We, the undersigned, are pet care professionals, dog walkers, dog trainers, animal rescuers, animal lovers, and concerned citizens. We are appalled by the number of incidents involving on-demand, UBER-model, dog walking services, and are petitioning you to investigate and regulate these UBER-model dog walking services (or shut them down) in New York. WAG, ROVER, and similar on-demand services provide spontaneous dog walking with the click of a button. With their online booking process, the customer has no prior interaction with a dog walker, or even a service manager/coordinator – a stranger just shows up to walk a dog, often gaining access via a lockbox code. While that may sound daunting to many, the convenience is appealing to others.      

Some of the good, the bad, and the ugly of on-demand dog walking services are spelled out here – including the lack of protection for walkers who are hurt “on the job”. The model that on-demand WAG and ROVER follow is similar to UBER or Airbnb https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/12/17831948/rover-wag-dog-walking-app

Please see the links below which came up on a simple google search. We hear about incidents with lost, injured, and stolen dogs constantly with WAG dog walkers (there are also thefts of property, but we are much more concerned about the dogs).

In just one 24 hour period:

-On June 13th, a small terrier named Whiskey was killed while with a WAG dog walker

-On June 13th, a dog named Benny was stolen from a Battery Park City home (and was, thankfully recovered at the home of the WAG dog walker the following afternoon with the help of the NYPD). https://pagesix.com/2019/06/15/wag-dogwalker-stole-couples-dog-to-gift-to-someone-else-court-docs/?utm_source=facebook_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site+buttons&utm_campaign=site+buttons&fbclid=IwAR3yCPSafxsGcPoMQq8ate9l6gczMmjwoRbs2b0n1NHiSzg60PtPbtoD-Ao

On the following Monday, June 17th,

https://twitter.com/jenheger/status/1140695175838064640

and

https://www.facebook.com/100005959330590/posts/1157874567754510?sfns=mo

These incidents are the latest in a very long series of dogs that have been lost or hurt since WAG’s inception in New York City. The https://www.donttrustwag.com/website spells out a crazy and ongoing amount of recent incidents

The following list of dogs lost has been reported to the Lost and Found Pets in Brooklyn, Manhattan NYC Lost and Found Pets, Bronx Lost and Found Pets, and Queens Lost & Found Pets. This is not a complete or exhaustive list of lost dogs, just those reported to these organizations, and does not include dogs that were harmed or killed.

Pickles - cattle dog mix  was lost for two months (Brooklyn, Aug-Nov 2018)

Teddy - GS/bassett - Harlem May 2018

Norman - chi - NYC March 2018

Simba - goldendoodle - UES NYC March 2018

Freddie - chi/doxie - NYC Feb 2018

Nash - cane corso - Feb 2018

Teddy - black Jindo - Prospect Park Dec 2017

Buddy - lab/beagle - Wantagh Sept 2017

Duckie - Brooklyn Dec 2015

On April 19th, 2019, CBS profiled on-demand dog walking services.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pet-owner-blames-death-of-her-dog-on-rover-app/. Here is a direct quote from that article: “CBS News spoke to 14 families who say their dogs died while in the care of Rover or Wag sitters. Twelve of those incidents involved Rover sitters. One user said she discovered her Rover sitter had a criminal record and users of both apps told us they were also asked to sign non-disclosure agreements following incidents.”

In December, 2018, a dog in Texas, Winnie, died while with a WAG walker, and the company was more focused on covering it up than ensuring it never happens again.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houston-texas-nick-sara-moore-winnie-dog-died-dog-walker-wag-app/

These services claim to do extensive due diligence on the walkers they hire. This is a total fallacy. They do a simple background check, and their “training” consists of a very short online course. No prior dog walking experience is required. Some of us have gone through or have access to this “training” and know first-hand how easy it is to become a WAG or ROVER walker.

Our pets are our family. When a pet is lost or stolen or hurt, both animal and guardian are devastated. Many people are unaware of the lack of training and responsibility of these UBER-model services, and can be unfortunate victims. In addition to potential harm to a customer’s dog, a dog with an untrained walker can also pose risks to other dogs and humans. There is no protection by UBER-model dog walkers for employees/contractors who are attacked by dogs (which is not unreasonable when a stranger comes into a dog’s home).   Please watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKex_cM7eeE&feature=youtu.be

When something goes wrong on a walk, WAG’s customer service is practically non-existent – very slow to respond, and every attempt is made to not pay for liabilities (though the owners of dogs that are forever lost would prefer to have their pets back over any compensation). 

If these services are allowed to continue, please require (1) in-person training by professionals with a great deal of knowledge of dogs, including management of aggressive dogs and first aid, (2) prior dog walking experience by all UBER-Model on-demand dog walkers, (3) full disclosure by the management of these services of all unfortunate incidents that is available to the public, (4) Regulations should fall in line with consumer protection laws, I.e,carrying adequate insurance per dog walked, immediate reporting of injured/lost animals, specialized contact info and a timeline to handle claims.

We are further advising pet owners to seek recommendations for independent dog walkers and small dog walking companies from their Veterinarians, groomers, friends, and neighbors – whereby the dog walker / care provider has an ongoing relationship with the pet owner.   Every time these on-demand service apps are used, you are putting your dog at risk.

Don't Trust Wag website​

Another petition against Wag's abusive behavior​

NYC Couple's Dog Found Safe After Being Stolen by Wag App Dog Walker, Suspect Arrested​

Are WAG! Walkers Always Trustworthy? Family Says Dog was Kicked by Walker​

'No Words to describe the pain'. Family dog drowns at Rover.com pet sitter's house​

Popular Dog Walking App Called Out for Vetting Process Over Alleged Animal Abuse​

Wag killed our dog and tried to buy our silence​

A Cautionary Tale about Dog Walking Apps​

Embattled dog walking app loses yet another dog​

Dog Walking App Wag, Which is Kind of Like an Uber for Dogs, Reportedly Loses Another Good Boy​

'Uber for Dogs' app hast lost 3 NYC pooches in a month​

Wag! Dog Walkers Lose 3 Dogs in a Month in NYC​

'Uber for dogs' app loses another pooch​

Dog-walking app's incompetence almost got this pooch killed​

App hailed as 'Uber for dogs' keeps losing pups​

Pet dies after dog walker's error​

Dog Walking Apps Want Customers to Entrust their Pups to Strangers​

Dog walking service Wag! in the doghouse after losing another customer's pet​

Brooklyn women blame Wag! app for the death of their dog, Duckie