Dog Owner Asks Cousin To Give Up Christmas Gifts For Puppy

We've said it before, but we'll say it again: owning a pet is no joke, and keeping your pet safe and healthy is a lot of responsibility that is not to be taken lightly. A lot can go wrong when you have a pet. Whether it's getting in a fight with your roommates over whose property the pet cat is, or getting in a fight after your roommate's dog chases your pet cat out of a window, we've heard it all, and every incident like this can start a lot of drama.

We aren't going to spoil the story, but the original poster of this Reddit thread has a cousin who recently bought a pet dog. This dog needs to be spayed, as he was likely bought from a puppy mill, not an animal shelter, and the cousin is asking their relative to pay for this operation, which is very expensive. Right off the bat, would you pay for your relative to get their animal spayed? In any event, let's keep reading and find out what happened in the end:

Author image for Ellie Dunn Ellie Dunn
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  • 01
    Font - AITA if I prioritize buying Christmas presents above my cousin's dog?
    via u/pamplonamh

    Hmm, right off the bat our first thought is that the word cousin is important here. It isn't the original poster's dog, it's their cousin's dog. But we'll have to keep reading to find out whether the dog is a shared responsibility between them, or the poster is leaving out important reasons why the dog might be their responsibility.

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  • 02
    Font - I am on a tighter budget than usual this month because I want to buy Christmas presents for my family and a little plastic tree. I won't have much left after paying rent and presents.
    via u/pamplonamh

    Christmas can be hard, there are so many things for sale and typically none of them are cheap, especially when it comes to buying your family gifts. Hopefully this person has enough money to buy all of their family members the gifts that they're dreaming of, we really feel for them!

  • 03
    Font - With that said, my cousin recently bought a dog and she has been telling me she can't afford food, toys for the dog, and a dog bed and asked me for the money. She
    via u/pamplonamh
  • 04
    Organism - wants to get the dog spayed also. I initially told her I would give her $20 but she is saying she needs $300. I can afford it but I would have to not get gifts for my family.
    via u/pamplonamh
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  • 05
    Font - She asks me about it several times a day, saying I should not value material things above a dog's life. I am an animal lover and have upped my contribution to $100 but she says I have my priorities wrong.
    via u/pamplonamh
  • 06
    Font - By the way, the presents I'm getting are not expensive at all, just a pair of shoes or a new backpack so I can't go that much lower.
    via u/pamplonamh
  • 07
    Font - Is it wrong of me to want to put Christmas presents for my family above her dog, given her dog will at least have food from the money I am offering?
    via u/pamplonamh
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  • 08
    Font - chickenfightyour Your cousin needs to rehome the dog. Owning a dog isn't a right, it's a privilege and responsibility. She is not entitled to a dog, and she obviously not able to care for it. Don't give her a cent. Encourage her to rehome it to a person who CAN care for it.
    via u/chickenfightyour
  • 09
    Rectangle - KnightsSkye NTA she's the asshole for buying a dog when she can't afford one
    via u/KnightsSkye
  • 10
    Font - hiagha. The real kicker is that spay costs are usually included in adoption fees when you get a dog from the shelter. So the cousin probably bought this dog from a breeder or some puppy mill on craigslist or something. No sympathy for the cousin whatsoever and a ton for that dog who has to live with a terrible owner who also won't have the money in case of any emergency the dog needs.
    via u/hiagha
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  • 11
    Font - zrider99zr My college roomate's GF got a dog in college when she was living paycheck to paycheck working at subway. Poor thing got heartworms and died at like 2. I always didn't really like her, but kinda lost all respect for her after that.
    via u/zrider99zr
  • 12
    Font - Thank you guys for the responses. It has made me reconsider my feelings of guilt about giving her more money for the dog. As long as she (the dog) has food, the spaying is not an emergency. I know it isn't my dog, but I don't want any animal to suffer, and my cousin is dead set on keeping the dog so I did feel like I should help out as much as possible to ensure the dog has a good life. I'll be looking into low cost options around her.
    via u/pamplonamh

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