Leaving a pet with a new sitter can be stressful, but usually, there’s nothing to worry about. Yet, every once in a while, nightmares occur when untrustworthy pet sitters get ahold of dogs.
Diego Chaves thought he was doing the right thing by leaving his Goldendoodle named Mac with a “professional sitter.” But as it turns out, he should’ve done a little more research first. The sitter wasn’t who she claimed to be, and Mac got lost and later passed away due to her actions. It’s unclear exactly what happened, but Mac deserves justice.
Unexpected Red Flags
Chaves and his girlfriend went out of town for a few days, so they found a pet sitter who lived at a nearby New Jersey high-rise. The sitter went by the name “Alyssa,” and Chaves said there were no red flags at first. She met them outside of the building and took Mac into her care.
Alyssa sent updates to the couple at first, so Chaves relaxed knowing Mac was okay. But when he returned to pick Mac up on the Fourth of July, things took a turn for the worse. Despite saying she’d meet him in 15 minutes, Alyssa never showed up to the meeting point. Chaves waited for several hours before realizing he had been ghosted.
Then, a day later, Chaves received an email from Alyssa explaining the situation. She said Mac ran away when she was dropping off another dog, and her phone broke in the process. She hadn’t emailed right away because she thought she could find Mac first. Chaves is hesitant to believe that story since she never filed a lost dog report for Mac. He also didn’t hear from her after that.
So, Chaves decided to do a little more research on “Alyssa.” As it turned out, several other people had stories of her abandoning their dogs and not responding to texts. It’s also suspected that her real name is “Micaela,” although she has gone by many names. So, not only was Chaves’ dog missing, but so was the pet sitter.
Mac’s Mysterious Passing
The night after Mac went missing, Chaves received a call from a nearby vet stating that the pup had been found. So, Chaves rushed to the vet to see his beloved dog, but sadly, Mac didn’t make it. It’s unclear what happened to the pup, but Chaves wants answers. However, he doesn’t want his followers to harass the sitter, especially without knowing all the facts.
“After rushing down to the vet we were informed that Mac had unfortunately passed away. Please do not take this as a sign to harass or threaten the sitter. For now we just ask for time to mourn over the loss of our Mac,” Chaves wrote on Facebook. “Once again I cannot thank everyone enough for all the help and support we’ve received and we are sorry that we could not update with good news.”
The Jersey City Police Department is involved, but they haven’t located Alyssa/Micaela yet. She runs a business called Posh Pet Service in New Jersey. Hopefully, this story will remind dog parents to do extensive research before leaving their furry friend alone with a stranger.
Rest in peace, Mac.
H/T: abc7ny.com
Featured Image: Diego Chaves Facebook
Toledo, United States.
