Dog sitter quits agency after they find out their boss was pocketing 60% of their total earnings: ‘[She was] trying to claim she only takes 30%’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Aug 30, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Back in the old days, pet owners would find trusted individuals to look after their furry friends through word-of-mouth. Nowadays, there are a multitude of websites and apps—Craigslist and Rover, for two—that match you with the perfect pet sitter or walker. Dog-walking agencies, however, demand a cut of your earnings, which isn't out of the ordinary. Usually, that cut is somewhere from 20-30%, but in this next story, the dog-sitter's boss takes 60% of their earnings without telling them. A paycheck is a paycheck, but when your boss is stealing your money, you probably want to remove yourself from that employment opportunity as soon as possible.

What would you do in this situation? Confronting a money-stealing higher-up is already a task in itself. But if your boss denies it, even though you have documentation and proof that claims otherwise, do you escalate? How would you escalate? Money is money, and in this economy, you have to ensure nobody is pulling a fast one on your finances—that's usually everyone's last straw. Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • "Overall I made £840 from working, and she made £1260. £2100 total."
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • "AITAH for quitting my job after finding out my boss takes 60% of my earnings?"

    I have worked part time for a dog walking/sitting agency for the past three months. My boss told me that she took a small
    via couldbemebutno
  • percentage from each sit/walk and that she would not disclose the amount, I simply just get my wage. I assumed maybe 15/20/30%... maybe even 40%!
    via couldbemebutno
  • Anyways, a month passes, I've just completed a 7 night sit with a client. Said client reached out to me two days ago and asks if I could do 4 more nights next
    via couldbemebutno
  • mont, followed by the price she would pay. I immediately realised it is A LOT more, I done the maths real quick and realised my boss was taking a 60% cut.
    via couldbemebutno
  • I made sure I was correct and messaged my boss saying "Hi I have become aware that the client's rate is quite a bit higher than what I have been
    via couldbemebutno
  • receiving, and honestly I'm kind of disappointed that I wasn't aware of the percentage being that high. I understand you have
    via couldbemebutno
  • to take your cut, but I do feel my rate is quite low for the industry standard. I'll have to step back from this and any further bookings, I hope you understand".
    via couldbemebutno
  • Her reply was basically a mix of calling me selfish and ride, backtracking, telling me she doesn't need someone like me, trying to claim she only takes
    via couldbemebutno
  • 30% (untrue), and saying she is really upset because she has done so much for me and this is how I repay her. She also
    via couldbemebutno
  • mentioned numerous times that it was extremely r de and unprofessional of me to of ever previously asked anything to do with my wage and percentages.
    via couldbemebutno
  • I was quite shocked at the reply, and so I want to know what you guys think? Overall I made £840 from working, and she made £1260. £2100 total.
    via couldbemebutno
  • a person hiding 100 dollar bills in their back pocket
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • This gained a lot more traction than I thought it would. I want to make it clear that my job was ruled under self employment, the boss did NOT cover any
    via couldbemebutno
  • overhead payments apart from potentially a website and domain subscription. With that information, you can decide how legit you think this business may be.
    via couldbemebutno
  • I also want to add that I picked up this job as I had just moved to a new city and wanted to venture around.
    via couldbemebutno
  • Artistic-Tough-7764 NTA. Time to find either a better boss or let your your customers know you are going independent.
    via Artistic-Tough-7764
  • couldbemebutno Already done both! Currently have 6 nights booked next month with said client...
    via couldbemebutno
  • Ilafsroh14 Sounds like a great time to start your own Canine Cardio Corporation. I have friends who have a dog walking company. They are doing quite well.
    via llafsroh14
  • ArtistKeith333 NTA. I could understand even 50/50, because she's getting the contacts and setting up the contracts, booking, book-keeping, etc. But taking 60 percent is just ☐ greedy. Sc w her.
    via ArtistKeith333
  • couldbemebutno Thank you!! and honestly even at that, I definitely done most of the talking to clients!
    via couldbemebutno
  • mrdannyg21 50/50 would still be wild. On the Rover app, the fee is closer to 20%. Unless the boss is doing absolutely everything and the sitter is just showing up and fully transferable (which is unlikely since most people want familiarity when it comes to their pets), anything even close to 50% is really extreme.
    via mrdannyg21
  • Now, if OP was receiving a regular wage with benefits that included travel time and such, that would be a different story. Lots of people think they have brilliant business ideas or side hustles that are really just being an expensive middleman between customers and actual workers. Good on OP for sussing out the situation.
    via mrdannyg21

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boss workplace-stories toxic-workplace dog walker work dog sitting reddit story horrible-management workplace Horrible Bosses dog walking reddit thread Reddit entitled people toxic-work-environment
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