The family’s anguish as their dog dies after the sitter left it to 'boil' in a scorching heat

The family left their beloved bulldog Teddie with a ‘highly recommended’ dog sitter to prepare him for a holiday later that year. The owner can’t hold back her tears as she describes her heartbreak after the sitter’s early morning call, simply stating their dog was dead. The animalwas left in a glass conservatory in extreme heat. The family is confident the death was avoidable.

‘Your dog is dead’

The family from Wales left their 21-month-old bulldog Teddie with a pet-sitter they found on a specialised online platform. They booked a two-week holiday in Jamaica later that year and wanted to 'rehearse' the overnight stays for Teddie to get more comfortable with them.

The £28 / $34-a-day pet home-boarder came 'highly recommended', and the dog was staying overnight.

Teddie’s owner Nikki said:

We found a sitter who sounded like a really nice lady with five-star reviews and everyone raving about her.

She was devastated after the sitter called her at 7 am the following day and said, with 'no sympathy, no care... nothing other than 'your dog is dead''.

What happened?

Nikki was surprised to learn five other dogs were boarding in the house at the same time as Teddie, according to South Wales Argus.

After being plainly informed that her dog was dead, the owner got suspicious and asked where her pet had slept that night. Nikki was devastated to learn that Teddie was staying in 'a fully glass conservatory with no blinds'. She knew the place turned into a real greenhouse in the scorching heat.

Bulldogs are known for having difficulties handling extreme temperatures.

Nikki said she was sobbing and 'had just to put the phone down'.

She and her husband Glenn went to collect their pet's body that morning and saw the conservatory door was open. Teddie was lying dead on the floor, with a quilted blanket thrown over him.

She said:

He was in almost full rigour mortis. The smell was horrendous.

'My house feels empty, and my heart feels empty'

Nikki described Teddie's death as leaving a 'massive hole in the family', ITV writes.

She said that everyone in their street knew and loved their dog.

The owner added:

The cat is wandering around the house looking for him because they were best mates. He was a huge, huge part of our life.

The 'baby' who had 'at least another 10 years in him', Teddie loved running around the garden chasing tennis balls, 'loved life' and 'loved people'.

Nikki said:

My house feels empty, and my heart feels empty.

The pet sitter didn’t have a licence

The local council's licensing team told Nikki the sitter didn’t hold a dog boarding licence.

A spokesman said:

The licensing department recommends that only licensed dog boarders are used.

The representative of the pet-sitting platform Teddie’s owner used to book the service, confirmed they were investigating the case on their side.

South Wales Police confirmed that they received a report concerning Teddie’s death. Inquiries are ongoing.

Read more:

⋙ Animal inspector’s heartbreak as she finds a dying dog locked up in a filthy house

⋙ Is your dog suffering a heatstroke? Don’t miss these 5 warning signs

⋙ Dog who ‘instantly broke hearts’ spent 500 days searching for new home