Rover.com | Pet SittingReviews of rover.com

I don't doubt that they probably have excellent service and people are quick to respond. The reason I am giving 2 stars is the price. I needed a pet sitter for my 3 cats over the holidays. Cats don't really require much to take care of, just a quick visit to feed them and clean out the litter box. But the way that rover does it is that they charge per pet which is insane! It would have cost me hundreds of dollars more than using other services. Every other place I've seen charges the rate for up to 3 cats and not per cat.

I’ve never used a pet sitting service before and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I spent a lot of time on their app looking for someone that could take my dog at their home and would only be sitting him at the time. The average cost per day was about $30, but my last resort after everyone said no, was for the only sitter fitting my criteria that cost $50/day. I asked and she was available on the dates that I requested. My dog is extremely difficult and I wanted to make sure this was the best fit and with the higher cost of $50 a day and promise to be able to handle large dogs seemed like I would at least have piece of mind. I also then find out that Columbus Day is considered a holiday weekend for Rover and I am charged an extra $6 a day to use the service, plus the $12 rover fee. The sitter gives me a coupon for $20 off, for 6 days it is still more expensive than normal. I had this sitter come over to my house first to meet my dog. He was cautious, as usual, but quickly warmed up as I discussed his needs including medicine. I’d already given him his daily dose, so we made a plan to meet again at her home so she can administer the allergy drops. She also noted that this was her parents home and that they would be home during the day while she works, so he would have around the clock supervision. I wanted to make sure my dog, who is 94lbs, would be ok with these people as well. We met at her house and it went well, she had a separate casita where she stays and would be keeping him most of the time. My one concern was that she cornered him to show how she would “be in control” and he snapped a bit, but she said it’s ok, that’s just if he gets out of line. After our visit, I overall wasn’t too nervous and felt she was competent to handle my 6 day vacation. I dropped him off early and she allowed me to show up before my flight before the sun came up, once there she provided regular updates and pictures of my dog and everything seemed fine. I came back late on Tuesday and checked in with her on flight times and even when my flight was delayed. I also updated as a was driving to my home to grab my own vehicle to get my dog. I arrive at her home and I grab his items and I am walking to the car where I am informed that he had an “accident” with a cactus earlier that day. I asked if he was ok and she said yes, sore, but ok. I asked if he needed to go to the vet. She said I don’t know. At this point I come in the main home where he is and he runs over to me but you can tell he’s in a bit of pain. I immediately felt the cactus on his skin, small pieces. She says that they tried to pull them out as best they could. His paws are swollen, red, raw, and pussing. I spend about 20 minutes pulling spines out while at her home, and I decide to take him home since he’s getting irritated. We promptly leave, he can barely get in my truck, and I can’t even pet him on the ride home since I’m getting stuck with cactus. I spend time at home pulling them out until he physically is not sitting still. I end up asking what cactus and she had to look it up. At this point I’m definitely irate that I didn’t know until I picked him up, he didn’t receive vet care, my emergency contacts weren’t contacted, and she doesn’t even know what he got into. This dog has severe allergies and not one person was notified. We visit my regular vet and I contact rover about the experience and additional cost. They tell me they have a guarantee but I have to pay $250 and they cover the rest, and they reach out to the sitter to see if they want to refund any money. They ask me to submit a bill, and it’s $93 at my vet to basically check him over and for antibiotics to prevent infection for spines we didn’t find. I also noted that my expensive harness for him was ruined with cactus deep in parts that I can’t pull out. I also found that his tag has been lost and isn’t with his items. Rover states that since the bill is under $250, there is no refund or reimbursement. While I understand that this is their policy, I do not understand why I wouldn’t be entitled to a refund from the sitter for part of the costs since it was her job to guarantee the safety of my pet. This is exactly why I hired someone through a company vs. ‘Sally down the street’. So, not only did I pay over $300 for his stay with her, $93 vet bill, costs to replace his harness and tags, and taking time off work to take him to the vet - but this person does not have any liability or financial responsibility for somehow letting my dog get into a cactus. She didn’t even know what cactus it was... I had to ask. Rover did offer me a $75 credit if I want to use them again. That must be a joke considering how much I spent with them and then having to pay more since my dog wasn’t properly cared for. Why would I ever use this service again? Word of advice: be careful of these companies who have a “guarantee” but aren’t willing to actually take responsibility for sitters that they hire as contractors.

Rover needs to do a better job of vetting their employees. Our one time experience was enough for us to never use Rover.com again.

I learned a lot from my first experience which I rated 2 stars and the company has GREAT potential if you can find the right caregiver. I highly recommend doing due diligence before leaving your pet. 1. Insist on a meet-and-greet: Meet the caregiver to ensure they are as they portray themselves online. Nice pictures and good writing skills can be misleading. Ensure to meet the actual caregiver, not their spouse. Is the caregiver's home kept in a similar fashion/cleanliness as your own? 2. Ask to see where your pet will be kept. Ensure there is ample space for your pet or if they will be caged in a basement. 3. Ask how many other pets the caregiver will accept while caring for your pet. 4. Ask what you should bring with you and take inventory of what you bring. Example: dog cage, dog bed, dog food (wet/dry), dog toy, dog bones, collar, leash, harness, poop bags, etc. 5. If you want items refrigerated, ask if the caregiver has room and will accommodate the request.

The sitters with Rover aren't the issue. So I would continue to use them...though it's hard to find a good fit sometimes and some people aren't a good fit. My problem occured when I referred a family member and they got a $20 credit and I did...eventually. then I get a email that it expires literally 2 weeks after I got it. Ridiculous and gives me zero incentive to ever refer anyone.

I previously booked with Marija and was very happy with her service. I hate to write this, but I know some people treat their pooches like kids, and unfortunately this was just not what I expected. I had my sister drop Leo off on Saturday, I returned to pick him up on Monday (2 day stay). When I arrived, the door and screen door were both wide open. Leo was in a crate with food that was not his. Her dad greeted me at the door (I did not see Marija at all), gave me my dog with his leash, said "Bye, Manny" and gave me dog food that was not Leo's. I kindly told him his name was Leo and this was not his food. He went back and gave me Leo's dog food, the same full bag of food that was left with him on Saturday. Leo had dried urine on his belly and paws, which I can only assume he was left in the crate over 8 hours because I leave for work every day and he's able to hold it until I get home. I truly do love Marija's services and how she interacts with all dogs, and the photo updates, but I would not re-book if her dad is the one dog-sitting. This is an honest review, she truly is wonderful at what she does. I was desperate for a sitter and she accepted last minute, which I am grateful for, because I prefer her over anyone else. But had I known she would not be the one watching Leo, I would have looked elsewhere.

I have used Rover a couple of times since it absorbed Dog Vacay, which I had used many times. The good news is that my favorite dog sitters migrated from Dog Vacay to Rover. However, I find the Rover interface to be non-intuitive, awkward and full of friction. On several occasions my attempts to consummate booking failed, resulting in a series of emails from Rover saying that my booking request had expired. This in turn required me to contact the sitter to say I still wanted the requested time, and to try to re-book on Rover; this has happened multiple times. I do not find Rover to be as user-friendly as Dog Vacay was, though I continue to hope that Rover will improve the user experience.

The ease of use of the site makes it an attractive concept however if you are unhappy with the service you receive, and by unhappy I mean furious about the neglect of your animal under the care of someone endorsed by this site, your only option for action is to use a third party mediator that does not insure the return of full or partial finds. There is no other consequence for the sitter,from whom the improper care was received, if they do not agree to a refund of money. Rover reps told me they could issue a warning. A lot of good that does for my animals who were locked in crates for 23/24 hours the sitter was supposed to be staying at our home with them. She also did not stay at our home but only visited once in the morning and once at night before bedtime and left a MESS for us to return to.