A woman is heartbroken by the death of her bulldog after a sitter allegedly left him overnight in a conservatory during a heatwave. Nikki Morton from Caerphilly went through dog boarding service Rover to find a sitter for 21-month-old Teddie.
The bulldog died overnight last Sunday while staying with the sitter in Barry. Nikki said the sitter called her the next morning with "no sympathy, no care... nothing other than 'your dog is dead'".
She claims the sitter admitted keeping Teddie in the conservatory after being asked not to do so. Rover said it has launched an investigation and removed the sitter from its platform. Police are also investigating.
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Nikki, 49, said: "I am angry and absolutely heartbroken because it was so avoidable. My house feels empty and my heart feels empty... Everyone in our street knew him. He couldn't walk down the street without someone fussing him. He loved running around the garden chasing tennis balls. He loved life and he loved people."
The Morton family have a two-week holiday in Jamaica booked for later this year. They wanted to arrange a couple of overnight stays for Teddie before they leave so he would be used to spending time away from the family. Nikki said: "I searched on Google and Rover came up. It seemed really legit and we found a sitter who sounded like a really nice lady with five-star reviews and everyone raving about her."
She became concerned following the first stay in March when the sitter allegedly ignored her request for Teddie to be kept in a crate. "I was a bit miffed when she said she'd left him in the conservatory. The crate is Teddie's safe space. I said I was a little bit disappointed and she said: 'Oh we'll sort it out for next time.' Teddie seemed happy enough afterwards."
Teddie was then booked in for a 24-hour stay with the sitter starting at 6pm last Sunday, which cost £28. Nikki claims she gave instructions for the sitter not to walk him outside because it was so hot. "The conservatory was boiling when we went there that day," she added. "It was 27C outside and hotter in there."
Nikki said she was surprised to learn five other dogs were staying with the sitter at the same time. Teddie was left in the home at around 6pm with a cooling coat and collar. Shortly afterwards the sitter allegedly texted Nikki saying that she had just done three laps of her garden with Teddie and that he did not look "over the moon".
The text worried Nikki who described the garden as "huge, about 200ft by 50ft". She claims the sitter then called her at 7.48am the next day and said: "The dog is dead."
Nikki told WalesOnline: "I said: 'What?' She repeated: 'The dog is dead.' I thought she was messing around. I said: 'What the hell do you mean the dog is dead?' She said: 'I went to bed at 10pm and just found him.' I asked where he'd been sleeping and she said: 'Well, the conservatory.'
"I asked why and she said: 'Well, it's fine.' I said: 'Are you joking? Why would you leave a dog in a glass box in extreme weather conditions?' I was sobbing and had to just put the phone down.'"
Nikki said she and her husband Glenn went to collect the dog that morning and saw the conservatory door was open. "My dog was dead on the floor and she had thrown a quilted blanket over him. He was in almost full rigor mortis. The smell was horrendous and he had flies around his mouth. [The sitter] said: 'How do you think this makes me feel?' I just put my hand up. I didn't have any words.
"It's a fully glass conservatory with no blinds. If all the dogs were in that room with the heat coming off them... I'm hanging on to the thought that he didn't suffer in the conservatory, that he died quickly from overexertion after walking the previous night."
Nikki has provided WalesOnline a screenshot of a message which the sitter appears to have sent her. It says: "I was in shock when I rang you and I really thought that I could console you when you got here but you made it very clear that you wanted to be left alone... I am not here to defend myself I just want you to know that I thought I was doing the right thing. I couldn't get Teddy (sic) into the crate I put up, the conservatory was cool enough for me because the door was open, as was the door to the kitchen and dining room if they want to move around in the night. I genuinely think the conservatory cools down in the evening."
Nikki said Teddie's death has left a "massive hole" in the family. She added: "He's not here when I go to work in the morning, he's not here when I come home. He's not here in the evening when we settle down in the lounge. My husband and I would sit on the sofa and he'd always have to jump to get in the middle of us. He would do anything for a cheese ball – he'd do tricks for it. He loved his food.
"The cat is wandering round the house looking for him because they were best mates. He was a huge, huge part of our life. And he was a baby – he had at least another 10 years in him."
Nikki contacted Vale of Glamorgan's licensing team, which told her the sitter does not hold a dog boarding licence. "The licensing department recommends that only licensed dog boarders are used," the email read.
A Rover spokesman said: "At Rover most of us are pet parents ourselves and our hearts go out to Teddie’s family and all who loved him. We are committed to supporting Teddie’s owner during this challenging time. Our 24/7 trust and safety team is currently investigating the situation. We are removing the sitter from our platform, preventing them from offering further pet care services through Rover.
"Pet safety and the wellbeing of our community is our top priority at Rover. During this unprecedented heatwave in the UK we are proactively providing safety information to members of our community to help protect pets."
A South Wales Police spokeswoman said on Thursday: "Yesterday we received a report concerning the death of a dog which happened on Monday, July 18. Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information should contact us via this link or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting occurrence 2200242416.” You can read more Barry stories here.
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