Owners do not go through a background check, any pet owner (not just dogs!) can sign up to Rover. It's always best, as Rover suggests, to ask all your dealbreaker questions before setting up a meet-and-greet.
As others have suggested, it is best to make safety the top priority. Good ideas include taking a friend to wait for you outside during a meet-and-greet, meeting the owner and (leashed) dog outside prior to entering their home to ensure you feel comfortable, saying no to anything you feel uncomfortable with during the discussion phase and M&G and don't be afraid to contact Rover support with anything you are concerned with.
As sitter background checks, they are only required for sitters who do house sitting inside the client's home. If you're doing pet sitting in your own home, Rover doesn't require it but they offer it as an opportunity. Getting the background check done is a big benefit for promoting yourself.
Always go with your gut! I've had several people I've told via chat that I'm not okay with their request and I've also gone to meet and greets where I've had to cut it short and tell them flat out no because they misled in their booking.
I asked this question of Rover and explained that most of the walkers and sitters are women and yes we can meet & greet for dog walking at a park but who is going to stay in a home without seeing the home? Sure we can tell someone where we are going but if the owner has ill intent it's to late!
I've written to Rover and suggested they start this, or AT LEAST require the owner to upload a picture of themselves and their dog! I told them it's a win-win for us and them. because the more comfortable we feel, the more bookings we will accept.
I think they should too!! I signed up for Rover last week and I’ve already had a suspicious “owner” message me yesterday. They gave me their phone number and asked me if I could run errands for them for extra pay. I agreed & they proceeded to tell me they were going to send me a check from
their employer to pay for everything. His niece (who lives in New York) posted the ad for him & was moving from Paris to my city. I live 1,400 miles from New York, so I thought it was strange. It made me question if owners go through any verification process to ensure our safety..