Woman Says She Searched a Week Before Service Told Her Dog Died

"We're committed to the safety and happiness of all dogs in our care, and peace of mind for pet parents." That's the promise of pet-sitting and -walking service Wag, as seen on its website, but one pet owner says her dog is now dead after being left in Wag's care. Insider reports Colorado woman Liz Giorgi was set to embark on a trip overseas to honor her late father, and so she hired Wag to take care of her two dogs. On Jan. 5, she says, she got the news that one dog, Fran, had gone missing. As she was in a remote location abroad and wouldn't be able to get home to the Denver area for at least five days, she recruited others to help look for Fran, posting a "missing" poster on Twitter.

"Too many cold nights in a row," she noted in her tweet. "We are now offering a reward to get Fran home." In the meantime, Giorgi says, her attempts to reach someone right away at Wag led nowhere, and her Twitter feed for the next week was clogged with posts pleading for help in finding her dog—as well as blasting Wag for not doing enough and not offering her an apology. Then, about a week after Fran vanished, a devastating update.

"I'm sad to report that my soul dog, Fran, has died," Giorgi posted on Thursday. She thanked those who'd helped her, but not without a warning about Wag. "Never use @WagWalking - they will harm your faith." She also tagged Wag's CEO, Garrett Smallwood, and said she was "waiting for a simple 'I'm sorry.'" In a follow-up post, she revealed how she was informed her dog died: "This is how the @WagWalking call goes if they lose & kill your dog: 'I'm calling to report we have news on your pet. Our local contact has informed us she has not made it. She has passed away. These instances are incredibly rare, but do happen. Do you have any questions?"

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Insider says that Wag and Smallwood had not yet responded to its requests for comment as of Friday morning. Giorgi is also now alleging that Wag deleted all her messages with the caregiver she says lost Fran. Insider notes that the pet service has had complaints in the past, including from a couple who said a Wag walker stole their dog in June 2019, as well as from a couple in Los Angeles who filed a lawsuit later that year, claiming their French bulldog was fatally hit by an SUV due to an inattentive Wag walker. (More missing dog stories.)