More than six months later, no one’s been charged. It’s a pervasive problem in Texas where pets and their owners have little to no protection when things go wrong.
HOUSTON — With spring break just weeks away, many pet owners are preparing to leave their furry friends with pet sitters. But what happens if something goes wrong? A Houston family, whose dog died last summer while in the care of a Rover sitter, is now on a mission to push for stronger protections.
Jessica Hayward and her husband Taylor can only look back at old photos and videos. They’re just memories now of a time in their lives they wish they could get back.
“Goose was like our child,” Jessica said.
The tiny Brussels Griffon pup filled a huge hole in their lives after they learned having children together would be a challenge.
“He changed our lives overnight,” said Jessica. “The amount of love he brought to us is indescribable. He was literally the joy of our lives.”
That joy was cut short in June of 2024. The couple turned to a pet sitter they’d used before off the popular site, Rover.com.
“Fantastic reviews on Rover, close to over 900 five-star reviews. It sounded almost impossible,” said Jessica.
They dropped Goose off on Thursday before heading out of town. A few days later, they got a heartbreaking phone call.
“Her voice was incredibly shaken up,” said Jessica. “She was barely able to get words out. I just said is he alive? She said no. I was hysterical. I screamed so loud.”
Turns out Goose was not the only victim.
“We had no idea other dogs were involved,” said Jessica.
The couple learned Goose was one of four, including a Chocolate Labrador named Porter who died that morning. Three others, Archie the Bernedoodle, were dropped off at the animal ER in critical condition but survived.
“It was not a mistake, it was not an accident,” said Jessica.
A report from BARC obtained by KHOU 11 News showed “neglect was suspected… due to the number of dogs that died or were in bad condition under her care.”
The families soon learned that nearly a dozen dogs were being kept in this outdoor shed. Text messages point to a problem with the A/C overnight in the middle of Houston summer.
When BARC showed up to investigate, recorders showed the sitter’s husband “slammed the door.” BARC only issued a citation for failure to have a license to operate a commercial pet service facility.
“We will never know what happened,” said Jessica.
When KHOU 11 News called the sitter, she quickly hung up.
“When you wake up every day and decide to take in multiple dogs, running an illegal business from your home without a license that is a decision of neglect that is for greed,” said Jessica.
Goose’s necropsy revealed he like the others died of a heart stroke. Vets also found traces of rat poison in his system.
“That was a painful and tragic way to die alongside the others who passed,” said Jessica.
More than 6 months later, no one’s been held accountable for the dog deaths. The home where this happened is now empty and up for sale. But the sitter in question, up until a few days ago was still online promoting her “expertise and passion for pet care”. The page has since been taken down.
“Do you fear this could happen again?” asked KHOU 11’s Marcelino Benito.
“Absolutely,” said Jessica. “The message that is being sent is you don’t get in trouble for these things. Go ahead and do it in Houston, and that’s not how it should be handled.”
The problem is pervasive across Texas.
“Literally all they have to say is I didn’t mean to and there’s no legal recourse at this point,” said Maria Mecca.
Mecca’s dog Pancho died at a doggie daycare back in 2021. Since then, she and her husband founded Pancho’s Promise, Her nonprofit, alongside people at the Texas Humane Legislation Network, hope this is the year that HB 285 changes that.
“It’s not only a bill about awareness but also trying to stop these businesses from harming our pets,” said Shelby Bobosky, Executive Director of the Texas Humane Legislation Network.
Jessica and Taylor won’t ever forget that one-of-a-kind head cock and vow to keep up the pressure until they get answers.
“Someone has to stand up for them [dogs],” said Taylor. “So you do it for Goose?” asked Benito. “Yes, justice for Goose,” replied Jessica.
Houston police’s animal cruelty unit investigated this case. It’s been handed over to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. A spokeswoman for District Attorney Sean Teare said they do intend to take it to a grand jury who will decide what, if any, charges will be filed.
Rover also released this statement in response to KHOU 11 News’ reporting:
As soon as we learned about this incident, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team worked tirelessly to support our community, including the pets and pet parents involved in this case. We prioritize safety and were heartbroken that these pets and pet parents had a negative experience booking on our platform.
If we are contacted by law enforcement, we will cooperate to the fullest extent of our ability.
To help the affected pets recover, our team supported these users by reimbursing eligible veterinary costs under the Rover Guarantee. For the pets who unfortunately passed, our team provided financial resources for veterinary and aftercare. Additionally, while we know a pet can never be replaced, we have offered financial assistance to these families should they decide to welcome a pet into their homes. We fully refunded all of these bookings.
As we noted in July, our team launched a thorough investigation and deactivated the sitter’s profile from our platform. That decision is final. As with any care provider who joins the platform, this sitter passed an enhanced background check before offering services.
Safety is a top priority for Rover, and our team is continually innovating to help create and support safe pet care for all community members, including pet parents, care providers, and, of course, pets. We offer a suite of safety features, including enhanced background checks for sitters, the Rover Guarantee, and verified authentic reviews from other pet parents. We know pet parents understand their pet’s unique needs better than anyone. Our platform enables pet parents to tailor their search to find the best provider to meet their expectations and care preferences. Before booking a service, we recommend pet parents conduct a Meet and Greet with a few pet sitters to learn about the care provider experience and home environment (if relevant for the specific service) to make sure it is the right fit for everyone.
Regarding your question about licensing, in order to create a profile on our platform, all users, pet parents, and care providers alike must accept our Terms of Service, which includes specific language on adhering to local laws and regulations. Rover believes that local pet care providers are in the best position to evaluate their individual requirements based on the type of pet care they intend to provide. The laws and regulations vary significantly across states, counties, cities, and even neighborhoods.
While we know one negative experience is too many, this type of incident is rare. In Houston, pet parents have made over 600k bookings, with 98% of reviewed stays receiving a five-star rating.