What to do if a dog dies in your care?

I was in your situation this weekend with a dog who wasn't doing well and then got pneumonia during our time together. I think whether he will pass or not, you need multiple local contacts and make sure you have complete vet information and directions from the owner about what to do should he get sick and you can't get ahold of them.

In my case this weekend, they thankfully had a friend who could help lift him to get him to the vet and I was able to reach the owners when the dog did not get better to ask if they wanted me to take him to the emergency vet as their vet suggested when I called.

The key is communication whether the dog ends up dying or not, but to answer your question I would call the owners first, their emergency contacts and then Rover if you absolutely need to. Rover support does nothing except call the owner and I believe it is best to get that call from the sitter who has hopefully been communicating the circumstances along the way.

Ideally the owner should leave you with instructions on what to do in a life threatening event. They are aware of their own pets issues and should plan accordingly. The hospital I work for has plenty of people that travel and they leave the information with us regardless if the pet is boarding with us. IE: CPR or DNR status, cremation/paw print preferences, credit card or care credit number and specific $ amount authorized for treatment if they’re not reachable. I would not take on sitting for a critically ill animal unless this was all decided upon in advance.

personal experience, here

A few years ago, my best friend asked me to dogsit for her while she was out of town. She had a greyhound mix that was sick and she felt wasn’t going to be around much longer. Before she went out of town, we drove up to the vet office & she put her CC on file in case anything happened. She also left the vet office number and her neighbors home number. Three days after she went out of town, her dog passed during the night. I called her to break the news to her & asked what her wishes were for Daytona. She wanted me to text the neighbor (who loved her dog) & invite her over to see her. Shortly after I took her to the vet and had her cremated (this was my friends request). I made sure her dog bed was clean and that her other dog had as much attention and affection as possible. It was a very emotional few days and I’m sure I sat on the couch for almost the whole day & didn’t move. To this day, though, my friend tells me she is indebted to me & wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to take care of her.

The steps you would take should be discussed with the owner, like contacting their vet, contacting the owner and also calling the Rover trust and safety team @ 888-727-1140. Hopefully you won't have to deal with this but it may happen, best of luck