Man Averse To Pets Wants To Know If He's Wrong For Giving Away Their Dog After His Wife And Children Failed To Responsibly Take Care Of It

He gave the dog to his pet-loving in-laws.

May

• Published in Animal Stories
• July 23, 2022

There's no question that pets can be a lot of fun for kids. But along with the joys of owning a pet come responsibilities.

Teaching your child how to take care of a pet responsibly is an important lesson that will last a lifetime. But first of all, parents need to consider the best pet for their children.

Not all pets are created equal when it comes to kid-friendliness. Some breeds tend to be more patient and tolerant than others, making them better suited for homes with young children.

After getting a pet, it's important to establish ground rules for pet ownership from the very beginning. Decide together as a family what the expectations are for taking care of the pet.

And make sure everyone in the household is on the same page. Aside from teaching responsibility, children need to understand the importance of taking care of a pet.

If it's the child who insisted on getting a dog or cat, it's vital to encourage them to be involved in all aspects of caring for the animal. From feeding and walking to bathing and grooming, there are lots of ways for kids to get involved in taking care of their pets.

Of course, not all parents are on board with having a pet at home. Just like this Redditor who posted on the "Am I The A**hole?" (AITA) subreddit.

But what made things worse is that even if his wife and children promised to take care of the dog, they didn't show enough responsibility. He may not be a fan of taking care of dogs, but he has respect for the creature as a living being.

So he decided to give the dog away to people who will actually care for the poor creature. Let's see what happened.

Reddit user Main_Ad4903 is the only one in his family who's against taking care of the dog. Naturally, the majority wins.

Unfortunately, these family members aren't responsible enough.

The dog is starting to have behavioral problems.

So he decided to take the dog to people who will actually take care of him.

Despite having good intentions for the dog, the family members got mad at him. So he asked the AITA community if he was wrong for giving the dog away to his in-laws.

Fortunately, his in-laws are on his side.

He thinks it's for the best that the dog is with the in-laws who are animal lovers.

The original poster is hoping that the visit to the in-laws will have a positive outcome on their situation.

People need to realize that owning a living being comes with great responsibility.

The vet's recommendation to the family

Every dog deserves to be treated as a proper living being.

For this user, it's not fair to take the dog back.

Dogs cannot teach children responsibility. That is the role of the parent.

Parenting 101

Maybe the children need to show responsibility in other areas first.

What the original poster's wife doesn't realize

Meal requirements of a dog

Maybe it was a bad idea to get a dog if he's not willing to pick up the slack.

Feeding times for every dog vary.

You can't free-feed all dogs.

For this redditor, the responsibility ultimately comes from the parents.

This teenager was taught well.

At a certain age, children can take on greater responsibilities.

Not all redditors agree that children can't be pet owners.

The reality of being a parent with a pet at home

People in the thread started debating whether children can be pet owners.

It's the fact that the original poster recognized the negligence that people are on his side.

Maybe it's time to consider getting a less-demanding pet.

Others are starting to suggest animals that are best for beginners.

In the end, no matter what kind of pet it is, people still need to be responsible.

A user suggests taking care of a betta fish.

More feeding tips

This is so true.

The ball was on the wife and children's court.

Since the dog is already in a loving home, maybe it was the best decision to give it away.

The well-being of the dog should be prioritized, not the want of the original poster's family

Generally, people agreed with the action of the original poster.

People may have split opinions regarding children owning pets and the best pets for beginners, but in the end, they believe that giving away the dog was the best decision. We hope that the family has reached a conclusion about what's best for the dog, even if it means letting it go.

May