S’pore dog owner allegedly blocked by sitter over missing items and late fee dispute, then receives ‘sudden’ refund
A pet owner says a boarding stay for her dog left her with unanswered questions after some of his belongings went missing and fewer meal packs were used than she had prepared.
Stomper Clara had boarded her two-year-old dog Ori with a sitter she had engaged via a pet-sitting site from June 26 to June 30 while she went on holiday.
She told Stomp in late July that she had engaged the sitter’s services for the first time in May and the experience was smooth, so she had no reservations about hiring the same sitter again.
However, after collecting Ori on June 30 at around 9pm, Clara said she discovered that his leash and harness, as well as his fur brush, were missing.
She had also prepared five individually packed meals for his five-day stay, but found that only three packs had been used.
Clara said she was concerned that Ori might not have been fed all the food she had provided, but the sitter allegedly told her Ori had not finished his food.
“She claimed that my dog did not finish his food, but when I asked if he was eating well, she said yes,” the dog owner said.
Missing leash and harness
Clara said the issue with Ori’s leash and harness had actually started before the June boarding.
On June 6, the sitter informed her that she had mistakenly given Ori’s leash and harness to another dog after the previous boarding in May. According to Clara, the sitter said she would return them when Ori stayed with her again.
Clara said she initially regarded it as a genuine mistake and did not think much of it.
She also showed Stomp photos, which she said showed the sitter using Ori’s leash and harness on another boarding dog.
After Ori’s stay in late June, Clara realised the items had still not been returned. She said the sitter told her on June 30 that her mother had misplaced the leash and harness and apologised.
“She apologised and assured me that she would reimburse me for the replacement,” Clara said.
On July 4, the sitter reportedly asked Clara to quote the cost for the replacement, saying she would reimburse the dog owner on July 11 when she returned to Singapore from overseas.
On July 14, Clara said the sitter asked for her PayNow number — but revoked her promise to reimburse Clara the following day, citing a late checkout charge.
Clara disputed this, saying no late checkout fee or rate had been mentioned before.
She also pointed out that the sitter herself had suggested an 11pm pickup on June 30, while Clara ultimately collected Ori at 9pm — two hours earlier than the sitter’s suggestion.
Clara said no late checkout fee was mentioned in that exchange, or in Ori’s May boarding when she had collected him at night.
“During the first boarding, I also collected my dog later at night, and no late checkout fee was ever mentioned or imposed,” the Stomper said.
“I believed she was acting in good faith and would honour her promises,” Clara said.
“Had she been upfront from the beginning that she would not compensate me, or had she disclosed any alleged late checkout charges before or during collection, I would have addressed the issue immediately,” she added.
However, it was only after days of follow-ups and repeated assurances that the sitter allegedly brought up a ‘late checkout charge’ as the reason for refusing to reimburse Clara for her lost belongings.
Clara said she was subsequently blocked by the sitter on WhatsApp, as her last message to the sitter was only marked by a single tick.
Platform initially unable to resolve dispute
Clara escalated the matter to the pet-sitting platform, and it responded by saying, “We...truly hope that you are able to resolve this matter directly with the sitter”.
Clara questioned how she could do so after supposedly blocked by the sitter on WhatsApp.
She said she felt the situation was about more than the cost of replacing the missing items.
“It was about broken trust, a lack of accountability and a complete absence of transparency,” she said.
“As pet owners, we rely on trust because our pets cannot speak for themselves,” she said.
Clara said she is sharing her experience so other pet owners can ask questions and make informed decisions before leaving their pets with a sitter.
“I am now speaking out — not because I wanted conflict, but because I believe pet owners deserve a fair resolution process, transparent communication, and accountability from both service providers and the platforms that connect them with customers.”
In a turn of events, Clara told Stomp on Aug 11 that she had “suddenly” received reimbursement on July 19.
She was informed by the platform of the reimbursement. According to screenshots seen by Stomp, the platform also shared the fund transfer details with Clara.
Stomp’s emails to the platform on Aug 4 and Aug 11 remain unanswered.
Explore more on these topics
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
