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Dog goes missing during care of pet sitter
FOX 26 Reporter Randy Wallace spoke with the dog owners who are frantically searching for their beloved family member.
HOUSTON - The 7-year-old German Shepherd named, Argo, was last seen around Highway 6 and I-10. The pet sitter claims the dog crashed through a window and ran off. But Argo's owners Fabiana and Andrea find that hard to believe.
"We would have never imagined something like this would have happened especially since we've used Rover before," Andrea said. "This was just really unexpected."
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It was the fourth time the couple left Argo with the same pet sitter with Rover.com.
The pair got married and were out of the country from June 1 through June 21.
The morning they got back, the couple says they got a voicemail from the pet sitter.
"He woke up that morning, went downstairs, and found a broken window," said Fabiana.
The couple says Argo is big dog, but not aggressive. They say they have trouble believing Argo crashed through a window and ran away,
"We were just really concerned," Andrea said. "We didn't understand what was going on or why he would have done something like that."
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We went to the pet sitter's house. Someone was there, but wouldn't answer the door. The home has several cameras.
"So, I asked him if he could provide footage from the cameras," said Andrea. "At least to see which direction Argo took off."
Since Argo's disappearance, the couple says the pet sitter has ghosted them.
"We haven't received any other communication from the dog sitter since June 21," Fabiana said. "We made reports with all the shelters, we called all the vets in the area."
In a statement, Rover.com says it's been helping in the search, sending out alerts, paying for flyers, and offering a $500 reward:
As pet parents ourselves, we know how difficult this situation is for Argo and his family, and we join them in hoping for a swift and healthy reunion. The well-being of our community, including pets, is a top priority for all of us at Rover.
Upon learning of Argo’s separation from his pet care provider, our 24/7 Trust and Safety Team immediately took action to help with the search. As part of our efforts, we sent lost pet alerts to dozens of local shelters, rescues, and veterinarians, offered a $500 reward, and paid for informational flyers. We will continue to work to support Argo’s family; so far, we have fully refunded Argo’s family for the service, and we will assist them with the Rover Guarantee when Argo is found.
Our team continues to investigate the situation and will take appropriate steps to best protect the safety of our community.
This type of experience is very rare on our platform. For additional context, over 430,000 services have been booked through the platform in the Houston area, with close to 98% of reviewed stays receiving a five-star rating.
"Argo needs daily medication, because he's epileptic," said Fabiana. "If he doesn't take the medication, he will have seizures."
"We would ask them to please bring him back home, because this is his home," Andrea said.
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"Every moment of the day without him is hurting us the most," said Fabiana,
If you know where Argo is, please call (979) 739-6573.