A Broken Arrow man feels like he was failed after his 4-year-old dog was lost while in a pet sitter's care—and now he's offering a major reward.
Brandon Ratcliff said his rescued terrier chihuahua mix is incredibly friendly.
"If you say Max's name, he'll run right up to you and try to jump into your arms," he said.
Ratcliff's family planned a spontaneous trip over the weekend and needed someone to watch Max.
"We found Rover to be the number one sitting service," he said.
Ratcliff said Max was in the sitter's care for roughly 24 hours before they told him Max got lost near 4th and Yale.
Max is not wearing a collar and he is not microchipped.
"It's just been absolutely traumatizing and devastating," said Ratcliff.
He said he's spent the past few days looking for Max and posting flyers.
Ratcliff does not believe Rover did enough to make sure his sitter was trustworthy.
"I think that they should be held liable and I think that what they do is absolutely terrible," he said.
NewsChannel 8 spoke with the dog sitter, who we are not naming because they are not facing any criminal charges.
The sitter said they've worked with non-profit shelters for five years.
They said Max got away from them and slipped out of his collar.
The sitter said it was an accident, and told NewsChannel 8 they've been searching for Max.
NewsChanne8 reached out to Rover about the incident.
As pet parents ourselves, we hope Max is quickly and safely reunited with his family. As soon as we were alerted that Max was missing, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team immediately began taking action to help bring him home. We are offering a $500 reward, we have paid for hundreds of flyers, we have sent alerts to more than three dozen local rescues and veterinarians, and we have posted in online pet-finding forums. We have also alerted other local sitters on Rover to be on the lookout for Max in their neighborhoods. Once he is found, the Rover Guarantee will be available to Max’s family to reimburse them for a vet wellness check-up.
Our Trust and Safety team is currently conducting a thorough investigation and we have suspended the sitter’s account while the search continues. We remain in regular contact with both Max’s family and the sitter, and we have provided Max’s family with a complete refund.
The safety and wellbeing of the pets and people on our platform is a top priority, which is why we offer 24/7 support from our Trust and Safety team for our community. Each sitter and dog walker on Rover is an independent care provider, and before they are able to list their services on the platform they must first pass a criminal background check provided by an industry leading third-party. They must also pass a safety quiz and have their profile reviewed by our team.
An incident like this is rare on our platform and we take it very seriously. For additional context, more than 28,000 services have been booked through Rover in the Tulsa metropolitan area, with nearly 98% of reviewed stays receiving 5 stars. - Rover
Jan Lavender with the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals shared tips on what you can do to help quickly be reunited with a lost pet.
"Make sure your animals chipped," Lavender said. "Make sure your tags are up to date with phone numbers. Make sure your chip is up to date with phone numbers. You know, make sure that a collar is left on the whole time."
Ratcliff is offering a $10,000 reward for Max's safe return with no questions asked.
If you find Max, call 918-530-2955 or 918-864-6163.