Pet mom says 'Rover' sitter lost her dog, users complain of inexperienced sitters

LOS ANGELES - Sarah Chen still breaks down when she talks about her dog, Zoe.

"It’s been a nightmare… sorry… I’m always crying… She’s everything to me," Sarah said, crying.

Zoe, an 8-year-old Brussels Griffon mix, vanished on March 17 while in the care of a sitter hired through the Rover app. Sarah said the sitter admitted they left Zoe alone in their home — with the door left open.

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"They admitted they messed up… left the door open… left her alone in their house," she said.

Since Zoe went missing, Sarah has devoted every day to finding her. She’s placed large signs throughout her South Bay neighborhood and even turned her car into a mobile billboard in the hopes someone might recognize her dog.

The backstory:

Just six months ago, another pet owner shared a similar heartbreaking story when their dog, Mushie, disappeared while under the care of a Rover sitter. Mushie is still missing, and her owners continue to search.

Dig deeper:

Online, multiple pet owners have come forward with stories accusing Rover of allowing inexperienced sitters to care for animals — some of whom allegedly lost the pets they were hired to protect.

"I just didn’t feel they cared… at all," Sarah said. Zoe’s bed and bowls remain untouched in their usual place — a quiet reminder of her absence. Sarah is still holding out hope that her "baby" will be found. 

"I just want to warn other pet parents about Rover," she said.

The other side:

Rover responded to our request for comment with the following statement:

"In the rare event that a pet is separated from a pet care provider, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team works diligently to aid in search efforts. We utilize various resources to assist in reuniting the pet with their family. We will pay for flyers to be hung in the search area, post in online pet-finding forums, which send alerts to local veterinarians and shelters, and sponsor a significant reward. We also engage our local community of pet care providers to alert them of the missing pet and search efforts. Our team has used all of these tools to aid in finding Zoe. The reward remains active, and we join Zoe’s family in hopes that she is safely and swiftly reunited with those who love her. Our Trust and Safety team will continue to investigate this incident and take any appropriate actions to protect our community. This is far from the typical experience on our platform. Over 1.5 million stays have been booked by pet parents in the Los Angeles area, with more than 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars."

But Sarah claims the support hasn’t gone far enough. While Rover offered a $1,000 reward, she said they never helped pay for signs or assisted directly in the ongoing search.

"I just want Rover to be held accountable for this and to do more," she said.

What you can do:

If you’ve seen Zoe, call Sarah at 310-291-0100.

If you’ve seen Mushie, call 760-960-9272.