Most of us who’ve handed our car keys to a valet or our dog’s leash to a stranger know that little flutter of “please don’t let anything go wrong.” For Natalie Jones of Englewood, Florida, that flutter turned into a full-blown nightmare. She booked a sitter through the Rover app for the first time ahead of a trip abroad in early July, figuring she’d done her homework. The sitter had 39 recent reviews, worked as a vet tech, and even owned a dog grooming business. On paper, it looked like a home run.
It wasn’t. When Jones got back and pulled up footage from her home security cameras, she says what she saw broke her heart. Her two dogs, Harry and Buddy, were allegedly screamed at and kicked by the sitter, Sara Bettencourt, simply for coming to greet her the way friendly dogs do.
That was just the start of it. According to an arrest report obtained by Gulf Coast News, cameras also caught Bettencourt and another person rifling through cabinets and the refrigerator, and allegedly loading trash bags full of Jones’ belongings into a car before driving off. Jones says audio from the footage included talk of drug use, and video appeared to show one of them washing out their nose in the sink.
Bettencourt was arrested by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office on a grand theft charge and has since been released. Jones says her dogs haven’t quite been themselves since.
A Warning From Someone Who’s Been There
Jones isn’t keeping this experience to herself. Her advice for anyone booking a sitter, on Rover or otherwise, is refreshingly simple: get a photo of their ID and have cameras running in the home.
If a sitter balks at either request, she says that’s a sign to look elsewhere. It’s the kind of common-sense advice that costs nothing and could save a lot of heartache.
How Rover Responded
For its part, Rover says it takes allegations like this seriously. The company confirmed it deactivated Bettencourt’s account with no option to appeal, meaning she can no longer book or communicate with pet parents on the platform. Rover also refunded Jones for the stay and offered to cover house cleaning costs.
The company says every sitter goes through a background check covering federal, state, and county databases before ever getting listed.
The Takeaway for Pet Owners
None of this means every app-based sitter is a risk. Most people doing this work genuinely love animals. But Jones’ story is a good reminder that a solid review count isn’t the same as a guarantee.
A camera and a quick ID check are small asks that any legitimate sitter should have no problem with.