By Rachael O'ConnorShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA woman who was hired to look after three dogs while their owner was away got a shock when she realized what the plan for their care was.
The woman, who did not give her name but posts to Reddit under the username u/TrebleTreble, lives in New Mexico, and told Newsweek she believes the situation highlights how society lacks "good animal welfare resources and education," adding that it was not the first time she had seen this happen.
In a post to r/dogs in October, she pleaded for advice after learning the dogs she would be dropping in on twice a day while their owner was on vacation would be left in their crates for the rest of the day.
As she titled it: "Owner intends to leave dogs in crates for 23 hours a day."
She explained she was hired through a dog sitting app to check in on the dogs—a young golden retriever and border collie, and a senior mix breed—for 30 minutes in the morning and evening.
But when she went to the house to meet the owner and dogs before the two-day vacation, she realized: "Because they've been destructive in the past, her plan is to keep the golden and the collie in their wire crates when I’m not there, which would be 23 hours a day."
Taking to Reddit with the predicament, she said: "That the owner even thinks this is fine is very concerning. Do I have any options over and above calling animal welfare?"
...There was a big response to her post, which has more than 1,000 upvotes, with hundreds commenting to share support and their own concerns.
"I don't understand why these types of people even get pets. Very sad for the pups," one wrote, another agreeing: "She should be paying for an overnight pet sitter and for someone to let them out of their crates after four to six hours during the day. That is the minimum she should be doing."
Others suggested alerting a local dog rescue or animal control, but one pointed out "rescues have no legal authority" and another suggested "animal control isn't going to take the dogs over this."
The dog-sitter admitted to Newsweek that the post, despite having a big response, "didn't help, but really I think it's because there are no great solutions."
However, while the sit hasn't happened yet, she "did tell the owner that it was too long for her dogs to be in their kennels, and asked if she'd be willing to increase the drop-ins to an hour. She agreed to that.
"So for this booking at least, increasing the drop-ins to an hour at least gives me some breathing room to push that time."
Amber Batteiger, a veterinary technician and PR and communications manager at Embrace Pet Insurance, told Newsweek the situation "raises extremely valid welfare concerns, and the sitter’s instincts were spot on."
"Dogs are highly social animals who need daily mental stimulation, physical exercise, and interaction to stay healthy and well-adjusted," she said. "Confining any dog to a crate for 23 hours a day, especially young, high-energy breeds, is considered inappropriate and could meet the threshold for neglect under many animal welfare guidelines."
Adding that long-term confinement can lead to physical and psychological harm in dogs, Batteiger said any pet sitters who encounter a similar situation should document what they see and raise concerns with the owners, as some owners "simply just don’t realize how harmful" it could be.
The sitter could suggest alternatives such as dog-proofed rooms or exercise pens to allow the dogs to burn energy, but "if it’s clear the animals’ needs aren’t being met, they should contact local animal control, a humane agency, or law enforcement to request a welfare check."
It was also important to know, Batteiger said, that "pet sitters should never feel obligated to participate in care arrangements that compromise animal welfare. Neglect isn’t just about physical abuse. Deprivation of exercise, enrichment, and social contact is a serious welfare concern.
"Acting promptly matters because neglect is not only harmful, it may also be illegal."
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