A mother who is allergic to dogs Y he no longer loves his son’s dog at home because he “absolutely hated” having to look after her in recent weeks has sparked debate on UK-based internet forum Mumsnet.
according to a post shared by mom (username Domestic1980), her 18-year-old son is in the military and “works away from home 95 percent of the time.” He does not have his own place and lives in his house when he is not working.
She recently took care of her dog for three weeks because she had work commitments, but “hated” doing it, explaining: “I’m a bit allergic, I had [a] I had a sore throat and a runny nose, even allergy pills didn’t help and I just hated having the dog, the smell, the mess…”
In a later post, the mother said she spent “thousands” on fixing up her garden and the dog dug holes in her lawn and ate and trampled on her flowers. “I can’t leave her in the kitchen, she chews. She’s too young,” her mother said.
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More than 60 percent of households in the US have at least one pet, according to a study published in October 2020 in the peer-reviewed journal animals.
The study revealed that pets were a source of stress for most owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, explains the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The most common issues reported by US pet owners during the early months of the pandemic were related to “meeting their pets’ behavioral and social needs,” which could not be fully met due to restrictions on security in force due to the outbreak.
The study said: “Pet owners were sometimes exasperated, annoyed or frustrated by their pets’ desire for attention or by repeated interruptions during their work-from-home time. Related to this, pet owners reported problems of new and emerging behaviors that their pets exhibited due to changes in daily life.
“Combined with the current financial crisis and widespread unemployment, pet owners may have no choice but to part with their pets if they can no longer afford to care for them,” the study said.
When the son in the latest Mumsnet post came to pick up his dog, his mother “kindly” told him that she no longer wanted the dog in the house and explained her reasons.
She said, “He told me he was fine, but he couldn’t come see me anymore if he couldn’t bring the dog. Am I okay?” [being] unreasonable?
“I absolutely hated having the dog, but obviously I love seeing my son,” the mother said, noting that even when her son is home, he leaves her to “fix the dog.” While he responds if she calls him to do it, “it would stay with me if I didn’t,” she said.
The mother explained: “My logic at this point is that he got a dog without asking me and as an adult he has to live with the consequences as maybe it’s time to grow up a bit.”
The latest Mumsnet post has users divided, with some siding with the mother or son, while others say there needs to be some kind of compromise.
One said: ‘If it was me I’d just say oh too bad you can’t visit him then. Why won’t he put him in the kennels anyway? It’s not like I wanted to look after him when he’s on leave. He just assumed you would , because you think that’s your job as [mom].”
And the mother replied, “That’s more or less what I said, I wasn’t going to get into a fight over it, I just said you’re an adult now and you do what you feel is right, but you’re always welcome here and I” . I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped.”
Another user asked: “What do people with dogs do when they go to visit someone? Do they expect to take their dog everywhere? Don’t they consider it before they get one? Not everyone wants a dog in their home.” “
And a third explained, “I’d put up with a mild allergy just to see my son… just set some ground rules, like the dog can’t go up the stairs.”
A fourth warned: “Beware OP [original poster]You’re setting a dangerous precedent for your relationship with your adult son.”
And another user explained: “He’s 18 and has his own life now. It’s ok if you don’t want the dog to come but the consequence is he won’t come. Sure you could put up with the dog for a short while.” visit of his son? I’d put up with a sore throat if it meant my son could visit me.”
However, one agreed, saying, “Neither of you is unreasonable…what’s a good compromise? Meeting halfway at a dog-friendly pub? Going for a walk in the country?” If you can’t afford the care, you have to sort out other arrangements as this is your problem to solve.”
If you have a similar family dilemma, please let us know at [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice and your story could appear in Newsweek.