WHEN Jill Smythe went on her dream honeymoon to Marrakesh, she moved in a pet sitter to look after her two beloved fox red labradors, Ozzie and Flinn.
She thought her animals would be in safe hands with a dog walker, booked through a professional pet company they’d used a few times before, but instead she flew home to a burnt-out house and two dead dogs that perished in the blaze. But devastated Jill is one of countless Brits who have suffered at the hands of the lawless yet booming pet sitter industry.
Dogs Ozzie and Flinn, who were sadly killed while being cared for by a pet sitter, when a fire broke out at their home Credit: Supplied
Pet owner Jill was horrified when she returned to her burnt-out home Credit: Supplied
The couple were on their honeymoon when they returned to carnage Credit: Supplied
Just this month, two dog sitters were exposed for kicking, punching and dragging two German Shorthaired Pointers around a family’s home while they were away on holiday.
In horror footage, Paige Williams and boyfriend Bradley Archer, both 26, were caught on CCTV shouting and swearing at dogs Frieda and Ayrton and dragging them around by their collars.
Williams, 26, had billed the family to take care of their three dogs, two cats and two birds of prey at their home in Solihull, West Midlands, while they were away for four weeks in the summer of 2024.
But upon the family’s return, they looked back at footage captured on cameras in their kitchen and garden and were horrified at what they found.
Owner Duncan Horlor exclusively told The Jattvibe: “We have been left utterly devastated by this betrayal.
“The knowledge that our dogs were being abused while we were having a lovely holiday is just heartbreaking.”
Both cases highlight the dangers of a “wild west” sector where anyone can set themselves up as an animal sitter or dog walker on social media platforms like Facebook.
An investigation by The Jattvibe reveals a litany of cases in which owners were left nursing poorly or badly treated pets after trusting strangers, with most believed to be qualified.
Currently, those boarding animals within their own home require a license obtained from the through their local council. However pet sitting taking care of animals inside owners own homes do not require a license although having your own public liability insurance is strongly advised.
No formal qualifications are needed either – meaning anyone can set themselves up as a pet sitter online, with many advertising through social media and pet sitting websites.
Even when setting yourself up through the trusted sites, the level of scrutiny can vary significantly. While some require background checks and photo ID, there appears to be no universal standard, and no proof needed about how much experience they may have in handling animals or pet welfare.
This is despite sites taking up to 19 per cent of the sitter’s fee, although some take less.
Instead pet owners are guided by reviews, word of mouth or meet-and- greets before heading off on holiday and trusting their beloved pets with a stranger.
‘Our beautiful dogs are gone’
Jill* told The Jattvibe how she hired a professional dog company to look after Ozzy, 3, and Flinn, 2, during her week-long honeymoon, but they outsourced five nights to a local dog walker who was out to dinner on the night of the fire last December.
Jill and her new husband were enjoying their last night away when they got a call from her mum to say not only had their home been gutted by fire, but their much-loved dogs were dead.
They managed to get an earlier flight back home to the West Midlands, but were stunned by the sheer destruction of the fire and the fact the dogs, had “suffered” before their tragic death.
Jill said: “When we first got home, we didn’t think the fire could have been that bad because the house looked okay from the outside…but then we opened the door. Every single room was black.
“There was a massive hole in the ceiling at the top of the stairs, part of the kitchen roof had gone, and the room upstairs where Ozzy was found was covered in sick and faeces. He had obviously suffered.
Bradley Archer was filmed shouting and swearing at the animals Credit: RSPCA
Paige Williams was caught dragging the dogs around Credit: RSPCA
Duncan and Natalie felt utterly betrayed when they found out their dogs had been mistreated Credit: Supplied
“The whole palace was condemned, and we’re still waiting to go home four months on.”
The family were initially told by the fire brigade that a faulty extractor fan was to blame for the blaze, but insurance inspectors said two gas rings were on and had set fire to a nearby unidentified red object.
Jill said: “I asked the sitter if she had left anything in the kitchen when she went out. She was a bit cagey at first, but eventually said she had left a red bag on the surface.
“The inspector suggested the dogs had got into the kitchen and somehow turned the rings on, but that seems a pretty far-fetched conclusion since I had trouble getting the hob to light with the ignition.
“More importantly, we’d asked the sitter to make sure the dogs were locked out of the kitchen if she went out because they had a habit of going through the bins.
“That clearly hadn’t happened because the fire brigade said the door was open.
“We’ve since found out she had no proper training in how to care for or handle animals, and now our beautiful dogs are gone.”
Other pet owners have seen their much-loved animals abused at the hands of cruel sitters they trusted, only being caught out when CCTV filmed teir dogs being beaten.
We have so much guilt about leaving our boys in her care, and a trip that should have been filled with joyful memories is now overshadowed by what happened back home.
Duncan Horlor
Callous Paige Williams and partner Bradley Archer were given 12-month community orders with 140 hours of unpaid work at Coventry Magistrates Court for failing to look after two dogs properly.
They were captured on ringbell footage and garden cameras dragging around Duncan and Natalie Horlor’s German shorthaired pointers in 2024, while the couple took a month-long trip to Thailand with their two teenage children.
Company boss Duncan, 49, of Solihull, West Mids, told The Jattvibe how he had no reason to mistrust Williams, who ran a business called Fur & Filly in Knowle.
He said: “She’d looked after the dogs before, and we didn’t have any issues. She’d even completed animal welfare training courses. It turned out she wasn’t even registered with the local authority as a boarder for pets.
“We have so much guilt about leaving our boys in her care, and a trip that should have been filled with joyful memories is now overshadowed by what happened back home.
“It’s had a profound effect on the whole family.”
The couple are now backing growing calls for new legislation for pet sitters.
‘Wild West’ industry
Current UK legislation across the industry is patchy or non-existent.
Pet sitters are free to advertise services on social media platforms like Facebook and link-up sites such as Rover and Tailster, which is part-owned by Pets at Home.
But a probe of both sites by The Jattvibe reveals that neither asks for proof that animals will be cared for properly.
Small print on Tailster’s site urges that pets be kept in suitable premises, properly fed and exercised, and records and licences maintained.
However, it stops short at asking for paperwork and makes it clear advertisers are “solely responsible for obtaining all permits, licences and other permissions”.
Rover’s terms and conditions state that it is not “liable” if pet sitters fail to comply with laws and regulations.
Alyson is campaigning for tighter regulations after losing her dog Molly Credit: Huw Evans
Critics say the industry is a “wild west” with big companies putting profit over pets.
Alyson Lane knows the pain of losing an animal after trusting a ‘dog boarder’ she spotted on Facebook.
Her Labrador, Molly, died two days after she was picked up from the carer.
Alyson, 58, of Rogerstone, Newport, Wales, said: “We went on holiday to Madeira and I left the woman emergency numbers for my daughter and my dad.
“We heard nothing while we were away, but when we got back, the woman said Molly hadn’t eaten for five days. Two days later, our lovely dog was dead.
“She was eleven, so wasn’t a young dog and might have died anyway. But that wasn’t the point.
“She wasn’t eating, yet the woman looking after her didn’t consult a vet and didn’t bother with any of the emergency numbers we left. She should have got in touch.”
Alyson is now campaigning for ‘Molly’s Law’ after her pet’s death in 2016.
You can put 50 words on social media or a pet sitter site about how much you love animals and get work.
Alyson Lane
It would see stricter rules around pet sitters, boarders and dog walkers, including licences for everyone who looks after animals.
Alyson, who now runs her own dog boarding service, said phrases such as ‘home from home’ and ‘sleepovers’ were being used as loopholes by unscrupulous people who should otherwise have licenses.
If business owners offer a ‘boarding’ service they need local council authority paperwork, but anyone can use less formal phrases like ‘sleepover’ and don’t require permission for their venture.
She said: “You can put 50 words on social media or a pet sitter site about how much you love animals and get work.”
The RSPCA has also called for greater regulation.
Animal welfare expert and vet nurse Lauren Bennett said: “Pet sitters need to be reputable and trustworthy, just as any other kennels or boarding establishment.”
Former army dog handler Jo Emslie, who runs the Ladies K9 Academy in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, said the UK needs an overarching body to oversee the industry.
She said: “It’s a total wild west out there.
“I’ve seen people advertise on Facebook, then I’ve looked at their profile and thought, ‘I wouldn’t trust you with a guinea pig.
“You see people putting up posts asking ‘Can someone walk my powerful Alsatian?’ which is just ridiculous. These are big dogs that need someone who is experienced to handle them.”
Diane says she hasn’t been away on holiday for years after what happened to Jesse Credit: Olivia West
Diane with her current Westie dogs Credit: Olivia West
There is a UK national association for professionals that sitters and walkers can join – set up by industry professionals – but they have to register voluntarily.
Meanwhile, owners either have to put their pets into boarding premises, which many feel uncomfortable with, or trust strangers, never knowing what truly happened when something goes wrong.
Pet owner Diane Meany is convinced something sinister happened to nine-year-old Westie, Jesse, who died three weeks after being left with an animal carer while she went on a Caribbean cruise in 2017.
Diane, 77, of Wandsworth, London, and husband David, 72, haven’t been on holiday since because they don’t trust anyone to look after their current dogs, Ralph and George.
Diane, a former sales executive, said: “When I picked Jesse up, she smelled really strongly of smoke, and my sixth sense told me that something wasn’t quite right.”
Three weeks later, Jesse collapsed and died after the vet discovered a mass on her spleen.
Diane said: “ I’ll never really get to the bottom of what might have happened to her, whether it was an injury or cancer. I regret not having an autopsy.
“I’ve not been on holiday since because I just don’t trust anyone to look after my animals.”
It’s not just dogs who have suffered.
Cat owner Aimee Williamson-Cary, 26, of Barnstable, Devon, had to pay £250 to the vet to have Scout treated for cystitis after leaving him with someone trying to set up a new sitting service.
She said: “Cats usually get cystitis when they refuse to go in their litter tray because it’s dirty and they hold their wee in as a result.
“She’d never had it before, and when we got home from holiday, there was litter all over the floor, and the tray certainly wasn’t as clean as we’d expected it to be.
“There’s just nothing to protect pet owners, and something desperately needs to be done.”
Pet sitting advertising site Rover responded to The Jattvibe’s investigation with a statement, which said:
“At Rover, the safety and well-being of our community, including pet parents, sitters, and, of course, pets, is a top priority. While sitters who use our platform operate independently, we offer a range of tools and safeguards to support both them and their clients.
“Prior to offering services through our platform, all prospective pet care providers must complete identity verification, as well as pass a safety quiz, and have their profile manually reviewed by a member of our team.
“Additionally, all bookings are covered by the Rover Guarantee, which provides up to $25,000 in reimbursement for eligible vet claims in the rare event that something goes wrong. Our bookings are also protected by secure and hassle-free payment systems, 24/7 support, and around-the-clock access to veterinary professionals.
They went on to say: “First, we urge them[pet owners] to thoroughly review sitter profiles, taking a look at their experience and reviews, and reaching out to two or three options when first searching. We also encourage scheduling a meet and greet before booking to ensure compatibility and alignment on expectations.”
“Further, both pet parents and care providers must accept our Terms of Service before they can join our platform.”
Tailster did not respond to a request for comment.
Scout’s vet bills came to £250 after he developed cystitis Credit: Supplied
Aimee’s cat got sick after being looked after by a sitter. Credit: Supplied
