Dog sitter accused of killing family pet
A dog sitter is being accused of killing a Bernese Mountain Dog in Gloucestershire by leaving him in the back of a car that was “as hot as a sauna”.
Andrea Brown’s two Bernese Mountain dogs, Banjo and Bisto, were left in the care of a sitter she had used “several” times before on Friday (17 June).
Brown said she instructed the sitter not to take the dogs out on a proper walk due to the heat and to only let them roam in and out of the garden in Gloucestershire. However, she said both dogs were put in the back of the sitter’s car and driven into town.
Brown told Gloucestershire Live: “The dog sitter had called me all in a panic to say Banjo has collapsed. I asked where they were and I was told in town.
“I could not believe what I was hearing and asked why they walked the dogs into town and they said to me they had taken the dogs in a car into town. I heard nothing then until the vets called me to tell me my dog was dead.”
She added: “The dog sitter was meant to come in around 8pm to let them out so I don’t even know why they were out with my dogs in the first place.”
Brown said she had “never given permission” for the sitter to take her dogs out.
She told the outlet: “The vets told us when they got to the car to get Banjo out, the car was like a sauna. He was dead when he got there.”
Brown had previously found the sitter on pet care agency Rover, but on this occasion, contacted the sitter directly.
Rover told Gloucestershire Live: “While this service was not booked on the Rover platform, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team has begun an inquiry.
“To protect the safety of our community, we have removed this pet sitter from our platform and they will no longer be able to offer their services through Rover.”
Brown is determined to find out what happened to Banjo and is offering a £500 reward for anyone with information.
In addition, Gloucestershire Police are working alongside the RSPCA to look into the incident.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA told The Express: “We have been made aware of this incident and will be looking into this further. Unfortunately we are unable to discuss complaints about specific individuals.
“We understand how frustrating that is for animal lovers, but releasing information could prejudice an investigation or could lead to us being fined.”
