The National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) is investigating a case of animal abuse. This follows the release of video footage, shared by the pet owner, of a pet sitter beating her seven-month-old boxer puppy, reports Times Live.
Two pet sitters are depicted grabbing the pet by its skin and violently flings him out of the house. Puppy owner, Mel Coltman, had found the pair through a Hermanus community Facebook group.
Following the disturbing exposer of self-proclaimed “professional pet sitter” beating and abusing the clients’ beloved puppy, Hector, on Wednesday, we would like to share a few things for you to consider before hiring hiring someone to take care of your beloved fur babies.
This is especially important because unlike most other animal professions, pet sitting is unregulated. This leaves pets vulnerable to acts of cruelty by unscrupulous service providers.
Here are a few things to consider before hiring a petsitter.
Ask for referrals
- Insist on seeing their resume.
- Ask for references from previous clients.
- Ask what qualifications, training and experience they have.
- Ask if they have any form of commercial liability insurance.
- Find out what their preferred method of communication is.
- Arrange a meet and greet session to see how they interact with your pets.
- Trust your instinct and go with your gut!
Caring pet owners deserve a “peace of mind” guarantee and everyone’s pet has the right to feel safe, happy and relaxed in their home (their safe place).
We salute the victim of this heinous crime for being brave enough to share her heartbreak and cautionary warning and wish those entrusted with the prosecution of this pair of alleged animal abusers every success in their quest to ensure justice for Hector.
Picture: Supplied