Justice 4 Misty- Rover Sitter Neglect Causes Death

My dogs Misty and Wolfgang were severely neglected in the hands of a Rover.com “trusted” sitter. Misty was a 3-year-old happy, silly, vibrant husky before she went to the sitter’s home around Christmas time. Now, my beloved dog is dead. And Rover has done nothing about it. The police and animal control also have refused to take action because there is no blatant sign of abuse. However, there is evidence that suggests my sweet Misty and her brother Wolfgang were both starved and dehydrated for several days. I am pursuing legal action against both the sitter and Rover, and I need your help. Please consider a donation to help me seek justice for Misty.

My dogs Misty, Wolfgang and I live in LA. I had travel plans to see family on the east coast this past Christmas. I found their sitter on Rover, Jino Taylor, after relying on Rover.com’s assurances that their sitters pass a background check and that they individually review and approve all of their sitters. They were in his care for one week.

On the morning of my return to LA, I received a call from Jino that Misty was “unresponsive and not moving”. I immediately jumped on FaceTime and saw her on the floor, glossy eyed and lifeless. I urged him to take her to the hospital right away. There was also a green substance next to and on her mouth; Jino refused to tell me what it was. By the time, Misty arrived at the hospital, though, she was dead. The vet’s resuscitation efforts could not bring her back.

The vet said Misty passed away due to SEVERE dehydration and a body temperature of 105F. Misty’s autopsy revealed her stomach and bladder contents were completely empty. No other cause of death could be found. I later learned that essentially none of their food had been touched or even opened. For some reason too, their bowls (metal) were dented. I have no idea why.

As I was still on my way home, my family picked up Wolfgang for me. When they got him, he cried out in stress. My family took him to the vet, and the lab tests at the vet also found Wolfgang to be extremely dehydrated. That’s when I learned the food that I had packed for them for their week stay was BARELY touched. It was still completely full.

Jino refused to provide answers as to what happened. He has ignored any and all attempts to communicate with him. When I reached out to Rover, they told me only that they could not get in touch with Jino and all they did was deactivate his account.

Rover’s vetting process for sitters appears to be non-existent. They advertise on their site that they have "trusted sitters and walkers" and that "all sitters are approved by our team of sitter specialists." They failed to answer questions about what that means exactly. I learned they only run a quick criminal background check.

Misty was a 3 year old happy, silly, vibrant husky. She was always eager to play, but also loved to sunbathe at the beach. I think the beach was her happy place. She was obsessed with her older brother Wolfgang. Anywhere he went, she followed. They were each other’s companions and best friends. Misty came into our lives and helped us grieve the death of my 7 year old dog Ziggy back in 2020. She brought happiness and joy during a very difficult time. To say my heart is broken is an understatement. Not a day goes by where I don’t miss her and wish she was here with us still. Our time together was cut short through the neglect and bad actions of this one person and a company who wants you to believe they have your animals’ best interests in mind.

Misty should be here today. What happened to her never should have happened. She deserves justice.

I’m in the process of pursuing legal action against Jino. He however has refused to answer any legal correspondence from my lawyers. I am also pursuing a claim against Rover.

I’m raising money to help pay for some of my legal fees, Misty & Wolfgang’s vet bills, and will donate any extra money to animal charities in her honor. Thank you for your contribution and support. If you can not contribute, I urge you to please share her story so that others are aware of Rover's business practices and that a case like Misty's can be prevented.