THE ROVER TRAGEDY

"My 15 month old dog was killed by Rover pet sitters dog."

That was the call a Texas pet owner got back from a two-day trip gone horribly wrong. They had left their 15-month-old dog with a stay-at-home couple found on Rover, a pair with multiple five-star reviews, a history of caring for puppies and other dogs, and, the poster says, a profile that promised they "provided a safe space for all dogs."

Instead, the booking ended with a death.

According to the poster, the sitters' explanation came hours after the dog had already died. They said the dog had been humping their dog while eating food, and that their dog "grabbed him by the neck and killed him." The poster says the sitters also admitted there had been signs of aggression from their dog toward the poster's dog before, but no one had warned them, and the dogs were never separated.

By the time the poster was told what happened, the dog had already been dead for hours. The poster told the sitters to wrap him in a blanket so they could come get him, but the sitters said "they aren't home now and would get it done in an hour!?" So the poster drove to the house and picked up the body themselves.

What they saw only deepened the confusion. The poster says the dog's body was "covered in dirt and grass," which did not match the sitters' story about an indoor fight over food. A vet report, as the poster describes it, showed bite marks near the abdomen, broken ribs, and bruises all over him. To the poster, that looked less like a quick attack and more like a dog being thrown around outside for an extended period of time.

Since the call, the sitters have gone quiet. The poster says they have been "completely silent," offering no full explanation and "not even giving me any information on what happened or even an apology."

The case has already moved beyond the Rover app. The poster says they have a case open with Rover's safety team, are in contact with animal control, and filed a police report. Animal control, they say, confirmed the other dog was unlicensed and not up to date on rabies vaccination, and issued citations. The poster says they may also pursue small claims court.

For the owner, the loss is personal and immediate. "He was my first dog I ever got after I moved into my own apartment alone," they wrote. "He was the silliest, energetic and kindest dog ever." They said he was perfectly healthy, had no issues at all, and was only 15 months old.