search efforts.

Coco’s family has also been fully refunded for their booking, and the sitter’s profile has been removed from our platform.

At Rover, we work every day to earn the trust of our community. For additional context, over 200,000 stays have been booked by pet parents in the Las Vegas Valley, with 98% of reviews receiving five stars."

So what resources are available to vet sitters?

Alexa Rabini is the creator of Mindful Dog Mom, a one-stop resource for pet sitting in Las Vegas.

“The whole reason I started my website was because of Rover,” she said.

Rabini told me she started the site by listing resources and Las Vegas area sitters.

She said she interviews the sitters – who have business licenses, insurance and certifications.

“You can visit my website at any time for pet sitters, a veterinarian; you can search for even a book to read,” Rabini said.

There are also certain things you can look for when finding a professional pet sitter. Rabini shared those tips with us in the video below:

Alexa Rabini, a certified animal caregiver, shares what to look for in a professional pet sitter

Rover also has specific requirements to become a pet sitter, chiefly passing a background check through a third-party service. Questions about becoming a sitter are also listed on their website.