‘I’m a dog walker and I committed the ultimate sin – I forgot a dog’

A dog walker has admitted to the ‘worst feeling ever’ as she accidentally left a beloved pooch home alone. Taking her story online, Tay Pienaar admitted that her ‘heart sank’

A dog walker has admitted to committing the ultimate sin of her job – forgetting a dog. Tay Pienaar candidly explained the “worst feeling ever” as she took her story to popular video-streaming service TikTok. In the video, which has now surpassed a whopping 113,000 views since posting, she came clean about her forgetfulness. Admitting that she “messed up”, Tay described that her “heart sunk” once she realised that she left the pooch home alone.

She explained: “Every single dog walker will do this in their career, probably multiple times, I’ve done this before. So, I’ve forgotten a dog basically.

“It’s fine because they’re going to be in my later group walk and are going to get a walk, but the amount of time that they’ve been at home on their own is just too long for them as they’re under a year old.

“Basically, I asked some clients to switch around this morning – only two of them. One of them said no as it’s too long for the dog and I just wasn’t thinking.

“Of course, it was too long for him, so that was absolutely fine – no problem at all. But in my head, I’d still switched them and I have no idea why because I literally read the message to say, ‘no, sorry, it’s too long’.

“I said, ‘absolutely fine, we’ll stick to how it is’ – and I’ve not picked them up!”

The change simply went over Tay’s head, and she was left questioning why there were only three dogs on her walk. Upon her realisation, the dog walker admitted that her “heart sunk” as she let out a gasp.

She continued: “The worst part about it is that I can’t just chuck them in the car and go get them quickly as they live about 20 minutes away from where I am, so it would mean these guys wouldn’t get a walk.

“I’ve had to message the owner to really apologise. It’s genuinely the worst thing as a dog walker when you forget a dog.

“It’s actually the worst,” she admitted. “I just keep having to think that he is going to get a walk and I’m going to pick him up first, then drop this lot off home.

“I’d just thought I’d show you the reality. There’s nothing you can do, I’ve literally apologised over and over and over again.

“You do just feel like an absolute idiot.”

Several users rushed to the comments to share their thoughts on the ordeal. Fellow dog walkers even their stories to put Tay’s worries to rest.

A former walker admitted: “Don’t because I completely forgot to walk a dog once and the owner messaged me in the evening asking how he’d been on his walk!!!!”

“I’d be soo anxious of how the owners would react since they originally had already said no. Hopefully they were okay, it’s an honest mistake!!” A second said.

“We all make mistakes,” a third admitted. “What’s the worse that will happen? The dog is safe at home and you are going to walk him. Don’t beat yourself up x.”