A family in Malaysia went through a traumatic ordeal after hiring a pet sitter via a prominent pet care platform before leaving for Terengganu.
The sitter went uncontactable for nearly two days while caring for their dogs, only to be found inside her home the entire time after authorities and rescuers were called in.
Ghosted after dogs dropped off
Speaking to WeirdKaya, Reshaa, the dog owner’s sister, said the dogs were dropped off at the sitter’s home on 23rd September at 9:40pm. However, the family could not reach the sitter after that, despite calling and messaging repeatedly.
At first, we thought she was busy with work since she claimed to work night shifts from 11pm to 8am,” Reshaa said.
But as time passed, concern grew. Before lodging a police report, the owner’s brother went to the pet sitter’s house and tried to reach out but got no response, he only heard the dogs barking inside.
By 24th September, 11am, after nearly 14 hours with no contact, the family lodged a police report, hoping to get permission for authorities to enter the home and check on the dogs.
Authorities couldn’t enter without permit
Reshaa said the family contacted multiple parties, including the police, fire department (Bomba), and building management, but were told that breaking into the property was illegal without proper authorization and a waiting period of at least 24 hours.
Everyone was outside the unit — the police, the pet platform’s representative, even my brother — but no one could go in until procedures were followed,” she explained.
They even tried to find her through LinkedIn and contacted her company, but were only told that she said, ‘I am aware there are police and Bomba at my place,’ and had even instructed them to ignore the family’s calls.
The company then refused to provide any further details, leaving the family frustrated and anxious about the dogs’ safety.
Shocking discovery on 25th September
On 25th September, the family finally received permission to call a locksmith to open the unit, expecting the worst.
To our shock, the pet sitter was inside the whole time. She came out and said she had no idea everyone was looking for her because she lost her phone in a e-hailing car,” Reshaa said.
All the authorities and our family had been outside for hours, and she claimed she didn’t know we were there,” she added.
The dogs were thankfully found safe, but the family said the incident left them deeply shaken.
They weren’t fed. The dog food cans we gave her were still unopened. We have video proof of that too,” Reshaa revealed.
No action taken yet, family seeks accountability
Reshaa said that as of now, no concrete action has been taken against the sitter, and the pet care platform has not provided a clear resolution or accountability beyond its initial response.
She hasn’t given us any explanation for why she disappeared with our dogs. We’re planning to pursue this further with the authorities and may consider legal action. No one should have to go through what we experienced,” Reshaa stressed.
She added that sharing this story is important so that other pet owners are aware of the potential risks and know what to do if they face similar situations.
