Man Cancels Family Thanksgiving After His Parents Insisted On Bringing Their Dog Along

As cute as the dog is, this man had to put the safety of his kids first.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• October 30, 2022

If you've ever spent a day with a dog, you'd understand why they are the most popular pets in the United States. These adorable creatures are magical, and that's why almost half of the world's population is completely enamored with them.

However, it takes more than just loving a dog to own a dog. These canines require attention, time, energy, and money to take care of.

From walks to picking up after them to hiring a dog trainer or even training your dog yourself, it can take a lot from an individual.

Unfortunately, having an unkempt or untrained dog doesn't just affect you; it affects everyone around you, including friends and family.

You also have to consider that as awesome as dogs are, some people get sick by just being around them. And when a member of your own family happens to be allergic to your dog, it can make visits or reunions a bit dicey.

We found a Reddit post highlighting the tricky nature of having a dog that isn't really welcome around the family.

A Redditor shared on the AITA subreddit that his parents own an adorable 100+ pound dog, but due to lack of training, it was always chaos having the dog around. From constantly barking to knocking his little kids over, the dog was a handful for everyone.

OP further revealed that his son is allergic to the dog, so he and his parents had agreed to board the dog whenever they came to visit.

Unfortunately, the dog got sick, and OP's parents were uncomfortable leaving him with a caregiver. So OP was left with no choice but to cancel the family visit. And from the looks of things, it was a tough decision to make.

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Family reunion, ruined!

Unfortunately, the 100+ pound dog was a handful for everyone. So the plan was for his parents to board the dog before every visit

OP explained that the family reunion was at the brink of collapse after the dog got sick. Apparently, his parents weren't comfortable leaving their sick dog with a sitter.

OP's parents brought up the idea of visiting with the dog instead, but it wasn't an idea that OP was willing to entertain.

Here's how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

"Your parents need to get a grip. Prioritizing their pet over their grandchildren is ridiculous."

"NTA, you did the right thing and your children's safety is most important."

"Your child is allergic to the dog. The dog physical hurts your kids. That should come before anything else."

"I’m glad you stuck to your boundary, moms don’t always make it easy. As someone who also breaks out in hives around dogs - your child will be glad too."

"So your son breaking out in hives isn’t enough? What grandma risks a kids health like that?"

"Your mom sounds like she’s anything but a proud dog mom"

"NTA, and you have nothing to "feel terrible" about. Your mother intentionally put you on the spot because she doesn't take your safety concerns seriously,"

"Your kids come first. Even if you didn’t have little kids, your house your rules."

"As much as I think dogs are the best thing ever, I despise bad pet owners who raise out of control dogs and think that everyone should accommodate them."

"The dog can't help that he has energy, true. But your mom and dad are clearly not doing enough with the dog to expel that energy. "

"It's very important to establish boundaries early with grandparents. If expectations are clear everyone is happier."

"Keep up the boundary. Tell them to come without the dog, or not at all."

Seems OP has the full support of the people in the comments section. According to them, his parents should understand that bringing the dog poses a health risk for their grandchild.

Some even praised OP for sticking to his boundaries despite feeling uncomfortable.

Do you think OP should have allowed his parents to visit with the dog? Let us know in the comments below!

Jesse