what happens if you get bit?
what do u do if sitter gets bit by dog?
5 Answers
If you are asking about insurance, Rover's insurance does not cover reimbursement for injuries to you or damages to your home. Your own medical insurance should cover seeing a doctor. This site has some excellent procedures to follow in that eventuality:
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-bites
Also, you should contact Rover Customer Support about continued care for the guest dog. You may not want to sit for it any further and Rover would need to get involved in finding another sitter. The owners should also be notified if/when this happens. It is important they be contacted about the dog's past behavior and its vaccination record. During my Meet & Greet, the form I give prospective clients asks whether their dog has ever bit anyone.
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doesnt rover already require all the shot information? and information about the dog? and what happens if the dog has fleas and my dog get it???
No, I don't think Rover requires all that much info about the dog. Some profiles I've seen don't even show the breed. And not all the clients answer the yes/no questions. And If I remember correctly, Rover doesn't provide any coverage for fleas, ticks, etc.
Rover doesn't require owners provide information about vaccinations. That is up to the sitter. Vaccination requirements are not standard across the country, so it is better to keep it local.
We got bit by a dog and it ran out of our yard. :( The owner doesn't believe me that her dog bit two of my family members. My account is now on hold for an investigation and the owner is very upset making threats to me all over facebook. It has become a very stressful situation.
We tried to downplay the bit as not to get the dog in trouble. Then we had to search for the dog cause it left our yard. So frustrating.
Rover actually does give reimbursement for injuries to you or damages to your home. This is what Rovers Covers: https://www.rover.com/insurance/ https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-resources/premium-insurance-info/%3C/p%3E (https://www.rover.com/blog/sitter-resources/premium-insurance-info/)
Rover told me that would not reimburse me for my ER visit after a severe dog bite that required sutures.
Oh wow! Ok, I'm new to Rover and just passed the background check yesterday but reading these comments, I think I will not be a sitter for Rover after all. I don't see any protection for the sitters/walkers anywhere. That is NOT good. Speaking from experience working hands-on with animals at a 24/7 veterinary emergency hospital, it does not matter how friendly a pet can be at the first meeting. Uncertainty, nervousness, and fear can happen if a pet is in an unknown environment with someone they just met and doesn't spend every day living with them. When that happens, the sweetest, the most well-behaved pet can get aggressive or have a sudden personality change. Even if you care for the pet in their own home (a.k.a their territory), a change can happen. Even meeting the pet beforehand with the parents present might not be enough. Once the pet parents are gone, you are considered a stranger to the pet. They will protect themselves and their territory when feeling scared, nervous, or unsure.
Once, I was in charge of caring for a midsize female dog recovering from surgery at work. For five days, the dog never showed me any aggressiveness. I could lift her, pet her, move her with no problems, administer medication, and bathe her. Then one day, I adjusted her the tiniest bit, and she snapped at my face. Luckily, my face wasn't close enough for her to get. However, she was feeling a little sore that day, and that is how she let me know. That is the only way for her to tell me. After that, she was fine with me again. It was sudden, but it was not surprising. It happens.
Another example:
When I was younger, my dog Cisco was very friendly, but he was also a protector of his territory. Someone in my family or me that lived in the house had to always let someone in and "introduce" the person coming in. My brother's best friend was always someone who hung out at our house. Cisco knew him very well and always played with him. One day, my brother's best friend walked into the house unannounced, and Cisco immediately went into protective mode because he saw him as an intruder when we were not around. Luckily, he had a thick winter jacket on, and he was not injured when my dog grabbed his arm. My dog was even fine with him after the fact and going forward. It was just the suddenness of someone coming in unannounced that triggered it to happen. My brother's best friend always made sure to knock and wait for us to open the door. It happens.
So after a long post (sorry about that), I think I decided not to work with Rover. I should have dove deeper into this site. I would think that any animal-related company would have protection for the workers and not just the clients. I assumed wrong. This sucks. Animals are unpredictable, ...
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Alicia, the reason is that sitters and walkers do not work for Rover. We are not their employees. We are all independent contractors and have to have our own insurance coverage.
If Rover wants to just be a lead generator that's their prerogative, but it's cheeky to take 20% of my pay and then leave me SOL if a client dog damages my property or bites me (both of these things have happened to me.) Their "insurance" covers very little. Once I build a book I'm off this site.
I did a meet and greet for a diabetic cats that need insulin injections twice a day. I’ve done many injections before and this cat was lovey dovey with me so I thought, no problem. First visit was this morning. I got there just before the owners were leaving and the cat was rubbing up against me and I was petting him, so far so good right? NOPE! The minute the owner walked out the door, the cat turned on me. He had to have the shot 15 min after eating but no later. I tried the soft talk, sitting about 4ft away while he was eating and not looking at him directly. Made NO difference! Strike 1!
So I’m trying my darndest to just catch him. He was hissing, spitting and growling with his ears back and tail flapping. I knew I was in for it but I had to get the shot in him. I finally cornered him in the laundry room (again, something I would never do to a cat in any other circumstance). He’s not allowed treats or other food of any kind….Strike 2!
He scratched and bit me and I didn’t even get ahold of him to do the injection. I knew I had to try again and I was dreading it.
Finally I got a towel, threw it over him and scruffed him. I got it done. But this was only the first visit of a 7 day booking 2 times a day. I’m dreading going back but rover is not going to find another sitter willing to take on this kind of assault.
The owner is very nice and I honestly don’t think she had any inkling this would happen. She apologized and said she agreed that scruffing was fine because the meds are the priority.
I’m taking some welding gloves back with me tonight. Fingers crossed that I come out unscathed this time.
Oh, and she has a second cat, a real A-hole. He actually attacks me offensively. I didn’t do anything or even move in his direction. He chased me to try to attack me.
I agree about Rover, they just hang you out to dry. They are only concerned with the owners.
By the way, I heard that Rover also charges the owners a booking fee in addition to the 20% they charge the sitters. Unbelievable that everything on their end is automated and they think they deserve 30-40%?! I’m reconsidering being a sitter on rover. I may as well advertise on my own since that seems to be all they provide for sitters.
If a sitter gets bitten by a dog while pet sitting or dog walking, they should immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Then, they should seek medical attention if necessary, especially if the bite is deep or if there are signs of infection. They should then contact Rover support to report the incident and get guidance on how to proceed. In some cases, the bite may need to be reported to animal control or other authorities. Additionally, It is important for the sitter to document the incident with photos and written description of the bite, as well as any relevant information about the dog's behavior leading up to the bite. Also, keep records of any medical bills or other expenses related to the bite. It is important for sitters to have liability insurance to protect themselves in case of any accidents or incidents while working with pets.
If you get bit, you have to assess if you need a medical treatment or not. Make sure the dog is vaccinated for rabies. You are responsible for medical cost.
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Is the owner of the dog liable for reimbursement of a sitter’s medical costs?