A dog owner has turned to TikTok with what some are calling the "wildest story they've heard".
It all started when McKenzie (@mckenzieleighc) booked a dogsitter via an app for her German Shepherd, Chester.
All was going well, until she allegedly received a text from the sitter reading: "'Congratulations. I just dropped your dogs off at their new home. It’s a seven-acre property. The owner is a 55-year-old cancer survivor. They’re going to be so happy. You guys are making the right decision.'"
A panicked McKenzie immediately hit back asking what he was talking about and how she had never mentioned having Chester rehomed. He was simply hired to dog-sit while the family were on holiday.
He suggested there was a mix-up and she would have Chester back by the end of the day, but McKenzie insisted of going to collect him from the new property herself.
The 'dogsitter' was unable to provide the address, but told her not to worry.
"We contact [the dogsitting app], we tell them what’s happening, and they tell us, immediately, 'Oh, this person is already banned from the app, and there’s an active open police investigation with them already. So when you guys call the police, they’re already going to have a file on this person. Go ahead and call them right now,'" McKenzie claimed.
A spokesperson for the dogsitting app told Indy100 that the booking was made outside of the platform. If the booking had taken place internally, they would have dealt with it accordingly.
McKenzie frantically joined local 'lost dog' Facebook groups and within a minute she found a post with photos of Chester, who had been reportedly on the run for three days.
Fortunately, McKenzie got Chester back and theorised that the 'dog sitter' came up with the elaborate story to cover the fact he actually lost the dog.
It didn't take long for fellow TikTokers to share their takes, with one writing: "I’m sorry that’s truly horrible and unforgivable. Did you chip your pups? All my animals have always been chipped so if they get lost I can get them back easier."
Another wrote: "That’s insane! So glad you were able to get your pups back."
Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "I’m so glad you got them back. I can’t imagine how terrifying this was to go through. Thank you for pressing charges, this should help protect more pets and owners from going through this."
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