A South Florida family is demanding answers after one of their dogs died while under the care of a pet sitter hired through the Rover app.
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Kaylynn Ackeret said she left her two dogs, 9-year-old King and 4-year-old Prince, at a home in Hollywood on Friday before leaving the country.
But the next day, she received a message asking her to call immediately. During that conversation, she says she was told her French bulldog, Prince, had died.
“No remorse in her voice, just, ‘Yes, Prince died last night. You know, those dogs are prone to heatstroke. They overheat all the time. I’ll have his body. Just let me know what you want me to do with it.’ And that was it,” Ackeret said.
Ackeret said she’s tried since then to get answers about the circumstances surrounding Prince’s death, but claims she hasn’t received any information.
Now she wants police to get involved.
“[The sitter] shouldn’t have any kind of contact with animals. She should not care for animals. I want her to be fired from the job she’s with right now with canine specialists. And I think she should be locked up,” Ackeret said.
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NBC6 is not naming the pet sitter because she has not been charged with crime.
Ackeret said Prince was a birthday gift for her daughter, and now the whole family—including their other pup—is mourning the loss.
The Hollywood Police Department confirmed that officers responded to a home on Atlanta Street where the incident occurred. In a statement, the department said officers are working with the City of Hollywood’s Animal Control to gather as much information as possible and determine exactly what happened. They also said they understand the community’s concern and that the investigation is ongoing.
Rover said it permanently deactivated the sitter’s account with no option to appeal, preventing her from contacting anyone or accepting bookings through the platform again.
“Most of us at Rover are pet parents ourselves, and we can only imagine the heartbreak and stress Prince’s family is experiencing,” the company said in a statement in part. “Safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare—over half a million stays have been booked by pet parents in the Miami area, with more than 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars. Prince’s death is truly heartbreaking, and it’s one we’re handling with the seriousness it deserves.”
The company also said it refunded the cost of Ackeret’s stay and offered to cover eligible veterinary and aftercare expenses under the Rover Guarantee.
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So far, authorities have not released an official cause of Prince’s death.