<p>Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if this sitter has a legit business? I checked online at the BBB, but she doesn’t come up. I know one doesn’t have to be a member of the BBB, so that doesn’t really tell me anything. The only thing I have found in goggling her is her name as part of a church non profit group. As far as I know she doesn’t do that anymore, but it is possible she does. I found this by using her email address and again with her mailing address.</p>
<p>Check with the city or county for a license as a dog boarder, but not all will necessarily require that</p>
<p>Depends on the state. In Connecticut she would need to carry a license for a boarding kennel and be inspected by the Department of Agriculture, Animal Control division. </p>
<p>My impression is that she is running an under the table business and is not licensed, insured, or anything else.</p>
<p>I’ve been reading and enjoying these posts. However, wouldn’t it be better to just be upfront and very clear what your intentions are. If you decide not to pay her, then why don’t you outline in a certified letter your intended course of action. Include a copy of the vet bill and your reason for non payment. You may include that her recourse would be to take you to small claims court. In light of the given factors, that she may not be legal, she just may drop it. Case over. If you pay her half, then do the same, send letter with reason for non payment. Either way, your part is done and SHE will then decide her next course of action. Retain all of the correspondence, emails, etc. To play cat and mouse with her is just going o make this worse. Make a decision and proceed with it.</p>
<p>She admitted fault AND explained that she continued to escalate the amount of table food she fed each day when she found no problems!! Well now you know exactly what happened. </p>
<p>Haha if you want to hame some fun, find out if she needs to have a city or county license for what she does, then ask her in writing to provide a copy of it, also inquiring about insurance, copy of het latest inspections, etc. </p>
<p>I probably would pay her half, explain why in writing, and be done with it. On the face of the check write something like “by cashing this check you accept this as payment in full.” The email was over the top.</p>
<p>You could pay half, explain why, and mention that if she wishes to pursue this further that she will need to provide a copy of her license, her insurance, her inspections…</p>
<p>I went back an reread her email and it is just unbelievable. She admits to gradually increasing the amount of fresh foods, admits it was completely her fault, admits that hse has a hard time feeding the dogs hard food alone.</p>
<p>It’s like someone saying,“I know I was told to drive the speed limit but it is just so boring! So I gradually increased my speed because, well, I hadn’t had an accident yet so what was the harm? I was just shocked that I hit that other car when i got up to 90 mph! I just can’t believe they are going to charge me with vehicular homicide! It’s so unfair! I was a really good driver up until that point. Don’t I get any credit for that?! I loved the driver of the other car. I would never do anything to hurt him!”</p>
<p>Honestly, I have lawyer friends and I bet you do too. I wouldn’t pay her a dime. I would ask a lawyer to write a letter outlining the reason for nonpayment and explaining that, if she chooses to pursue it, she will find herself in small claims court. She is getting off easy on this one. By all rights she should be paying that vet bill.</p>
<p>I take it all back a second time - after that completely inappropriate “tattle tale” email, designed to embarrass and pressure you in front of your SIL, I wouldn’t send her half of anything. Had she expressed remorse, some confusion as to your intentions with the instructions and assured you that she learned her lesson, I likely would have opted for just paying the woman something. But not anymore. P.S. I am willing to bet she has no license or vet tech degree.</p>
<p>But sending nothing AND doing nothing will not work. She will only escalate the issue and be tattling more, or doing more to “expose” the OP, despite the fact SHE is the one who needs to be exposed. OP, I would hurry up and decide how you want to handle this and put your decision IN WRITING, PRONTO. She is a nut case and until you put it out there, she will escalate this JUST LIKE SHE DID WITH THE TABLE FOOD BEING FED TO YOUR DOG. </p>
<p>Either don’t pay and explain why, with mention of the vet bill/whether she is licensed/whether she has insurance/proper inspections/small claims court/lawyers OR pay a portion and explain why you are not paying the rest, with the same mentions.</p>
<p>BUT HURRY UP or this will get worse. TRUST ME. I would email her your decision even if you are sending a partial check. The longer you wait, including the mail time, the worse this may get before it gets better.</p>
<p>I have been practicing 26 years. I have seen a few patients who exhibited irrational behavior. A person like this could show up at your husbands office and make a scene. She just does not have a clue and thinks you are in the wrong. This will justify, in her mind, more than just telling your SIL. I have had two experiences with patients who could not let an issue go. One came to my office when she was off of her medications, and we had to call 911. One patient I discharged from my care, and a few years later ran into her at the grocery store. She, too, was likely off of her meds. She started ranting and raving at me. I turned my cart around and she followed me for an aisle before I headed to the customer service desk. My 3 years old was in the front of the cart! She asked me who that was!!! We both still remember the incident. </p>
<p>Just decide what to do and put it in writing. Before she makes a scene in public or shows up at your husbands office, etc.</p>
<p>Great analogy, EPTR. I agree she is fortunate that you are not coming after her for the entire bill, especially after everything she put in that email. On the positive side, dummy that she is, at least she is honest!</p>
<p>My 2 cents as a pet owner and lawyer – </p>
<p>The worst case scenario if you don’t pay is you wait to see if she takes you to small claims court, whereupon you countersue and will likely win.</p>
<p>If you want the mess behind you, I’d send her a check for $200 with “payment in full” in the notation line. I wouldn’t send a long rambling bit of correspondence, maybe just a sticky with the check saying “given the circumstances, we feel this is fair and will be our full payment.” </p>
<p>If this does end up in small claims, the judge is not going to spend time reading every bit of correspondence and documentation. He/she will want a synopsis with only the relevant portions of correspondence highlighted (“it was completely my fault and I feel terrible!”).</p>
<p>As an aside, I think you said she charged sales tax?? There should be no sales tax charged for services ever, and she didn’t provide any goods (unless it’s for the extra food that made your poor dog sick in the first place)!</p>
<p>Wow, she charged sales tax. I wonder if she actually pays that to that state… That would imply she is licensed and all. If so, you can file a complaint with the licensing board. </p>
<p>In my state, certain services ARE TAXED.</p>
<p>Thinking about it more, I think it would come down to my sense of the kind of person the sitter is. If she’s clueless and obnoxious, it’s one thing, but if I thought she really were a nut case, I might go back to the idea of paying her something just to let her save face and be rid of her. Who needs that kind of aggravation for a few hundred dollars? Would handle just as guitarist’s mom outlines at this point.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your replies so far. I have sent an email to the sitter informing her that my husband has been gone most of the weekend, but we are hoping to discuss the matter within a day or two. I then added that I hope we can come to a resolution that will be agreeable to all. </p>
<p>I had a brochure at some point that had her company information on it. The name I thought she used does not come up anywhere when I google. She is internet savvy, so I would assume she would have a website, but maybe not. If I speak to my SIL, I will find out if she has any additional information. </p>
<p>Stay tuned for the latest episode!!</p>
<p>Oh good grief, snowball, you’re just prolonging it. It makes no difference if it’s “agreeable to all.” she caused your dog to be sick by willfully feeding it food she wasn’t authorized to, because she “loved seeing the dog enjoy it.” Well, I’m sure my dog would love a nice big slab of chocolate cake, that doesn’t justify my feeding it to him. My dog has Addison’s and doesn’t like receiving his monthly shot; however, that doesn’t justify my skipping it. You have received excellent advice and now it’s time to end the whole thing. Her email to SIL was uncalled for.</p>
<p>“I do find it interesting that while she agrees to what the vet said, that the food caused the problem, she truly believes what she did was out of love for P. That P loved the added foods and that is why she did it; not taking into account that she shouldn’t have given it the dog in the first place!”</p>
<p>What is so interesting about this? This tells you she operates from her heart and not her head. You have a dog with a certain disease. He requires X diet. He is a DOG. He’s really not going to be “upset” if he doesn’t get treats at table.</p>
<p>^^^Agree with Pizzagirl. Make a decision TODAY, send her one FINAL correspondence and be done with her. Your procrastinating any longer will only exacerbate the situation. It’s time to stop the insanity!!</p>
<p>
Please do yourself and the dog sitter a favor, make a decision. This is not a game.</p>
<p>I love dogs as much as the next person, but at one point – they’re dogs. Her inability to put aside her joy in feeding the dog table food is immature and not at all responsible behavior. Clue for her: It wasn’t ABOUT her. It was about the dog, and his medical condition. My dog eats a certain diet, and can have a certain treat (a bit of cheese) with his daily medication. That’s it. I would be beyond myself if someone took it upon themselves to change the diet beyond what our vet and we believe is necessary. </p>
<p>Bottom line is, she doesn’t understand boundaries. It was your dog. If you wanted to say absolutely no table food whatsoever, that’s your call to make. You seem not to get that, or you seem to “excuse” it by her “aaawww, but she cares about the dog!” No. She cared about herself, and her own good feelings by “making the dog happy.”</p>
<p>The reason I have not sent her a final email is I wanted my husband input and he has been gone this weekend. We hope to draft a letter today and email it to her. We will also send one by snail mail, might even have it signature required. My husband has a better feel for the wording to make it short and to the point; I tend to be long winded!</p>
<p>The sitter just called me Friday and emailed my SIL Friday night, so I think having a weekend to think about it isn’t asking too much. BTW, I just spoke to my SIL and she said the sitter is a very strong person and she (the sitter) doesn’t like dry dog food and has a hard time feeding it. I knew that when we first used her, but she assured me that the food I was feeding was acceptable to her. At no time did she tell me she wouldn’t feed it to my dog. In the sitter’s mind, her home cooking was better for the dog, no matter what I said to feed P. Not that I need my SIL’s blessing, but she also felt I did not need to pay the sitter, especially since she admitted fault.</p>
<p>When I send the letter, I want to be very careful of my words; if she ends up taking us to small claims court, I want my letter short and sweet.</p>
<p>I’m borrowing from a letter above and adding on. Here’s your short and sweet.</p>
<hr>
<p>Dear X,</p>
<p>As you know, you agreed to watch our dog Piper from x date to x date, at the agreed-upon rate of $x. At the time you took him, you knew that he had a diagnosis of x and that he was not to be fed anything other than x and x.</p>
<p>As you yourself admitted in your email, you took it upon yourself not only to feed Piper x, y and z, but even to escalate that over time because you did not immediately see any ill effects. As expected, an ill effect did occur and Piper became sick as evidenced by blah blah blah. I appreciate that you thought you were giving Piper a treat and that your intentions were good, but there is a reason Piper is on a limited diet.</p>
<p>The vet concurs with us that the treats you gave Piper are the reason for the blah blah blah problem. Due to your lack of discipline, our dog endured pain and suffering and we incurred a $1100 bill. Yes, we authorized the vet bill over the phone; we had no choice. What we did not authorize was for you to feed Piper large amounts of new / different / extra foods beyond what we had discussed. We appreciate that you took the time to ensure Piper got prompt vet care, but none of that would have been necessary if you had stuck to the recommended diet.</p>
<p>Therefore, in light of the fact that we have now incurred a $1100 bill, we are (pick one):
- Paying you only $XXX. Please consider that final payment.
- Putting that $1100 against what we owed you, which means that you still owe us $XXX.
Please let us know whether you will be handling that through your insurance company or via cash / check. </p>
<p>Sincerely,
The Snowballs</p>