NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — A North Royalton woman is saying she'll never use a pet sitting app again. Her golden retriever recently suffered cuts and an infection after what she calls a "horrific experience" with the app Rover.
"She's my best friend,” said owner Nina Tomaro. “How could you treat such an innocent dog so poorly?"
Tomaro said the woman sitter, who also lived in North Royalton, had great reviews on app. So she felt good dropping her dog Ayla off on June 7 before heading to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for vacation.
According to Tomaro, she and the sitter had an understanding that Ayla would never be put in a kennel, but that she later found out through a check-in text that the agreement had been broken.
"When I asked about why she was put in a kennel, she had said that she had eaten some of her son's Pokemon cards," Tomaro shared. “In the text, what really concerned me was that she had been barking for hours and just left in this kennel.”
A frustrated Tomaro had her brother pick up Ayla from the sitter early, while she hopped in a rental car and rushed back to Ohio. She was heartbroken to see her dog with cuts in her face and gums, and a bleeding paw.
“I was horrified,” she said emotionally. “Her face was just so swollen and I just couldn't understand why someone would treat a dog like that."
Tomaro said the veterinarian diagnosed the injuries as consistent with a dog trying to get out of a kennel.
As she nurses her shaken golden retriever back to health with antibiotics and love, the faithful owner Tomaro has been doing her research on criminal charges.
"And I've been told by the local animal warden and the [Animal Protective League] that this only falls under a civil matter,” she explained. “So I'll be pursuing legal action against the sitter."
A representative with Rover sent the following statement to 3News:
"As pet parents ourselves, we are deeply concerned to hear about the experience Ms. Tomaro and Ayla had. This type of experience is highly unusual on our platform, and our 24/7 Trust and Safety team is working to support Ms. Tomaro as well as conducting a thorough investigation into the situation. We will be providing Ms. Tomaro with a full refund for this service.
"All stays booked through the Rover platform are covered under the Rover Guarantee, which provides reimbursement for eligible veterinary expenses. We will work closely with Ms. Tomaro to assist her with veterinary bills associated with Ayla's stay."
