When something goes wrong while a person is pet-sitting, it is so easy to point fingers at the pet-sitter. But when the pet owner leaves their dog at a home where the dog isn’t wanted, without food or other supplies, what is the pet-sitter to do?
Redditor “HuckleberryResident” shared her story on the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITA) subReddit after being forced to call Animal Control to come and pick up her own sister’s dog.
The Redditor shared first that she has terrible allergies to dogs.
“I (22[Female]) am super allergic to dogs. Like, oatmeal baths and peeling skin days later allergic.”
“My sister (24[female]) KNOWS this, and yet constantly asks me to dog sit her little Cujo, a 4ish years old Border Collie. I always, ALWAYS, say no.”
But one day, her sister didn’t take “no” for an answer.
“Well today, she asks, I say no, and think it’s the end of it.”
“Nope. One hour later, I hear my front door open, close, and a car drive off. I go to see what’s happening and there’s Cujo, completely tearing apart my mudroom.”
“So he’s essentially contained in this room where you’re meant to take off your coats/ shoes/ umbrellas blah blah before you get into the house. The first door doesn’t have a lock, it’s kind of like a screen, and the second door that leads into my house does. She leaves him in between these two.”
When she called her sister, she received shocking news.
“I immediately call my sister, who says she just needed to leave him with me for a WEEK, and that I can just put him in the backyard and feed him once a day (she didn’t leave any food).”
“I tell her that she has thirty minutes to come back and get the dog, or I’m calling animal control.”
“She says she’s on her way out of town on a freaking bus and can’t make it. I just hang up.”
The Redditor found herself having to hold up her end of the bluff.
“30 minutes later, no sister. I call animal control, and they take Cujo away. He has wrecked my entire mudroom, probably five pairs of shoes, a couple jackets, and an antique bench thing.”
“My sister calls three hours (!!!!!) later to ask about dog, who is obviously no longer there. I tell her as much, and that she’ll be paying me back for the damages as well.”
Her sister obviously wasn’t happy about this.
“She screams at me for a second before realizing she needs to go get Cujo, and hangs up to try to get someone else to pick him up.”
“The shelter has a 48 hour policy so he could be adopted out if someone doesn’t pick him up soon.”
“She refuses to pay me back and I’m honestly thinking about just cutting her off entirely.”
“AITA (Am I the a**hole)?”
The Redditor added more information to her post about her allergies.
“For everyone saying I should have called friends/posted on Craigslist etc., you’re probably right, but I didn’t have the time/state of mind to do so.”
“I couldn’t move him to the yard/drive him somewhere without risking severely swollen eyes and tongue, and eventual full body hives. Furthermore, he had wrecked the entrance to my home, and I’ve seen dogs chew/claw up floors/doors/walls which would be a much more costly repair.”
“I absolutely wish I had looked up specifically no-kill shelters, though. As far as I know, he hasn’t been picked up yet, but our shelter was ’emptied out’ due to all the [pandemic] adopters, so I assume he’ll be fine. I’ll try to remember to update.”
Other Redditors anonymously commented on the OP’s (Original Poster’s) story, using the following scale:
- NTA: “Not the A**hole”
- YTA: “You’re the A**hole”
- ESH: “Everybody Sucks Here”
- NAH: “No A**holes Here”
Many stated the OP was NTA because of her allergies and the boundaries she had already set.
“I came here ready to call you TA but you’re NTA. You have every right to do this. This sounds so absurd its borderline unbelievable.” – MistyDayforpresident
“She left him with you because she thought she could walk all over your boundaries and get away with it. Give her a deadline to pay you back for the damages and then file small claims.” – bleuscreenofdeath
“She could have booked a boarding kennel. Boarded at a vet’s office. Gotten a pet sitter. She had many options…”
“…but that would have cost money! So she dumped the dog on you. Shame on her. What a sh**ty pet owner, and sh**ty sister. NTA” – ThisIsWhoIAm78
One Redditor agreed and was appalled the sister would leave her dog with someone who has such allergies.
“Also, if OP wanted to have as little contact as possible with the dog while still getting it to the backyard from the mudroom, that would mean going through the house to the back door, potentially leaving allergens all over for OP to discover and react to later.” – IllustriousPangolin8
And who leaves their pet with someone without also providing food, toys and other supplies?
“And if [the yard is fenced in] she’s an extra a**hole for leaving the unwanted dog in the mud room where it could (and did) damage clothes and furniture instead of in the yard. If it’s not fenced it’s even more ludicrous that she thought it would stay out there.”
“Plus what kind of crappy owner not only leaves the dog where it’s not wanted but without his food, toys, and other things he would need to be comfortable in an unfamiliar environment for a week.” – Kbye80
“If she thinks he can be chucked in the garden and just fed once a day for a whole week….that poor dog is so bored and frustrated beyond belief! Or it would be until it just left the garden for greener pastures.” – ColourfulConundrum
“I don’t particularly want a dog in the future because they take so much work to truly take care of, and I don’t know if I have it in me to do it right. My boyfriend wants to adopt way down the line, and luckily I know he is really great and responsible with animals.”
“People have to think about these things before getting a dog, like who takes care of them when you are on vacation, getting them proper training for their breed, the amount of space they need, etc. Unfortunately, not many people even consider these things, and the dogs are the ones who suffer most for it.” – ICoeur285
Others agreed with all the above and also hoped the dog would find a better home.
“And to drop him off with someone that can’t go near him without risking medical consequences.”
“Frankly, the dog will be better of with a different owner, and you would be better off with the person who committed assault by allergies out of your life.” – whereugetcottoncandy
“The poor dog mustve been so anxious, youre def NTA. Your sister sucks.” – cielduaverne
“NTA- Both my Boarder collies have been super chill personality wise. They don’t rip things up because we make sure they are mentally stimulated and cared for.”
“That poor dog is crying out for help. Get it taken off her immediately. She doesn’t deserve him. Never mind how much of a kn*b she’s being to you!” – gabymay33
“NTA Please cut your sister off. And you did the poor dog a favor if he can get adopted by a responsible dog owner. Border Collies are very intelligent and active working dogs who need a lot of training and stimulation.”
“It’s not its fault it tore apart your belongings, it should have been trained years ago. And to drop a dog for a week with no food, no toys, nothing? At minimum your sister is a neglectful id**t.” – Allimack
Let’s all hope Cujo winds up healthy and happy, with a physically and mentally stimulating home.