During the pandemic, it was reported by many pounds and kennels that they were nearly out of dogs and cats to adopt.
It was joyous news.
With people working at home more and the need for emotional connection growing, people sought out pets to love.
What a wonderful idea.
It seems that many owners didn’t take the future into account though.
Dogs are work, just like kids.
They’re meant to be forever family.
So after the pandemic subsided the news came out that pets were being returned in record numbers.
Animals feel loss.
And deciding to take one in is a decision not to be made lightly.
Case in point…
Redditor Ok-Lingonberry-4797 wanted to discuss his experience and get some feedback. So naturally, he came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
He asked:
“AITA for saying F**k No to a dog and taking it to the pound?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I (38 M[ale]) generally like dogs, but in small doses.”
“I grew up with them, but they weren’t the most positive thing to me growing up.”
“My wife has similar sentiments about owning pets and they aren’t something either of us ever wanted.”
“We have 2 daughters ages 8 and 10.”
“My sister (33 F[emale]) has grown up to be a classic ‘dog mom’ and loves her dogs more than anything.”
“She is also very close with my daughters.”
“Well, the other day my sister took my daughters out shopping.”
“They come home with a puppy.”
“I see it and I’m pissed.”
“My sister is like look what I bought them.”
“My girls were asking if I liked it.”
“I tell them, can you take the puppy out front and play with it? They do.”
“My sister is like, are you going to keep the dog?”
“I respond F**K NO, you know we don’t want a dog.”
“It’s not staying and you are telling the girls that it’s your new puppy.”
“Take it back, keep it, I don’t give a f**k.”
“It’s not staying here.”
“She says I don’t need to be so hostile, calls me an a**hole, and leaves.”
“I’m livid. I call the girls in and they are happy.”
“My heart broke telling them we can’t keep this dog.”
“The look from happiness to sadness is something I’m not going to forget.”
“Your aunt tricked you and this dog isn’t yours.”
“Well that did not go over great and they both went to their room crying.”
“I took the dog straight to the pound.”
“I gave my sister one more opportunity to keep it but she said her lease won’t allow another dog.”
“But she called me evil before hanging up.”
“AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Many Redditors declared OP was NOT the A**hole.
“NTA – everyone needs to hear this, puppies ARE NOT presents.”
“They are decisions made by the family to get a new family member to make sure the dog is cared for life and loved by the family and not some random gift you throw out when it doesn’t amuse you.”
“Your sister needs to reevaluate her decision-making.” ~ UnfortunateDaring
“So true! And they are freaking hard work!”
“Housebreaking, training, lost sleep, chewed items, not to mention the vet expenses and cost of maintenance – toys, crates, food, treats, leads, and collars.” ~ 2dogslife
“NTA. Medical expenses when the dog eats some stupid s**t the kids dropped and the parents never had the capacity to watch another lil idiot.”
“Raising a dog is very different from raising a child, like obv you can’t gate a toddler up and leave them home alone for 2 hours.”
“But the attention required during the baby/toddler stages can feel similar in many ways, it is a responsibility and an ongoing obligation, and costs a good amount of money in the best of cases.”
“Nobody is ever TA for not taking in a pet they can’t/don’t want to care for.” ~ dongdinge
“OP’s sister’s attitude & behavior don’t sound like a dog mom that loves dogs more than anything.”
“People who love dogs respect them enough to be sure they are wanted and will be loved before dropping them off.” ~ Electrical-Growth-85
“This. I was 24 and my husband was 27 when a roommate of ours found this lost blue nose pitbull.”
“50lbs of pure love.”
“He was about a year old, not fixed.”
“He slept in our bedroom on a blanket that night.”
“8 people lived in that 5-bedroom house and he picked ours.”
“We spent a few weeks looking for his owner.”
“The vet said he was maybe 1-2 years old.”
“My husband is 40 and I am 36.”
“Got him fixed and chipped.”
“He is 12-13 now.”
“Sleeps at the foot of our bed kind of on our feet 12 years later.”
“He has been having seizures the last few months and is on meds.”
“Recently the seizures moved to under every 2 weeks.”
“We have decided to end his misery in the next week or two.”
“Cheeseburgers, a run around the park, and an ice cream cone the day before.”
“We are heartbroken and our 2-year son is too young to understand where will his doggie be?”
“Dogs are for their lifetime.”
“Care for them, love them, involve them with your kids.”
“Pure unconditional joy.” ~ CH_BP1805
“It is so very, very hard to make a decision like that, where you’re truly doing what’s best for a pet who cannot understand why they are in pain or in misery.”
“It’s hard to let go, and a lot of people who tell themselves that they’re “giving them a chance” are really keeping a pet alive for themselves, not the pet.”
“And I can’t be too harsh on most of those people, because it really IS so hard when you care about them so much.”
“But there are some things you may not be equipped to manage, and putting the pet through it is certainly not kind to the pet at all.”
“You’ve given him such a good life, and now you’re giving him a last bit of kindness.”
“I hope you’re able to open your home to another pet so that your son will be able to grow up with one!”
“It will never be a replacement for Dean Martin; new pets never are a replacement for the ones lost.”
“But they’re whole new wonderful personalities to get to know and love.”
“Be kind to yourselves in the days ahead!” ~ eregyrn
“Puppies are a part of your family and kids especially grow attached.”
“Your sister should not have made the unilateral decision to get a dog for your children without consulting with you and your wife.”
“She needs to learn about boundaries.”
“Because of her bad decision, you’re out in a shi**y position where you have to tell your girls no puppy which I’m sure crushed them.”
“How dare she call you evil when she doesn’t have the common sense to know you don’t drop a pet in someone unexpectedly.”
“Pets are a commitment and you are NTA for taking the dog to the pound.” ~ PravinI123
“She thought that it was a fait accompli.”
“That they would have to say yes to not traumatize the kids.”
“What a huge B move.”
“If I did something like that to my nephew, I wouldn’t be expecting to be welcome in my brother’s house again.”
“But I’ll be okay because I’m not a giant idiot.” ~ sweensolo
“Preach it! Pets are family, not just some surprise gift!”
“Boundaries are crucial, and your sister needs a lesson in common sense.”
“You’re not evil for making the responsible choice.”
‘Pets are a commitment, and you gotta be ready for them. NTA for sure.” ~ XASFACSC2156465
“Agreed. OP, your sister is not a dog person because a true dog person wouldn’t do this to a poor dog.”
“True dog people know dogs aren’t gifts, they are a huge responsibility, and getting on needs to be taken seriously.”
“This is a good teaching moment for your children, tell them that responsible animal lovers don’t do this with any type of animal. NTA.”
“That poor puppy didn’t deserve what your sister did.” ~ lavender_poppy
“Exactly. OP, thank you for recognizing that you aren’t pet people.”
‘It’s ok, not everyone is.”
“Your sister is TA for ‘gifting’ the pup.”
“As others have said, animals are a commitment, not gifts.”
“Shame on her for being so flippant, especially if she loves her dogs so much, she should see how stupid her choice was.” ~ turdpimpin
“Animals in general of any species are not presents.”
“Not for anyone unless they have specifically asked and are old enough and responsible enough to care for them.”
“And it’s within your own household.”
“Never buy an animal for someone else’s child. Ever.”
“Oh and NTA.” ~ delirium_skeins
“NTA. I’m a ‘dog mom’ and I think what your sister did was terrible.”
“She knew that this was the likely outcome and she got the puppy anyway.”
“If she got it from a puppy mill, which I suspect she did, that’s even worse.”
“The good thing about puppies is that they are adopted quickly from shelters.”
“People pretty much have to go through background checks now to adopt (I did) so the puppy will most likely go to a good home.” ~ ChemistryAdorable212
OP let people know…
“I don’t know where my sister got it from.”
“I found a recommendation on next door and took it there.”
“I don’t believe there are kill shelters in my area anyway.”
Well, OP, Reddit is with you.
Your house, your rules.
People need to ask before they bring animals into your home.
Sounds like your sister needs a good talking-to about a few things.
It’s a tough situation for your girls, not created by you.
You and your wife can help them understand.
And hopefully, the puppy finds a great forever home.