Hi everyone, sorry i have not introdused myself properly but i really need some advice. I got back off my holidays on tuesday, while i was away i used a pet sitter to care for my large collection of animals which includes 9 tortoises, i used her last year and everything was fine, when i got back on tuesday she rang me to say she had found one of the torts on its back but not to worry as he was fine, when i went to the shed to check on them i was met by a strange smell, one of my small ibera males was in the corner, when i went to pick him up he was stone cold and stuck to the floor, his eyes were sunken and i really thought he was dead, after pouring warm water on the floor to unstick him i noticed he had had a prolapse which had dried solid to him, he had also lost weight, when i tried to ring the sitter she would not answer so i text her to ask when she found him upside down and she said it was 2 days after i left, so he had been like this for 12 days. He is now at the vets and they are trying to do reconstructive surgery on him but they say he only has a 50/50 chance of survival. I need to know where i stand as far as the sitter is concerned, my other half says it was not her fault as she was only paid to clean and feed them, im saying she should have noticed something was wrong after all that time and you could not miss the smell. I am dreading the vet bill and the poor little mite may not even survive. You can imagine how i am feeling at the moment.Any advice would be help.
Urgent advice needed
- Thread starter barbara
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8
Hi Barbara,
I'm new on here too, and I am so sorry for your turtle and situation.
YES! I would definetely look into holding the petsitter responsible...that's the whole reason you had her in, to make sure something like this didn't happen! The fact she said the turtle was "OK" when he obviously isn't also is sooooo wrong.
I hope your little guy pulls through.
~Rebecca
I'm new on here too, and I am so sorry for your turtle and situation.
YES! I would definetely look into holding the petsitter responsible...that's the whole reason you had her in, to make sure something like this didn't happen! The fact she said the turtle was "OK" when he obviously isn't also is sooooo wrong.
I hope your little guy pulls through.
~Rebecca
Was the sitter licensed and insured? If so, I would think you might be able to do something. If not, then I would say you are going to have to choke down the whole situation. I hope he is ok. Keep us posted.
S
Scooter
Guest
Barbara, I am very sorry to hear about your little guy. I hope he comes through. As for the sitter, I would never use her again and I would seriously consider asking her to cover some of the vet bill. If she has watched them before for you then she knew something was wrong even if she didn't know what it was.
If this is an actual business that specializes in pet sitting, then I would assume they're bonded and insured. I imagine than they could be held accountable. If not an actual business, than what is your sitter's experience with chelonians? If it's little to none, and she made that clear to you when you hired her, it's not her fault. I hope your little guy pulls through.
I am very sorry for your sittuation and hope the little guy pulls through. I agree with the prev comments about the sitter being licenced, bonded and insured. If so then you have a case. If not and just a neighbor or friend doing you a favor, then legally no you do not have a case, unless you were paing them, then you may have a case because it would constitute as a legal verbal contract between the both of you.
I think you should ask her to take care of it.
Welcome to the forum Barbara. How sad that you had such a horrible experience. I feel the same. If it's a business, then they should reimburse you for the vet bills, but if it isn't ...really ...what can you do. I hope your guy pulls through, and please keep us posted.
The lettle fella has been to the vets and had an op to remove the dead tissue and have whats left reconstructed, at the moment hes eating and doing well but hes not out of the woods yet. I was very pleased with the bill £170 i was expecting a lot more, the vet said she cant understand how the sitter missed something was wrong as the smell was terrible. The sitter i used was not a friend it is her business, as yet she has not replyed to my calls, although she did send me a text saying she was sorry to hear the torty was ill and hopes he gets better soon, very nice of her dont you think.
Sorry to here abot your liitle fella hope hes ok, If the sitter is someone that is doing it as a cash in hand job no questions asked then i think you will have to pay the bill,but if its a buisness then they should be accountable.. good luck
Praying for your guy! Maybe the sitter just doesn't have enough experience with tortoises to know he wasn't fairing well. I'm sure she feels bad about it. I would think she would want to pay at least 50% of the bill.
Sp wait she found him upside down and then left him ike that for 10 days? am I reading you correctly? well I would hold her financially responsible for all vet bills , I am shocked really I am glad the little guy is doing better.
What a horrible experience for you and your tortoise. 
I so hope he makes a full recovery and returns to the "herd" to entertain you for decades to come.
Let us know how the poor guy is doing. Best wishes to you and him!
I so hope he makes a full recovery and returns to the "herd" to entertain you for decades to come.
Let us know how the poor guy is doing. Best wishes to you and him!
- Status
Similar threads
