Dog walker not walking dog

krlyr

Asking on behalf of a friend, so apologies for not having full details.

Said friend has used a dog walking service for several years. Used, for the most part, for walks 3 days a week where they cannot get home to the dog. Friend thought they had a good relationship with the walker - dog has some issues so it was important that they could trust the walker, both for the dog's wellbeing and the safety of handling a dog with a couple of issues (no history of biting etc. but not great with other dogs and friend didn't want a bite history to ever occur)

For the past 6 months to a year, friend has been having the odd hunch about if the dog has been walked. Lead not having moved, dog being dry despite it raining all day, etc., but nothing concrete. Thought maybe the walker was just using their own lead, or whatever.

Well, friend had to record the dog for diagnostic purposes to do with a minor health issue it is having - for whatever reason, walker wasn't aware of the camera. The first day, the video showed the dog being taken out for 15 minutes only, despite being paid for an hour walk. The second video has shown the walker arrive, leave a note re. having had a good walk, and then leave..without walking the dog.

Setting my personal feelings about it aside..would love some advice on what my friend can do legally. It's probably totted up to around £2000 a year in dog walking charges, for a service that may not have even been provided.

Walks were always paid for in cash, left for the walker on the day. Don't think there was a signed contract, but assume an agreement for the regular 3 walks a week. Think there are perhaps texts that may have details - I can clarify this.

Any other tips would be good. Recouping money would be great, but we're both concerned about how many other people/dogs are being scammed in the same way. It was a huge weight off friend's shoulder to know the dog was being cared for during the day, and now they're gutted to find out that wasn't the case.

hollydays

Poor dog. Firstly you can only prove what you have evidence of already.
If you confront her she'll probably break down and claim illness blah blah , and say it was only these two times.


What does your friend want ?

My own thoughts are , I'd alert other people who's dogs she's supposedly walking before I did anything else.
She could use a private detective to gather evidence.

elsien

In terms of recouping any money, your friend can't be sure how long this has been going on for - she'd need more proof to take it further, I think. Otherwise dog walker could argue it was just those two occasions.

Poppie68

If there's no proof of the same happening previous then they can't prove the full service wasn't provided. They need to speak to the walker and ascertain what happened on the recorded days, it maybe they had a personal issue or such...While it's not right at least it may put the owners mind at rest and they should also ask for a refund on those days affected.

Mojisola

krlyr wrote: »

For the past 6 months to a year, friend has been having the odd hunch about if the dog has been walked.

Why on earth did it take so long to make a serious check on the walker?

teddysmum

I would worry about the professional responsibility of this person.


Cash in hand; so are they a proper business, do they have insurance and are they knowledgeable about dogs, especially those with issues? Someone not knowledgeable could make any issues worse.

krlyr

Mojisola wrote: »

Why on earth did it take so long to make a serious check on the walker?

teddysmum wrote: »

I would worry about the professional responsibility of this person.


Cash in hand; so are they a proper business, do they have insurance and are they knowledgeable about dogs, especially those with issues? Someone not knowledgeable could make any issues worse.

Dog walker is also a dog trainer with experience in dog reactivity and other behavioural issues. Hence the reason friend trusted them with their dog, and presumably why they thought their niggles were just that. They've had a lot on their plate personally over the last year too, I can't speak for them but guess that has contributed to them deciding to shrug off the doubts and trust the walker.

teddysmum

krlyr wrote: »

Dog walker is also a dog trainer with experience in dog reactivity and other behavioural issues. Hence the reason friend trusted them with their dog, and presumably why they thought their niggles were just that. They've had a lot on their plate personally over the last year too, I can't speak for them but guess that has contributed to them deciding to shrug off the doubts and trust the walker.

Not all people who claim to be dog trainers are actually knowledgeable or qualified.


I have been to two training establishments, in the past, where I walked out.


In one case, they had no idea about running a class, tying dogs to radiators while working dogs walked within less than a metre.


In the other, the man running the class could not control his own dogs, which he also kept tied up during the class.(When this one retired to Devon, the school caretaker, who had 'opened up' for the sessions, took over, his experience being he owned a dog. After I left, a friend who stayed on said he allowed a known nasty dog to join the classes and there was an attack ).

krlyr

teddysmum wrote: »

Not all people who claim to be dog trainers are actually knowledgeable or qualified.


I have been to two training establishments, in the past, where I walked out.


In one case, they had no idea about running a class, tying dogs to radiators while working dogs walked within less than a metre.


In the other, the man running the class could not control his own dogs, which he also kept tied up during the class.(When this one retired to Devon, the school caretaker, who had 'opened up' for the sessions, took over, his experience being he owned a dog. After I left, a friend who stayed on said he allowed a known nasty dog to join the classes and there was an attack ).

I agree with you. Without wanting to name & shame, this walker/trainer is an APDT member too - friend thought they'd found a decent trainer. I'd used them before for my own dog, though only a short course, and wouldn't have suspected them of doing something like this - they talked all the talk of a good trainer.

hollydays

It's not words that count , its actions.

I hope your friend or you can eventually expose them if it's appropriate.
How long has apdt been established?
If they area" paid for membership" it probably means nothing

sheramber

Your friend needs to challenge the dog walker with her evidence.

I did read of one owner who was off sick and the dog waker did not know she was in the house.Like your friend she discovered the walker did not walk the dog but sat and ate her lunch and then left.
She immediately cancelled the arrangement.

I don't see much prospect of her getting money back, except perhaps the two occasions she has proof of.

Has the trainer got a facebook page your friend can comment on to tell others what happened?

APDT code states that they must not bring the APDT into disrepute so a complaint to them may be appropriate.

A letter to the local paper?.