Houston family seeks answers after French bulldog dies in pet sitter's care

Houston family's dog dies in pet sitter's care

A Houston family is demanding answers after their French bulldog died while in the care of a dog sitter they found through Rover, a pet sitting and dog walking app. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke to the dog's owner and reached out to Rover for a response.

HOUSTON - A Houston family is demanding answers after their French bulldog, Melodramatic, died while in the care of a dog sitter they found through Rover, a pet sitting and dog walking app.

What we know:

The George family, who were on a cruise vacation, returned to the tragic news of their pet's death. Medical reports indicate Melodramatic died from a heat stroke, but the sitter has not provided details on the circumstances leading to the dog's death.

According to a necropsy report, Melodramatic may have died from a heat stroke. Georgette stated that the sitter informed her Melodramatic had been in the backyard for about 30 minutes, and was found dead the next morning.

What they're saying:

Georgette George, Melodramatic's owner, expressed her distress: "I gave her a dog which is ours. It was our dog and for her to give me my dog back in this condition … it’s like, what did you do?"

The Georges, who have three dogs and one cat, are now grappling with the loss of Melodramatic. Georgette seeks closure, saying, "I would like to know what happened prior to him passing or finding him. What condition was he in? Was he outside for too long? Just the truth to give me some type of closure."

Georgette recounted a distressing interaction with the sitter: "She sends me a picture of my dog alive. That’s insensitive because my dog is dead. If I tell you send me a picture. You told me he’s dead. I said send me a picture. You send me a picture of my dog in the backyard but he’s not in the backyard. He’s dead."

The other side:

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to Melo’s family during this tragic time. Upon learning of this incident, our 24/7 Trust & Safety team conducted a thorough investigation, and Rover has refunded the stay and offered to reimburse all related veterinary and aftercare costs through the Rover Guarantee. The sitter involved is no longer providing services on our platform. 

This situation is heartbreaking, and our team has been in touch with Melo’s family to assist where we’re able. It’s important to note that safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare. Over 663,000 stays have been booked by pet parents in the Houston area, with more than 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars."