Dogs died, went missing, were injured under care of NYC sitter: clients

She’s a dog’s worst friend.

At least five dogs have died, been injured, or gone missing under the care of Marlene Cordova — a Queens woman who runs an unlicensed dog-sitting business out of her Bayside apartment — according to outraged pup owners.

“Marlene killed my puppy,” Coby Davidson commented in response to a Jan. 8 Facebook post on the Nassau County Lost & Found Pets page, which anonymously warned other dog owners against hiring Cordova as a dog sitter. 

According to text messages obtained by The Post between Davidson and Kelly Brach, a professional pet tracker, Cordova admitted to the dog owner she had left a piece of watermelon out when leaving his home, which his pooch ate, causing the canine to fatally choke.

“I had no idea anyone else had a similar experience,” Davidson wrote on Facebook. “I can’t give all the details here but we did get a settlement from her insurance company which obviously is never enough to replace him in our hearts.”

Baneet Pabla’s world was turned upside down — and his Australian vacation cut short — after Cordova informed him on Dec. 28 that his beloved, 4-year-old Australian Shepherd, Ozi, was missing. 

After catching the earliest flight home, Pabla, 35, went directly to Cordova’s 217th Street home where he had left Ozi for her to watch on countless occasions since he first found Cordova’s dog-sitting profile on Rover, a pet care services app, in 2019. 

“At that point, I had no reason to be suspicious because I had used her before, so that trust was there,” the East Elmhurst resident told The Post.

At first, Cordova told Pabla that Ozi had escaped her home — potentially through a door she’d left open — while she wasn’t home, and that she’d thoroughly searched the area for him, called nearby vets and animal shelters, and alerted neighbors to his disappearance.

But Pabla doubted her version of events after inquiring about Ozi at nearby businesses and residences, “and nobody had any idea there was a dog missing,” he said. When he called vets and shelters, “that was the first time they were hearing about my dog.

“Nothing she said added up,” Pabla said.  

After Cordova stopped responding to Pabla’s messages days later, he hired Brach, who used search dogs to track Ozi’s scent.

The dogs’ response indicates that “Ozi did not leave that block on foot,” Brach explained.

“We still have no idea what happened to Ozi and we have no idea where he is, even if he’s alive,” Pabla lamented. 

Other instances of dogs allegedly disappearing and getting hurt while under Cordova’s care include: 

• A 12-year-old Patterdale Terrier, Boozer, who has never been found since he went missing from Cordova’s home in July 2021, according to the Bayside owner and social media posts at the time.
• Alex Abramov’s 12-year-old Russell Terrier mix, Barkley, allegedly sustained three pelvic fractures from getting hit by a car after he inexplicably escaped Cordova’s home in February 2022.
• Shirit Cohen’s 7-month-old Shar Pai, Gator, needed five stitches on his muzzle after he was allegedly attacked by another dog Cordova was also watching at her home in February 2022.

Cordova declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Rover said Cordova was removed from the platform two years ago, but would not provide a reason due to confidentiality issues. 

The city Department of Health is “currently investigating” a complaint Cordova is illegally running a dog boarding business in residential premises, a department spokesperson said.