Angelica Bridges is being sued over the death of a dog she was looking after
Former Baywatch star Angelica Bridges and a pet sitting company are being sued by a dog owner after her pet died after being run over while in Bridges’ care.
Bridges rose to fame when she was cast as Taylor Walsh in Baywatch in 1997 and went to appear as cover model in Playboy in 2001.
According to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the one-year-old Papillon named Snoopy died under the watch of Bridges, who was hired through the pet sitting website Rover, SFgate.com reported
The unnamed plaintiff says she hired Bridges in April 2017 from the Seattle-based company, which matches pet owners with walkers, boarders and sitters.
She is seeking damages for costs associated with Snoopy’s death as well as the emotional distress incurred by the loss of the dog, an emotional support animal.
Bridges advertised a fenced-in yard, experience with dogs and had a 5-star rating on Rover, which operates a network of 140,000 sitters across the U.S.
The law suit claimed Snoopy slipped under an opening in Bridges’ fence and was later struck by a vehicle.
Snoopy (pictured) slipped under the fence of Bridges’ yard and was then run down by a vehicle, the lawsuit alleges
Angelica Bridges had a five-star rating on the Rover website, which was reinstated after Snoopy’s death
The cast of Baywatch. Bridges (center) shot to fame playing Taylor Walsh on the hit show
Problems with the Rover app prevented effective communication between the sitter and owner after the dog’s disappearance, the lawsuit claims.
In the following weeks, Rover allegedly did not cover the animal’s cremation costs nor compensate the plaintiff in any way.
Angelica Bridges attending a Baywatch event in 2017. The lawsuit alleges Snoopy’s owner had problems contacting her after the dog’s death
Bridges was reinstated as a verified 5-star sitter on the site soon after Snoopy’s death, according to the lawsuit.
Attorney Rob Tauler of Tauler Smith, who is representing the plaintiff, said: ‘The contrast between what Rover says and what Rover does could not be more stark.
‘Rover claims that all sitters are approved by specialists and that it accepts less than 20 per cent of potential sitters, but this is not true.’
A spokesperson for Rover told Seatlepi.com it has not yet been served with a copy of the court filing and so was unable to respond specifically to the allegations.
But is said it runs background checks applicants to advertise as pet sitters and they must fill out a safety assessment as well as provide images of the home where dogs will be watched.
Rover also said it provides insurance coverage when services are booked.
The spokesperson said ‘the Rover team is heartbroken by Snoopy’s passing and made extensive efforts to assist with aftercare and to check on the owner’s well being’.