a single response NO, Rover sitters are not insured or bonded. However, there is a guarantee that provides limited coverage for the dog owner.
Are Rover sitters trustworthy?
Always trust your instincts, as Deb suggested. That will be your most effective defense. It takes some time to get used to seeing strangers at your home or theirs, but the majority of Rover’s users are just regular individuals seeking for a sitter. There will always be some shady characters out there, so pay attention to your instincts if you have any strange sensations about someone, but in general, confidence comes with experience. To begin, meeting in a public place or bringing a friend or family member along for the M&G, even if they stay in the car, may be preferable. If that’s not an option, let someone know where you’ll be and when you’ll be back, and then check in with them once the M&G is through. If you don’t hear from them by a specific time, have them call you.
I’m a boarder, so I have clients come to my house for the M&G, but instead of welcoming them inside right away, I greet them at the curb and we take our dogs for a stroll around the neighborhood together to get to know each other. This is primarily for the benefit of the dogs, as it helps them to settle in and get to know one another, but it also allows me to get a sense of the human. I’ve never had any reservations about anyone I’ve met through Rover, but if I did, this would allow me to cancel the M&G before putting myself in a potentially dangerous scenario. Even if you’re a travel sitter, you can set up your M&Gs in the same way, by asking to meet the client and their dog(s) at a local park or cafe and walking with them for a few minutes to ensure that everyone (human and animal) is at ease before returning to their home.
That I previously stated, the majority of folks are just regular dog owners searching for a regular sitter, and they typically have the same worries about letting someone into their home as you have. It will put both of you at ease if you handle yourself professionally and confidently.
Can you sue a Rover sitter?
Wag! and Rover’s possible liability for lost or damaged pets has never been tested in a California appellate court and is unlikely to be.
Because Wag! and Rover’s contracts require pet owners to agree to only suit in small claims court or through arbitration, this is the case. Neither of these places makes precedent-setting decisions, much less ones that are made public.
However, a lawsuit against Uber is likely to be filed in the near future. And if that happens, dog owners may have ammunition to use against Wag! or Rover.
Uber has so far been successful in settling ride-sharing liability cases outside of court. That, though, could change.
For the time being, however, no one knows whether a lawsuit against Wag! or Rover would be successful.
If your dog has been misplaced or injured by a dog walker, we recommend speaking with an expert personal injury lawyer.
Are dog sitters insured?
Pet sitting is an excellent career choice for animal lovers. When you have a variety of creatures to care for, from cats and dogs to bunnies and birds, an accident is bound to happen. It’s possible that you’ll trip over a new dog or kitten and destroy the glass coffee table. As a result, when working with people’s prized pets, public liability insurance should be the first thing on your mind.
It is not a required coverage, but it is crucial in protecting you from the financial consequences of a claim for which you are proven liable. Pet sitters’ public liability insurance can protect you and your business against a variety of risks, including losing clients’ keys, a dog bite to a member of the public, and injury to the kitten in your care.
- When you’re playing fetch with a dog you’re watching, you throw the ball too hard and smash a window.
- You stepped on the cat’s tail while caring for it, and it now requires veterinary attention.
- This means, among other things, that you will ensure that your pets are vaccinated, licensed, identification-tagged, and/or microchipped as required by local laws or regulations; that you have obtained and will maintain any mandatory insurance policies concerning the pets whose care you entrust to Service Providers; and that you will ensure that your pets are vaccinated, licensed, identification-tagged, and/or microchipped as required by local laws or regulations (and that such policies will benefit third parties, including Service Providers, to the same extent they benefit you).
- For Service Providers, this means, among other things, that you certify that you are legally eligible to provide Pet Care Services in the jurisdiction where you provide Pet Care Services; that you have complied with and will comply with all applicable laws and regulations; that you have obtained all necessary business licenses, business tax registrations, and permits to legally provide Pet Care Services; and that, when providing Pet Care Services, you will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
You understand that Rover has the right to rely on these certifications from you, that Rover is not responsible for ensuring that all users follow applicable laws and regulations, and that Rover is not liable for a user’s failure to do so.
4. Rover Service Utilization; Suspension
4.1 Your Behaviour While on the Rover Service
When you use the Rover Service, you agree to the following terms:
- To only use the Rover Service in a legal manner and for the purposes intended.
- Not to use the Rover Service to arrange for the care of: (a) exotic or inherently dangerous pets, such as venomous snakes or constrictors, primates, wolves or wolf hybrids, non-domesticated cats, alligators, horses, or other livestock; (b) any animal whose ownership or third-party care is prohibited by applicable law; or (c) any animal with a history of, or has been trained for, attacks on pets or people.
- Viruses or other malicious programs should not be sent to or through the Rover Service.
- Not to use the Rover Service for illegal activities, or to interact with other Rover Service users for illegal purposes.
- Not to utilize the Rover Service to coordinate the provision and purchase of services with another user, then perform those transactions outside of the Rover Service.
- Use of the Rover Service for the purpose of competing with Rover or promoting other products or services is strictly prohibited.
- Not to publish Service Provider evaluations that aren’t based on your personal experience, are purposely false or deceptive, or violate these Terms.
- Not to upload pornographic, threatening, harassing, abusive, or defamatory content or materials, or content or materials that feature nudity or graphic violence, encourage violence, violate intellectual property rights, or violate the law or the legal rights of others (for example, privacy rights).
- To only use the Rover Service for your personal needs and not to impersonate anyone else.
- Not to transfer or authorize anyone else to use your Rover Service account, or to participate in fraudulent activities.
- Not to enter incorrect information in your Rover Service profile or registration, or to create additional or duplicate accounts.
- Not to interfere with our supply of the Rover Service, or the use of the Rover Service by any other user.
- Not to ask for another user’s Rover Service username and password, or any other sensitive personal information, such as bank account numbers.
5. Account Security and Registration You will be asked to create a username, password, and user profile in order to utilize various parts of the Rover Service. If you want to use the Rover Service, you promise to submit truthful information about yourself and to keep it current. You agree not to impersonate anyone else or to have multiple accounts (or, if Rover suspends or terminates your account, not to create additional accounts). You are responsible for keeping your username and password for the Rover Service secure and for all activity that occurs under your account. You promise to tell us immediately if your account is used without your permission.
6. Personal space.
Our Privacy Statement explains how we gather and handle your personal information on the Rover Service.
You accept that you have read and understand the Privacy Statement by accessing or using the Rover Service.
Your Content is number seven.
7.1 Your Contribution.
We may require or permit you (or someone acting on your behalf) to submit or upload text, photographs, images, videos, reviews, information, and materials to your Rover Service profile or otherwise in connection with your use of the Rover Service and/or participation in promotional campaigns we run on the Site (collectively, “Your Content”).
Service Providers, for example, are encouraged to create a profile page with a photo and other information, as well as send photos of the dogs in their care to Pet Owners, while Pet Owners are encouraged to leave reviews of Service Providers.
The license is 7.2.
Except as set forth in our Privacy Statement, you grant Rover an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully paid worldwide license to use, copy, perform, publicly display, reproduce, adapt, modify, transmit, broadcast, prepare derivative works of, and/or distribute Your Content in connection with providing and/or promoting the Rover.
7.4 Representations and Warranties You Make Regarding Your Content
You represent and warrant that (1) you are the owner or licensor of Your Content and that you have all rights, consents, and permissions necessary to grant the license in Section 7.2 and make the release in Section 7.3 with respect to Your Content, (2) that you have all necessary consents and releases from individuals who appear in Your Content or whose pets appear in Your Content, and (3) Your Content does not violate the law or these Terms.
7.5 Right to Screen or Remove Your Content
We reserve the right to monitor, review, modify, and/or remove Your Content from the Rover Service, however we are not compelled to do so.
Our ability to enforce these Terms with respect to Your Content is entirely up to us, and our failure to do so in one case does not imply that we will not be able to do so in the future.
We have no responsibility to keep or supply you with copies of Your Content, and we will not be liable to you if Your Content is deleted, disclosed, lost, or modified.
Maintaining backup copies of Your Content is solely your responsibility.
7.6 stars out of ten.
Users or their pets may be able to leave public and/or private feedback on the Rover Service.
You acknowledge that, in accordance with applicable law and our Privacy Statement, even private reviews may be shared with third parties, and that Rover has no duty to keep or store any reviews permanently.
If you are a Service Provider, we are under no duty to provide you with the content of any reviews about you that have been posted by other Rover Service users, whether before or after your account has been terminated.
We will not be liable to you if these reviews are deleted, disclosed, lost, or modified.
At any time, we maintain the right to screen, alter, or delete these evaluations from the Rover Service.
Phone, text, and mobile communications are all options.
Consent to Autodialed Text Messages (8.1 Consent to Autodialed Text Messages (8.1 Consent to Autodialed
Only users in the United States are covered by this section 8.1.
Even if your phone number is on the do-not-call list, you consent to Rover communicating with you regarding the Rover Service via SMS, text message, email, and other electronic means, including autodialed text messages carrying service information and/or marketing communications.
These conversations will be subject to your carrier’s standard messaging, data, and other rates and fees.
You are not required to provide your consent to receive marketing messages as a condition of purchasing anything or using the Rover Service, and you can opt-out at any time as indicated in our Privacy Statement (though you may continue to receive messages while Rover processes your request).
8.2 Changes in Phone Numbers
You undertake to promptly change your Rover account information if you deactivate a mobile phone number provided to us so that messages are not delivered to the person who acquires your old number.
9. Payment & Fees
Currency: 9.1
All fees, deductible amounts, and other payments mentioned on or invoiced through the Rover Service are listed in local currency and payable in that currency.
Fees for Pet Owners: $9.2
By completing a Booking as described in Section 2.5, Pet Owners can purchase Pet Care Services from a Service Provider.
When you accept a Booking as a Pet Owner, you enter into a transaction with the Service Provider and agree to pay the whole fees stated in the Booking.
The total amount Pet Owners are paid for a Booking may additionally include a service fee payable to Rover, as outlined in Sections 9.3 and 9.4.
Where applicable taxes are required by law, the amount charged will include them.
The Pet Care Services are the responsibility of the Service Provider, not Rover.
9.3 Fees for Service Providers.
By consenting to a Booking as specified in Section 2.5, Service Providers can agree to offer Pet Care Services to a Pet Owner.
If you are a Service Provider, you must confirm the Booking before it expires, otherwise the Pet Owner will be free to walk away.
You promise to honor the price stated in your Booking once both parties have completed the Booking.
The Pet Owner and the Service Provider engage in a transaction while purchasing Pet Care Services.
Rover’s job is to make the deal go smoothly.
We will collect payment from the Pet Owner at the time of Booking (either directly or indirectly through an authorized third party) and (except to the extent of any payment hold pursuant to Section 9.7) initiate payment to the Service Provider’s account 48 hours after the service period indicated in the Booking is completed.
A service fee is charged to Service Providers, as indicated in Section 9.4.
Where applicable taxes are required by law, the amount charged will include them.
9.4 Service Charges
Some components of the Rover Service are subject to service costs.
If you are a Service Provider, our service charge is computed as a proportion of the payments a Pet Owner agrees to pay you in a Booking and is collected from each Booking, unless otherwise requested via the Rover Service.
Here is a list of our service fees.
Late Fees and Other Charges: 9.5
If you are a Pet Owner, you understand and accept that you will be charged for additional service time (pro rata for each partial late day) at the daily fee indicated in the Booking if you fail to reclaim your pet at the end of the service term agreed in the Booking.
Furthermore, you agree to hold Rover harmless from any additional costs and expenses we or the Service Provider incur as a result of your failure to retrieve your pet at the end of the service period agreed in a Booking, and you agree that we may charge your credit card or other payment method for those costs and expenses.
- Reservations are safe. Rover can assist you in finding alternative Service Providers when Service Providers cancel Bookings close the start date of the service term stated in the Booking, as more clearly described on Rover’s Reservation Protection page. Reservation Protection is available depending on the timing of the cancellation and the type of Pet Care Services given; see the Reservation Protection page for more information.
- Service Provider Cancellations
- We will refund the costs paid by the Pet Owner for Pet Care Services not given, as well as any service charge paid to Rover, if a Service Provider cancels a Booking prior to or during the service period stated in the Booking.
- If you are a Service Provider, you can appoint a substitute Service Provider by contacting Rover to amend the Booking (as allowed by the Pet Owner and as long as the substitute has an active account on the Rover Service and has consented in writing to accept a Booking).
- Rover may terminate your account if you do not locate an alternative and frequently cancel accepted Bookings without cause.
- Pet Owner Cancellations
- We shall refund payments in accordance with the cancellation policy established by the Service Provider on the Rover Service if a Pet Owner cancels a Booking prior to or during the service term specified in the Booking.
- Prior to completing a Booking, all Service Providers must choose a cancellation policy so that Pet Owners are aware of the policy before booking.
- Please visit the Help Center for more information on cancellation policies.
- ‘Force Majeure’ is a legal term that refers to
- The cancellation policies described herein may not apply in the event of certain emergency situations beyond the control of Service Providers and/or Pet Owners that make it impossible or impractical to carry out agreed-upon Bookings, such as evacuations caused by earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, war, riots, or other similar disasters.
- In such instances, Rover may, in its reasonable judgment, provide refunds on terms that differ from the cancellation policy chosen by the Service Provider.
- Failure to perform results in a refund.
- We may cancel a Booking and/or offer a full or partial refund to a Pet Owner if we believe in our reasonable judgement that a Service Provider has failed to deliver Pet Care Services as agreed with the Pet Owner or has otherwise violated these Terms.
- Cancellation Policies in General
- If you need to cancel a Booking, you should do it using the Rover Service’s processes.
- The date of cancellation is the date that a user cancels through the Rover Service, regardless of any separate communications between users outside of the Rover Service, for the purposes of the rules and terms in this Section 9.6.
- Disputes Over Payment; Payment Outside of the Rover Service
- Rover makes payments to Service Providers 48 hours after a Booking is completed.
- Any subsequent payment problems are between the Pet Owner and the Service Provider once these funds have been disbursed, and Rover has no duty to arbitrate or aid any resolution.
- In addition, Rover disclaims all responsibility and liability for any tips, bonuses, or other payments made outside of the Rover Service.
9.7 Payment Holds are a type of payment hold that occurs when a payment is If you are a Service Provider, Rover reserves the right to place a hold on amounts due to you under Section 9.3 if there is a reasonable suspicion of fraudulent activity involving your account(s) or for any other similarly compelling reason involving the protection of Rover, the Rover community, or third-party rights. Under the same circumstances, we may recommend that third-party payment service providers restrict your access to funds in your account.
9.8 Charge Authorization
You must provide us with valid, up-to-date credit card or other payment information when paying for Pet Care Services or other services on the Rover Service, and you must keep that payment information (or an acceptable alternative payment method) on file with your account as long as you have any outstanding, confirmed Bookings. Rover’s role is to act as a limited payment agent for Service Providers, facilitating payments from Pet Owners to Service Providers. You authorize us to charge your credit card or other payment method for fees incurred on the Rover Service as they become due and payable, as well as to charge any alternative payment method Rover has on file for you if your primary payment method is expired, invalid, or otherwise unable to be charged. It is your responsibility to keep your payment information up to date. You accept that if we are unable to charge you for fees when they are due because your payment information is no longer valid, or if we do not receive your payment when it is due, Rover and the Service Provider will not be liable for any failure to perform services related to those costs. All fees paid through the Rover Service are non-refundable once paid, unless otherwise stated in these Terms.
Taxes are 9.9% of the total.
You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for paying any applicable taxes that arise as a result of your purchase, provision, or use of Pet Care Services via the Rover Service, except for taxes on Rover’s income and gross receipts or where Rover is otherwise required to collect taxes.
This includes, but is not limited to, any sales tax, VAT, or income tax imposed on fees paid or received through the Rover Service.
Background checks and identity verifications are the tenth and eleventh items on the list.
Rover may give Service Providers access to third-party consumer reporting agencies that provide services such as personal identification verification (“Identity Verification”), criminal records checks, sex offender registry checks, motor vehicle records checks, and/or identification verifications (collectively, “Background Checks”).
These services are limited to Identity Verification outside of the United States and Canada.
We do not provide, and are not responsible or liable in any way for, the Background Checks or Identity Verifications, and we do not endorse or make any representations or warranties about their reliability, or the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any information contained in the Background Checks or Identity Verifications.
In the Background Checks and Identity Verifications, we do not independently check information.
If you use the Rover Service to conduct a Background Check or Identity Verification, you agree to the collection, use, and sharing of the information collected, and you agree to submit complete and correct information for your Background Check or Identity Verification.
You understand and agree that Rover may, in its sole discretion, review and rely on the information in the Background Check or Identity Verification in determining whether to suspend, terminate, or investigate a complaint about a Service Provider, but that we are not obligated to do so, and that we are not responsible or liable in any way if any information in any Background Check or Identity Verification is not accurate, timely, or complete.
If you are the subject of a Background Check or Identity Verification, you have the right to dispute the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the information by contacting the appropriate third-party consumer reporting agency.
You agree that the consumer reporting agency employed for Background Checks or Identity Verification benefits from Rover’s rights and responsibilities under the Arbitration Agreement in respect of any claim that would be subject to the Arbitration Agreement if filed against us.
Rover maintains the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or terminate your access to the Rover Service based on the information provided in the Background Check or Identity Verification, or for any other reason, or no reason.
Pet owners must continue to evaluate and investigate their Service Providers on their own.
Keep in mind the following limits when conducting background checks: Rover does not conduct background checks on any Users unless clearly stated otherwise in these Terms or through the Service. The type, breadth, and depth of a background check may differ. The findings will not include records that are not available to third-party Background Check companies. Not all jurisdictions have access to all arrest logs and records, conviction and punishment records, sex offender registries, and motor vehicle data. Arrest logs and records, conviction and correction records, sex offender registries, and motor vehicle records are not included in Background Checks in many jurisdictions. Minors’ histories and infractions may not be available in the public record, so they are not included in the findings. Nolle prosequi (abandonment of prosecution) cases, arrests that do not end in convictions, arrests or convictions in foreign nations, and nolle prosequi (abandonment of prosecution) cases are not required to be reported. Traffic offences are not included unless they are reported as criminal offenses by a jurisdiction. Traffic offences may be included in the results as misdemeanors or felonies in jurisdictions where they are reported as criminal offenses.
Copyright infringement is number eleven.
- a description of the URL or other location on our Site where you believe the material you allege is infringing is located;
What happens if Rover loses my dog?
Tiny, the chihuahua, has been gone for more than 20 days. Rubin described her month of job hunting as “like a second job.”
“I stayed in Sacramento and did not return to the Bay Area, where I live and work, to distribute flyers to every home within a 5-mile radius.”
A lost dog may be terrible for a website like Rover. Companies like Rover and Wag, a similar dog-sitting firm started in 2014, have received negative attention. Such businesses face the tough task of persuading people to entrust their loved ones to strangers, and any hint of dissent can cause havoc with their business models.
Despite a consistent influx of investor investment, these businesses face a variety of challenges. “They’re fighting many of the same issues that have bedeviled other gig economy players,” writes Bloomberg’s Olivia Zaleski. “Regulatory scrutiny, complaints about shoddy service provided by people they don’t directly employ, high marketing costs, and heavy losses.”
According to Bloomberg, Rover has hired three lawyers to fight “more than a dozen city and state officials who allege its pet sitters operate as unlicensed kennels and are illegal,” according to Bloomberg.
All owners are covered by “premium insurance,” according to Gonzalez, and Rover’s services include “local sitters who assist in the search, pet amber warnings, leaflets, and other stuff.” When a dog goes missing or is injured while under a sitter’s care, Gonzalez says Rover suspends the account pending a full investigation, which could lead to the sitter being removed from the platform.
Is it safe to give Rover my SSN?
You’re giving your social security number to the background check processor, not Rover, when you submit it. Your number is not stored; it is sent directly to Checkr, the processing business.
Can you trust Rover dog walkers?
As previously said, the question is not “should you trust Rover,” but rather “have you done your due research and do you trust the sitter you got through Rover?” Rover is a sitter network, and while they do undertake background checks, these are primarily for criminal purposes and have no bearing on how well the sitter will treat your pet. It is your obligation to conduct your own research, and if you are still hesitant or uncomfortable, consider boarding your dog.
Rover is one of the most popular pet-sitting and dog-walking apps on the market. We’ve heard from satisfied clients whose pups received one-on-one attention and even some cute images or videos of them resting or playing thanks to their app, which promotes contact between the sitter and the owner. In the worst-case scenario, we’ve heard of puppies being abused or even dying. So, treat your dog as if he were a child, and don’t rush this decision!
How do I know Rover is safe?
I may look for anyone’s name on MyCase.IN.Gov. It displays pending and resolved criminal issues across the state as long as it is available. This is an easy technique to determine whether the person with whom you are leaving your dog is a trustworthy, non-criminal individual.
Can you get sued for losing someone’s dog?
You may also be able to sue someone who negligently hurt or murdered your pet animal (legalese for carelessness). To win a negligence lawsuit, you must show that the defendant (the person you’re suing) had a duty to be reasonably careful, failed to satisfy that obligation, and caused harm to you as the wounded animal’s owner as a direct result of that negligence. (Injuries to animals aren’t enough because they’re considered property.) Typically, the harm will be in the form of veterinary fees for treating the injury or the cost of replacing a killed animal. Almost majority states’ courts do not allow compensation for emotional harm caused by losing or seeing companion animals suffer in negligence cases.
Pet sitters, dog walkers, shelter personnel, and groomers are all examples of people who have taken on the task of caring for someone else’s pet and have been sued for negligence. (In cases of veterinary malpractice, special legal standards apply.) When drivers hit and injure animals, they may face negligence lawsuits because they have a legal responsibility to drive carefully. However, unless the drivers were being particularly reckless, state laws often absolve them of that liability if the dogs were running loose on the road (see, for example, Tex. Agric. Code Ann. 143.103).
- Animal control officers seize and imprison a dog. An employee destroys the dog the next day, oblivious to the fact that the canine is wearing a license tag, implying that its owner may have been notified.
- On a hot day, a dog-walking service employee leaves a dog in a parked car, and the animal succumbs to heat prostration.
- A sloppy groomer causes razor burn on a dog, which becomes infected and necessitates medical attention.
- A tree trimmer recklessly throws a large branch in the neighbor’s yard, harming a dog.