Hi Rover Friends!

TLDR: Owner has been unresponsive and has not picked up their dog. What have you done in this situation?

Details:

I've been on Rover since Spring 2017, currently have 31 reviews, and I'm based in downtown San Francisco. For the first time since I started, an owner has been unresponsive and has not picked up their dog - I've been watching the dog since 12/19/2018, the stay is ending today, and the owner hasn't responded for nine days.

Rover Customer Support (the non-emergency number based in Oregon) said the current Rover protocol is to hand the dog over to Animal Control 24 hours after the stay has ended if the owner has still not responded. My conscience is screaming "No," and I'm learning Rover needs a more "fleshed out" protocol for these situations.

Details about the situation and/or things I've learned (For anyone else going through something similar):

(1) I did not meet the owner, as I picked up the dog from her brother and it was a last minute "emergency" request. This was against my normal protocol of completing a "Meet and Greet".

(2) She does not have an emergency phone number on her account (why doesn't Rover require this?). Her brother is not answering his line either.

(3) There has been no indication if something bad has happened to the owner, if she forgot the date, or if she is choosing to be unresponsive.

(4) Based on my conversation with Support, Rover does not have a formal protocol for payment if it is the case that the owner is choosing to remain unresponsive and potentially picks up the dog a few days late (ie they don't hold funds or have permission to charge a late fee. Please correct me if I'm wrong).

Have any of you all experienced this situation and what did you do?

Best,

Michelle