After a family gathering at her countryside home, a 28-year-old woman faces a dilemma when her neighbor’s dog eats some of the leftover food, resulting in extensive vet bills that the neighbor demands she pay in full, leaving her wondering if she should take responsibility for the incident or stand up for herself.
Happy Family Gathering
A 28-year-old woman recently hosted a family gathering that included her sister and her family, brother and his wife, boyfriend, and both sets of parents. Since she lives in the countryside, it’s not common for whole properties to be fenced, and usually, fences are only for animals.
She Thought it Would be Fine
The weather was nice, so they decided to eat lunch outside, and after they finished, some of the food was left outside, including some desserts that were mostly chocolate and a bit of fruit. The woman figured the food would probably be fine being left out for a little bit, and if not, it could just be thrown away. The food was covered, too.
A Lovely Walk
After lunch, they went down to the small pond on her property for a little while, probably half an hour to 45 minutes. It has a nice dock and view of the trees and is a great place to spend some time. The woman loved showing off her property and thought of it as her own little piece of paradise.
A Shocking Discovery
When they got back up to where the food was left, they discovered that their neighbor’s dog was on the table, eating the food, and had ripped the covers off. They ushered the dog off the table as quickly as they could but the damage was already done. He’d eaten nearly all of their leftover food.
Toxic Food
The woman got her neighbors, and they apologized, but asked what the dog had eaten. She told them, and some of the food was toxic to dogs, such as chocolate and grapes. They started freaking out and rushed their dog to the vet.
He Survived
The next day, they contacted the woman and asked if she would pay the vet bills. Their dog survived, but needed extensive care and had racked up quite a bit in vet bills. This query really shocked the woman as it wasn’t her fault the dog trespassed on her property.
They Insisted
The woman offered to pay a quarter of the bills, but the neighbor insisted that she should pay for all the bills because the food was hers, despite the fact that their dog was on her property. She told them that if they hadn’t let their dog on her property, it wouldn’t have eaten her food.
They Were Not Amused
They said that it had accidentally gotten out, and they didn’t mean to, and that she should pay all the bills. She then made a remark about how they should pay for the food the dog ate, but they weren’t amused and got more upset.
Are They Being Unreasonable?
The woman told them that it was either a quarter or nothing, and they’re still upset about it and want her to pay more. She feels guilty for leaving the food out, but also feels that the neighbor should take responsibility for their dog’s actions. She’s left wondering if she should have paid the full cost or if the neighbor was being unreasonable.
Reflection
Reflecting on the situation, the woman realizes that she could have handled it differently. She could have been more proactive about ensuring that the food was put away after the meal, or she could have communicated more clearly with the neighbor about their responsibility for their dog’s behavior. She also acknowledges that leaving the food out was a mistake, and that she bears some responsibility for what happened.
Take Responsibility
However, she still feels that the neighbor is being unreasonable in demanding that she pay for all the vet bills. She believes that they should take some responsibility for their dog’s actions and that a quarter of the bill is a fair contribution on her part.
The Internet Responded
This person wrote, “It’s THEIR Dog, THEY let it out accidentally, THEY failed to supervise their pet. The fact that the trouble the dog got into happened to be on your property doesn’t make you responsible here. It’s the responsibility of the pet owner to keep their pet safe. Full stop.”
More Internet Comments
Another commenter posted, “Yes, while I commend OP for the offer, being the good neighbor, given the dog owner’s attitude I would rescind the offer, with neighbors like this you give a inch they will take a mile. But then again OP does have to live next to them.”
A Final Comment
This person posted, “You did nothing wrong. Edited to add and while you offered to pay quarter to be nice, don’t because that makes it look as if you are taking at least partial responsibility. The responsibility falls onto the pet owner to keep their dog on leash or in their fenced area. End of story. I get that pets do get out accidently, but it is not the responsibility of everyone else to safeguard for possible escaped animals at all times.”
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