Hamster Entrusted to Pet Sitter Dies, Yet "Don't Report with Rat XX"... Shameless Pet Sitter

Pet hamster. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Public outrage has erupted after the story of a pet owner who entrusted their pet to a 'petsitter' only to receive it back as a corpse a few days later came to light. This pet owner entrusted their hamster to a petsitter in their 20s and suffered this unfortunate incident. A petsitter refers to a person who temporarily takes care of pets.

According to hamster-related internet communities on the 3rd, Mr. A, who lives in Incheon, recently sought a petsitter to take care of his hamster for three days from the 14th to the 17th of last month through a local-based secondhand trading platform.

Mr. A offered a total care fee of 120,000 won for the three days and was later contacted by Mr. B, a man in his 20s who claimed to have experience raising hamsters.

Trusting Mr. B, who expressed affection by saying "The hamster looks cute," Mr. A sent the hamster along with various supplies such as a living box and a wheel.

Messages exchanged between hamster owner A and B. / Photo by Internet Community Capture

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However, Mr. B began refusing Mr. A's requests to show recent photos of the hamster. Even after Mr. A sent multiple messages, Mr. B reportedly ignored them, saying he was "busy."

When Mr. A could not reach Mr. B until the day he was supposed to get the hamster back, he sent a warning message saying he was on his way to the nearby police station.

Only then did Mr. B reply, saying, "I don't know if (the hamster) is dead or alive," and "I will refund the money, so please provide your account information and don't report me over a damn rodent."

When Mr. A visited Mr. B's house, the hamster was found dead inside a box about the size of a palm. Mr. A lamented, "I never thought that trying to let the hamster have a comfortable time, even briefly, to avoid stress during the move would turn out to be poison," and expressed deep regret and apology to the hamster.

He also warned, "I will never forgive (Mr. B)" and announced plans for legal action.

After the story became known, netizens criticized the petsitter with comments such as "That's just brazen," "Is he trying to deny responsibility after ruining someone else's pet like that?" and "Does he even have the qualifications to care for animals?"

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