Rover.com Dogsitter Accused Of Animal Cruelty After Family Pet Dies From Heatstroke

A woman in Florida working with the dogsitting service Rover.com was charged with felony animal cruelty after a dog she was watching died after suffering heatstroke, authorities said.

Heather Chambers, 33, was arrested on Oct. 14 in connection with the death of one of two dogs a family left in her care when the traveled out of town, WKMG-TV reported.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the station, the dog named Rolo died in Chambers’ yard at her home in Cocoa, and she denied to the family she had left the dogs outside for an extensive period of time.

The arrest affidavit states Rolo was not to be outdoors unattended since he was brachycephalic, which is an airway obstructive syndrome.

When the family got Rolo’s body, they noted he had a dirt-covered face, paws and snout but shouldn’t have since he wasn’t to be left outdoors, the affidavit reported.

Deputies said in the affidavit Chambers told them she hadn’t seen Rolo for up to six hours prior to finding him dead and claimed he was dirty because she was “tossing him back and forth on the ground in the yard, as she tried to raise a response from him.”

The affidavit states Rolo could have escaped her home after her children may have left a door open.

The family alleged Chambers’ boyfriend said the dog had been outside for a while, but he later denied the claim, according to the affidavit.

Chambers was released from the Brevard County jail on a $2,000 bond.