A woman from New York has told Newsweek how her decision to use a trusted pet sitting website became a “traumatic” experience that left her pets struggling for days and led to thousands of dollars’ worth of damages.
After deciding to spend Christmas with her family in Nashville, Ashley Culver, 42, organized for someone from Wag! to care for her dog Calli, two cats and a turtle while she was away. She paid $500 for the woman from Wag! (whose services she had used before) to stay at her Manhattan home for five days, starting on December 23, 2025.
Unfortunately, after receiving distressing footage from a friend who visited her apartment, Culver booked a last-minute flight and rushed home in an emergency. She told Newsweek that what should have been an enjoyable time of year “turned into a nightmare” that she’ll never forget.
“The caregiver was left with detailed descriptions of when and how to feed and walk, and food servings were left proportioned out,” Culver said. “Our home was a disgusting mess and Calli seemed shell shocked and traumatized. It looked like a bomb went off in our kitchen and there was a pile of our clothes in the hall that were wet and dirty. It looked like there was vomit and poop all over the kitchen, there were animal accidents everywhere, the cats were dirty and there was kitty litter everywhere. It was really disturbing and shocking.”
A spokesperson for Wag! told Newsweek that they take incidents like this “very seriously” and that pet safety is among their highest priorities. Their statement continued: “Upon learning of the incident, we promptly suspended the caregiver involved and launched a thorough investigation. Our Trust & Safety team is also in direct contact with the pet parent to better understand the situation and work toward a resolution.”
Wag! caregivers are required to pass extensive background checks and must complete tests on pet safety and handling. “While such incidents are rare, we are committed to addressing them promptly and effectively,” the spokesperson for Wag! said.
Upon her return, Culver said her dog was so scared by what she’d gone through, she just lay on the floor, “almost catatonic.” Seeing how the experience affected her dog was “the most traumatic part” for Culver.
Indeed, there was no food or water for the animals, causing Calli to search the house until she found some turtle food instead. It was also clear to Culver that the dog hadn’t been walked for over a day. Culver also saw security footage of the Wag! caregiver leaving the building wearing her clothes.
“I think Calli was so grateful she was finally safe and could relax. She clearly had not been let out or fed, and it took her a few days to return to normal. There was no water or food out and they were forced to forage around the apartment,” Culver said.
It took days for Culver to clean the home, and for weeks after, she kept noticing that belongings were missing. After spending $1,000 on emergency flights home, Culver estimates that the full cost of damages amounts to almost $4,000 (from flights, broken or missing items, damaged clothes and cleaning supplies). Culver has shared receipts with Wag! but says they haven’t paid her anything at present.
Moreover, Culver told Newsweek that Wag! has not apologized or taken responsibility for what happened. Following the experience, Culver took to Instagram (@ashleyculver) to reveal what she returned home to find, including footage of Calli lying still and drooling on the floor.
The video has horrified many, going viral with over 1.6 million views and more than 87,400 likes on Instagram at the time of writing.
Following this ordeal, Culver never wants to use another pet sitting service like this again.
“I didn’t want to use social media to share this, I wanted Wag! to do the right thing,” Culver said. “This could have been one bad service provider rather than a bad company. But from the response to my video, unfortunately I’m hearing from other Wag! clients that our case is not the only one.
“We are so lucky we found out when we did. I really believe they were in great danger, and it could have been so much worse. I still feel very upset. Wag! says your care is insured and that they vet their sitters. They make you feel like you have security with their services.”
