Audio By Carbonatix
Letting a stranger into your home to care for your pets is a huge leap of trust. And when it’s booked through an app, with someone you’ve never met before, that leap can feel even riskier.
One Denver woman recently learned how wrong things can go—and how even something as basic as feeding the dog can turn into a full-blown crisis.
Rover Pet Sitter Feeds Dogs Wood Pellets By Mistake
In a viral TikTok video, user Maurice Bishop (@nanaa_bish2) shared what happened after she hired a sitter on Rover, the popular pet-sitting platform where owners can book background-checked caregivers to watch their animals in-home.
Her video has since gotten over 2.2 million views.
“Our pet sitter fed our dogs Traeger pellets instead of dog food,” Bishop says at the start of the video. “While we were out of town for two days.”
She pauses. “I needed the night to process it, ’cause I was mad yesterday.”
To show how it happened, Bishop films the room where the mistake was made. “Let me show you where the dog food is and where the Traeger pellets are,” she says, panning to a clearly labeled dog food bin. “Dog food—Traeger pellets,” she repeats, showing the bags sitting far apart.
She says they walked into the house, and it smelled like a smoker. That’s when they checked the dog bowls.
“He texted in the morning and said, ‘Your dogs didn’t want to eat breakfast.’ I was like, ‘OK, sometimes they eat later.’”
But when they checked the bowls, Bishop says, “It was like this black, pulpy sludge. And I’m like, ‘What the f— is that?’” Her husband took one look and recognized it: “Those are Traeger pellets.”
She Calls Poison Control And Reports The Sitter
Bishop says they immediately reported the situation to Rover and reached out to Pet Poison Control. “They told us to observe them, because the pellets aren’t inherently toxic,” she recalls.
Still, she adds, “There are two kinds of wood in there that are toxic for dogs.”
She also called their vet, who gave them a list of symptoms to watch for—like vomiting, not eating, or changes in bowel movements. Thankfully, none of those issues lasted long.
But even days later, Bishop still couldn’t believe it happened. “I just keep going over in my head, like, how can you be so f—— stupid?” she says. “And I’m so worried about my dogs.”
She Shares Updates—And More Context
In follow-up videos, Bishop says both dogs are OK now. One of them had an upset stomach but eventually passed the pellets without major complications.
She also clarifies that the sitter had been to the house twice before the job started and had been shown exactly where the dog food was.
As for Rover’s response, Bishop says they informed her husband of their $25,000 guarantee for vet care if something goes wrong. But there’s a catch. She says Rover told her they would have to pay out of pocket first and then submit receipts for reimbursement. Rover confirms this process on their website.
What Rover Says
In an email correspondence with BroBible, a Rover spokesperson said they’re investigating the issue and are in contact with the family.
“Our 24/7 Trust and Safety team is conducting a thorough investigation into this incident and is in contact with Bella Rae and Remy Lou’s family to offer our support,” they wrote. “We are committed to reimbursing the pet parent for all eligible claims under the Rover Guarantee.”
The spokesperson confirmed the sitter involved is no longer active on the platform.
“The sitter involved is no longer able to offer services through our platform,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also gave a rundown of Rover’s vetting process and how rare these kinds of incidents are, according to the company.
“Safety is a top priority at Rover for pet parents and pets alike,” they added. “All prospective pet care providers must pass an enhanced background check and safety quiz prior to offering services on our platform. It’s also important to note that incidents on Rover are extremely rare.”
What Are Other Users’ Experiences With The Rover Guarantee?
Experiences seem to vary. Reviews from both sitters and pet owners paint a mixed picture.
One person said Rover paid their pound fee and refunded the sitter’s cost after their dog escaped under a sitter’s care.
Another shared that Rover only reimbursed a small portion of vet costs when their elderly Yorkie ate pizza and got sick. They claimed Rover blamed the incident on the dog’s pre-existing heart condition.
In contrast, one owner said their dog was hit by a car while with a Rover sitter and broke its leg—but Rover covered all vet bills. “The process was very easy and the staff at Rover were wonderful,” they wrote.
Review scores reflect the split: 4.6 stars on TrustPilot but 1.2 on Sitejabber, with various complaints coming from both owners and sitters.
Commenters Aren’t Fully On Her Side
In the comments, people had mixed reactions—some agreed it was unacceptable, but others thought the mistake was understandable.
“I’ve never heard of or seen Traeger pellets before and I can 100% see that mistake being made,” one user said. “That looks like a bag of dog food.”
Another asked, “If it’s toxic, why is it on the floor where pets or kids can reach it?”
One person added, “I get why you’re angry, but honestly I think this was such an easy mistake. If that bag’s in the pantry next to the food bin, I probably would’ve made the same call.”
BroBible has reached out to Bishop via email for more information.
Content shared from brobible.com.