Eva Hodgdin of Pennsylvania has a lot of regrets about the dog sitter she chose, but she can’t change the past. She thought she had found someone reliable to watch her furry friend while she drove the kids to her grandparents’ house. However, when she returned to pick up her black German shepherd named Nani, the babysitter and the dog were gone.
Hodgdin hopes she can find 1-year-old Nani before she has to tell her child, but if she doesn’t, she knows it will be a lesson in trust for the whole family. Dog theft is on the rise, so choosing the best dog sitter is more important than ever.
Too trusting
The babysitter contacted Hodgdin after meeting her in a Facebook group in the vicinity. The babysitter says she has a German Shepherd and that she is training to be a groomer. She seems to have a lot of experience with dogs, so Hodgdin made the mistake of trusting her without enough information.
Hodgdin was supposed to take Nani to the babysitter’s house, but she changed her plans at the last minute, so the babysitter offered to pick up Nani instead. So Hodgdin did not visit the address given until she returned home.
When it was time to pick up Nani, Hodgdin drove to the babysitter’s address, but she began to have a strange gut feeling. Sure enough, Nani and the babysitter were nowhere to be found. The woman did not live at the address she was given and she used a fake name on Facebook.
“I should have checked more. I never imagined anyone could do something like this,” Hodgdin said.
Bring Nani home
Hodgdin is working with Trafford and Braddock police to locate the babysitter and Nani. The dog sitter will face charges once she is found. On Facebook, the babysitter used the names “Moll Dunning” and “Molly Bureau,” but police have yet to locate her.
Hodgdin’s three children won’t be home for a few more days, so she hopes she can find Nani before she has to tell them the sad truth. It’s a story and a lesson that she wants to save for another time, but it may end sooner than she expected.
“If not, that’s going to be a lesson now, in trusting people and making sure you’re in check and safe,” Hodgdin said. “But I just really hope she gets home first and this could be a story I’ll tell them later.”
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Nani weighs about 50 pounds, and her fur is completely black. She has a raised ear and a drooping ear, and she has a curly tail. If anyone near Old Trafford, Pennsylvania sees a dog that matches Nani’s description, they should call the police. Nani is microchip.
How to prevent dog theft?
With many dogs being stolen, dog parents should be cautious. Several ways to prevent dog theft including leaving your dog unattended outside and changing them.
But when it comes to babysitters, the more research you do, the better. If you can leave your dog with someone you know, that will be the safest option for you. Otherwise, ask friends and family for suggestions and check out dog sitter reviews before committing. You should never ask too many questions when deciding if you should trust someone with your dog.
Hopefully Nani’s story will have a happy ending, but either way, it’s an important reminder for other pet parents. Be careful about who you trust with your dog because otherwise, their health and safety could be at stake.
Featured pictures: Facebook
