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Safety, dog thieves?

I advertise my my pet-sitting/dog walking business on a local craigslist-type site. I post my link to Rover and don't give out my home address or anything so I haven't worried much about my security/scams but I had an anonymous person message me today asking what breed the dog in my picture was. They didn't mention anything about wanting a petsitter so I just responded asking if their dog has issues with certain breeds. Then they said, not at all, he's just beautiful and I was curious.

So I do have a very beautiful dog, and the person may have been genuinely curious but I'm a little nervous because I know that there have been issues with dog thieves and dog fighting rings in my area. I don't plan on responding to them but was wondering if there are any additional measures (other than locking your doors) that other Rover sitters take to ensure that their homes and dogs remain safe. I also don't usually give out my address until after the meet and greet, but have had a couple no-shows who have my address.

3 Answers

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I usually keep the dogs downstairs, or in a bedroom to keep them away from the main part of the house. If you want some additional safety tips though, I recommend contacting Rover support--they should be able to give you some additional tips!

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Haley, good question. Always go with your gut. Glad you questioned the motives. My husband & I don't like the idea of advertising on craigslist because of so many scams constantly in the news from it. We have a 6' privacy fence with bolt locks on the inside. To protect our cars, we are thankful to have a garage, which I also use as a secondary safety provision, so dogs don't get out. We don't open the garage door until the kitchen door is closed, and vice versa, so dogs can't bolt outside loose.

The advice is "Spot On" to contact Rover support! :)

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I agree with contacting Rover. I have a 6' privacy fence with gates that lock from the inside. The dogs aren't left alone outside for longer than a few minutes (if I have to use the bathroom). The house doors are always locked. I have signs that say beware of dog, and signs that make it clear there is a handgun on the premises. (I do have a CCW.) When first meeting, all dogs are in bedrooms until I have met the owner and the dog. I meet outside before inviting them in.