US Border Horror: Aussie Woman Strip-Searched, Asked About Abortions, Then Deported for Pet-Sitting

A 36-year-old Australian traveller never imagined that her connecting flight through Los Angeles could unravel into a deportation nightmare.

Madolline Gourley's world turned upside down as she got booted out of America for pet-sitting. After five years of globe-trotting on a shoestring by house-sitting, she found herself stripped of her passport, interrogated about her reproductive history, and bundled onto a flight back to Brisbane – all because she'd been minding pets in exchange for free accommodation.

'They treated me like a criminal,' Madolline, still visibly shaken, told IBT UK months after the incident. 'And the worst part? The company that connects house-sitters with pet owners never properly warned me this could happen.'

Pet-Sitting: A Harmless Exchange or Illegal Employment?

She has been crisscrossing the globe using TrustedHousesitters since 2017, a platform connecting animal lovers with pet owners seeking free care in exchange for accommodation. But on 30 June 2022, American border officials delivered a shocking revelation: her money-saving travel hack was technically illegal employment.

In an interview with IBT UK, Madolline recounted her ordeal— starting with an interrogation and ending in a one-way flight back to Australia— and revealed why she is now advocating for accountability from TrustedHousesitters.

From Layover to Lockdown

Her trouble started during what Madolline expected to be a routine passport check at LAX, where she planned to catch a connecting flight to Montreal. A border officer, noticing she had previously stayed the maximum 90 days in America, grew suspicious about her frequent travels.

Despite her explanations about using TrustedHousesitters to secure free accommodation in exchange for pet care—a service for which she received no payment—officials remained unconvinced. Remarkably, they never requested her return flight confirmation, passenger attestation form, or her valid ESTA and Canadian eTA permits.

Instead, Madolline found herself escorted to a secure area where her passport was confiscated and use of electronic devices prohibited. There, another officer delivered the devastating news: her pet-sitting activities violated the Visa Waiver Program, which permits tourists from certain countries to visit America for up to 90 days without a visa—but strictly forbids work.

'I told him I was able to travel so frequently because I was using a website/app called TrustedHousesitters and that I used it to save on accommodation costs,' Madolline claims. 'I told him I wasn't paid and that the website operates on an "exchange model." ​​The sitter provides live-in pet care in exchange for a free stay at the pet owner's home.'

Though Madolline tried showing the officer the app she used, she was dismissed and taken to a closed-off part of the airport where her passport was confiscated and her electronics were banned from use. Her immigration referral information was also provided to IBT UK.

'But is feeding a cat really considered employment in the United States of America?' Madolline wondered in her blog post about the situation. She was relentlessly asked about her activities in New York City and forced to give the officer access to her online bank accounts.

Madolline explained to him that she had managed to stay in NYC by arranging 'back-to-back house sits.' However, the officer delivered some shocking news: he informed her that websites like TrustedHousesitters 'can say whatever they want to get people's money,' and Madolline had unfortunately fallen victim to this trap. Even though it was clearly an honest mistake, Madolline's ordeal was far from over.

Strip-Search and Intimate Questions

Madolline was taken to a female officer for a strip search in another room. There, she was ordered to remove her shoelaces, patted down, and had her cash counted and documented.

'She is the one who asked if I was pregnant (she asked this on two separate occasions), and she asked me if I had a recent abortion as we were walking from the cell room to the final waiting room I was placed in,' Madolline explained. 'She asked the abortion question after the other female officer had left.' At the time, Madolline thought this was 'an odd question to be asked' when being accused of illegal work.

Madolline was then questioned about her family, her life in Australia and whether she knew it was illegal to work in the US without authorisation. 'I remember saying something like: "Yes, I know it's illegal to work without a work visa, but I wasn't aware unpaid house and pet sitting is considered work,"' Madolline said. Despite her explanations, it quickly became clear that she was being sent home.

No Option But Deportation

Madolline's trip to Canada was ruined when she was told her entry into the US was refused, and that she was set to fly back to Australia that very night.

'I have since learned CBP should've offered me the option to "withdraw my intention to enter the United States" instead of refusing me entry,' she explained. 'If I had the option to withdraw my intention to enter the United States, I wouldn't have a 'record' of being refused entry to another country.'

Madolline was photographed and fingerprinted, and given the transcript of her interview to sign. Despite wanting to read it beforehand, Madolline was promptly told her flight would leave in 15 minutes, giving her no time to properly check the document.

This was the only time she was offered a call with the Australian Embassy, which she refused, seeing no point in it. Before boarding her flight, however, she contacted her family and the person for whom she was supposed to pet-sit in Canada, apologising for not being able to fulfil her commitment.

Although she remains motivated to travel around other countries, she is demanding accountability for the organisation responsible.

TrustedHousesitters Platform Under Scrutiny

Madolline alleges that TrustedHousesitters is misleading its members by saying, 'house and pet sitting doesn't breach visa guidelines anywhere in the world.'

'Had TrustedHousesitters been upfront about the visa/immigration requirements, I would've done a lot more research on the subject,' she explained. 'I've been a member of their website since 2017 and at no point from 2017-2022 did I ever see anything about the risks of house and pet sitting abroad.'

Despite Madolline's accusations, the organisation refuses to take responsibility. In an email which Madolline provided to IBT UK, Angela Laws— a TrustedHousesitters manager— apologised for the traveller's 'unfortunate experience' but fails to admit to any fault. Instead, she claims that 'immigration specialists have concluded that members can travel internationally to sit and that they are not in breach of any visa conditions.'

Madolline is now calling for transparency from the organisation: 'I think government agencies need to investigate TrustedHousesitters. This would include consumer affairs and immigration departments. Members are being lied to about the visa/immigration risks and the company offers no support to members who end up being refused entry.'

Moving forward, Madolline wants TrustedHousesitters to equip its members with all the necessary information to make informed decisions. She also calls their judgment that pet-sitting is not work 'irrelevant.'

Madolline has also raised concerns over the letters TrustedHouseitters encourages its members travelling to the US, UK, Canada, and Australia to present at immigration. Their US letter, which Madolline provided to IBT UK, lacks a proper signature and has no reference to the legal source of the advice. It is simply signed 'TRUSTEDHOUSESITTERS.' Madolline also notes that letters were only sent out following media coverage of her ordeal.

TrustedHousesitters has not offered Madolline legal assistance regarding her deportation, which she believes is the 'least' they could do given her charges. But what were these, exactly?

Branded an 'Immigrant Without Documents'

Before leaving the US, the officer who fingerprinted Madolline promised to provide her with a copy of her paperwork, but he never followed through. After persistently contacting the Assistant Commissioner from CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility, Madolline received some of her paperwork in November 2022. Although her health-related documents were not included, she is not concerned about obtaining them. 'I was only asked health-related questions about my pregnancy and abortion status,' she remarked.

Madolline has lodged a DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRI) case, which 'gives you the opportunity to have it overturned if CBP is found to have ruled incorrectly.' As a result, Madolline finally received a letter of explanation from CBP.

The letter, which Madolline provided to IBT UK, states: 'After careful review, we have determined that you were refused entry into the United States on June 30, 2022, at the Los Angeles International Airport under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), because you were unable to overcome the presumption that you were an intending immigrant. You were charged under Section 212(a)(7)(A)(i)(I), Immigrant Without Documents, of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).'

Due to these charges, Madolline cannot reapply for the VWP and instead must get a visa through the US Embassy or Consulate. 'You must also demonstrate to the examining CBP officer that you intend to honor the terms of your visa and that your stay in the United States will be temporary,' the letter adds.

A Hard Lesson for Budget Travellers

From her experience, Madolline urges fellow travellers to conduct thorough research and understand their rights at border controls. She emphasises that American officials consider house and pet-sitting to be work requiring proper authorisation—regardless of what platforms might claim.

While proper documentation showing return flights, accommodation arrangements, sufficient funds and a clean criminal record typically ensure smooth entry, she reminds travellers that border officials ultimately have discretion to deny entry for any reason.

Her hard-won lesson serves as a cautionary tale in our increasingly global sharing economy: platforms that facilitate international exchanges may dangerously oversimplify complex immigration laws, leaving unsuspecting users to face serious consequences. For budget-conscious globetrotters, her message is clear—when crossing borders, legal ignorance isn't bliss; it's a one-way ticket home.