The timeless debate over how pet owners should care for their animals continues to go on as people disagree over the best approach to being pet parents.
No one wants to believe that their beloved animal pals are unwelcome or unwanted. Yet, there are often conflicts within people’s owner neighborhoods that suggest it’s time for some pet owners to change their ways.
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This is particularly true for one neighbor’s untrained and abnormally hyper dog.
One couple thought it was harmless to make their cat its very own little patio.
In a post submitted to Reddit’s AmITheAsshole page, wife in this situation explained she and her husband had previously decided it would be cute to make their 11-year-old cat a “catio,” which is just a really cute word for a cat-specific patio.
They wanted their furry feline to be able to enjoy some relaxing sun bathing, so the set up a little spot for him on the side of their home, which rests at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Their neighbor’s dog soon began tormented the cat.
Everything seemed to be working out for this couple’s cat and his catio until about six months ago.
“Someone in the neighborhood started walking their dog on our street,” the wife explained online. “At first we didn’t know where they lived, but they live right off of our road and to the right. Any time they walk the dog, he is off leash and as soon as he sees my cat he runs through our yard barking and trying to get into the catio.”
The dog owners have repeatedly refused to put a leash on their dog.
When this same situation happened a second time, the couple asked the dog’s owner repeatedly to leash their pup and to keep him away from their yard.
“Their response was to demand we put our cat inside while they were walking the dog and gave us the times they normally walk him,” the wife recalled of the confrontation. “We said that didn’t work for us, and that they needed to keep a better eye on their animals.”
Things quickly went from bad to worst.
After the couple spoke with other concerned neighbors, they learned that the dog’s owners were actually causing trouble for everyone. From disturbing the peace to leaving dog poop in their lawns, things were getting out of hand.
But one incident in particular proved to be the final straw.
Just a few days ago, the neighbor and their dog once again were spotted walking towards the couple’s home.
“The dog saw my cat on his catio and he ran straight for my house barking,” the wife recalled on Reddit . “In the process he knocked down a [neighbor’s] child who was sitting on a lawn chair.”
Feeling positively fed up, the couple decided to call their local Animal Control, who they handed over plenty of doorbell footage of the untrained dog to.
Of course, the dog’s owner was furious when they found out.
That person confronted the couple and revealed that not only had they been fined for local leash law violations, their dog was also being quarantined to ensure he’s not dangerous. But that’s not all.
“The person told me that the dog is her sons ESA [emotional support animal] for his autism and called me a monster for what we did,” the wife recalled.
Once they learned this, the couple immediately began feeling guilty about the situation.
“I did call animal control and inquired about the poor dog,” the wife admitted. “Honestly I’ve been crying about it since I found out. The last thing we would ever want is to take away a child’s pet from them. It’s just sad.”
She was informed that the dog is being well taken care of and is actually quite sweet, but just very poorly trained. He has since been taken away from the family for good and placed in a foster situation with new owners.
With all this weighing heavily on her mind, the wife just wanted the people of Reddit to tell her one thing: is she the asshole for calling Animal Control?
The people of Reddit shared their thoughts.
Many users reassured the guilt-wracked owners that they actually made the right call in this situation.
As one person pointed out,
“This right here illustrates the issues of equating an ESA with a service dog. ESAs have little to no requirements for training and are a potential hazard because their ‘handlers’ are often idiots. This dog has repeatedly shown a lack of training and aggression, for its own sake hopefully the owners get theirs heads out of theirs asses and leash it.”
Others agreed and said that the dog’s owners were clearly unfit to take care of him, ESA or not.
After all, they didn’t even attempt to control the dog by leashing him, never tried to stop him from chasing the couple’s cat, and never even stopped him from pooping on people’s front lawns, let along pick it up.
For all these reasons and more, Reddit confidently declared the dog’s owners the asshole in this situation, not the couple.
But what do you think about all of this? Is Reddit’s verdict correct or is the couple in the wrong for calling animal control? Let us know!
h/t: Reddit
