Family files lawsuit alleging pet sitter's negligence led to dog's drowning
Photo Credit Leaman family
LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles family has filed a lawsuit against their pet sitter and the company they used to hire her, alleging her negligence resulted in the death of their beloved family dog.
Queenie, a 16-year-old Mini Schnauzer, died after drowning in the pool, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
In October 2023, Ian Leaman used TrustedHousesitters detsurTTrustedHousesittersto hire Maria Ratanova to care for Queenie while the family took a five-day trip to San Diego.
According to the complaint, the Leaman family told Ratanova that Queenie wasn't allowed to be unsupervised in the backyard due to the risk that she could drown in the pool.
Ratanova confirmed she would comply. The next day, the family left for San Diego. Two days later, security video captured Queenie in the backyard alone at night. She fell in the pool and struggled to stay afloat. About 18 minutes later, Ratanova was seen running into the backyard, pulling Queenie from the water. She performed CPR, but the dog died.
The complaint against TrustedHousesitters LTD and Ratanova alleges negligence, breach of contract, and false advertising.
Photo Credit Leaman family
"Every family who has entrusted this company with their pets deserves better. The negligence, abhorrent behavior and false advertising by TrustedHousesitters is beyond the pale and utterly unacceptable," said the plaintiff’s attorney Camron Dowlatshahi of Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP.
After returning home, Leaman called TrustedHousesitters to notify them of the incident. According to the lawsuit, the operator was "callous and expressed no concern".
A day later, Leaman received a message from Paul Maisey, the company’s head of Membership Services, who accepted full responsibility for the incident. But according to the lawsuit, a few days later Maisey reversed his position and told Leaman the company would not accept responsibility.
According to Leaman's attorney, TrustedHousesitters markets itself by saying its sitters are verified and have completed extensive background checks. However, the lawsuit claimed that Ratanova was not vetted and verified by TrustedHousesitters.
"She did not follow Mr. Leaman’s specific instructions, nor did she keep Queenie safe from harm," the lawsuit stated.
"Mr. Leaman relied on TrustedHousesitters to find a sitter because he believed its marketing material, which declared that sitters are verified and extensively background checked, and that steps are taken to ensure safety," according to the lawsuit.
In a statement to FOX 11 TrustedHousesitters said "We are heartbroken by this tragic accident and deeply sorry for the loss of Queenie. Our deepest condolences and full support is with Mr Leaman and his family. At TrustedHousesitters the safety of pets is our top priority, and we are committed to supporting both Queenie's family and the pet sitter during this difficult time. Our thoughts are with everyone touched by this tragic accident. We will continue to provide support to our members as we work towards finding a resolution."