THE OWNERS of two dogs who were abused by their petsitters while they were on holiday said the experience has had a ‘profound and lasting impact’ on the whole family.
Duncan and Natalie Horlor hired Fur and Filly PetCare Services – run by 26-year-old Paige Williams of Kenilworth Road, Knowle – on a number of occasions in 2023 and 2024 to take care of their three dogs, two cats and two birds of prey at their home in Balsall Common.
But they later uncovered footage showing the mistreatment of their dogs by the petsitters – causing “guilt and heartbreak” for the family – and prompting them to support RSPCA calls for better regulation of the petsitting industry.
The couple – and their two teenage children – had no concerns while they were away in 2024 but, when they returned home, they received a message from someone who was worried about how the dogs had been treated by the petsitter and her partner, 26-year-old Bradley Archer, who’d been helping her.
Duncan – who runs an embroidery and screen printing business – said they immediately checked their cameras within the home and were ‘devastated’ to see dozens of videos of the couple roughly handling, hitting, kicking, and screaming at 13-month-old Ayrton and three-year-old Freida.
The other animals – an elderly dog called Aero, two cats called Sterling and Moss, and two birds of prey called Hatti and Ace – were not subject to the abuse.
The family contacted the RSPCA and police to report their concerns, submitting 51 video clips to the animal welfare charity who launched an investigation.
Earlier this month, Williams and Archer were sentenced by magistrates to 12-month community orders and were also disqualified from keeping animals for seven years after pleading guilty to one offence each under the Animal Welfare Act.
Speaking after the sentencing, Duncan said: “We’re so soft with our pets, the dogs all sleep in our bed and we’ve never crate trained them or locked them away. They used to come to work with me every day so they were always by my side.
“They were being locked in the utility room and shut inside the crate for hours. Neither of them were used to it and they were clearly very distressed. They completely destroyed an oak door trying to get out, and broke most of the bars of the crate.
“Going back over this all again and watching those videos in court was horrific; it breaks my heart to think of them so stressed out and frightened. My goal now is to stop this ever happening again.”
Headteacher Natalie, 43, added: “Since this happened we haven’t felt comfortable going away and leaving the animals with another petsitter. We’ve cancelled holidays and juggled plans so that one of us is always at home with them, or so that a family member can stay with them.”
The family have spoken about the “incredibly deep” betrayal they feel at the actions of the petsitters and have joined the RSPCA in a call for a greater regulation of many professions involved in the care of animals – including petsitters.
Animal welfare expert and vet nurse, Lauren Bennett, said: “Our pets are part of our families and we want to leave them in the hands of someone we trust when we go away – but finding someone isn’t always easy.
“Petsitting services appeal to some as it avoids pets having to stay somewhere unfamiliar, such as kennels. But petsitters need to be reputable and trustworthy, just as any other kennels or boarding establishment is, however they currently don’t need any sort of licence to come into your home and operate.
“A licensing scheme would require petsitters to provide relevant background checks to protect animal welfare, and offer peace of mind to many owners trusting them with their beloved animals.”
