Defensive Dog Mom Beefs With 3-Year-Old Child for Approaching Service Dog, Causes Controversy on Twitter

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Nov 27, 2023 4:00 PM EST

Stick with me here, because I'm about to say something that could be contentious: there is a comparison to be made between dogs and small kids. They are both needy and entirely dependent on their caretakers, with a tendency for causing trouble where they shouldn't. Also, they both struggle with being accepted for who they are by certain parts of society.

However, that's where the similarity ends. Many would argue that it is in bad taste to equate a small human to one of our furry friends, but that doesn't stop certain people from doing that. Not everyone is willing to give grace to children. 

The unpredictability of both parties can make for some awkward moral dilemmas, as has been underlined by a recent Twitter controversy. When one woman took to the platform to complain about how she had been forced to block a toddler from trying to touch her dog, not everybody was in agreement about how she had approached the situation. Both the parents and the dog owner had a responsibility here, and it appears that neither of them handled it that well. 

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  • 01
    TION AbortionChat @Abortion Chat Follow Small child runs up to Zoë. I body block and say, "Maybe we don't run up to dogs we don't know." The parent: She's three Me: If she isn't on voice recall, maybe she should be leashed?
    via AbortionChat
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 9843141632
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  • 03
    Lucy Huber @clhubes. 1d Replying to @Abortion Chat My 3yo has known not to run up to strange dogs and ask to pet them since he was literally 17 months old. (Still working on remembering not to put his face in dogs faces after he gets the go ahead, though). 23 1722 3,940 320K AbortionChat @Abortion Chat - 23h Learning comes in steps for sure.
    via clhubes
  • 04
    Chandler Reming... @Remy_Legal Follow Replying to @Abortion Chat How about "thank you for protecting my child and doing my job for me”? Jeez
    via Remy_Legal
  • 05
    Ⓡ KK Lena @meltedpotmama Replying to @Abortion Chat "She's three," is not an argument a frightened dog will acknowledge. Follow
    via meltedpotmama
  • 06
    ΓΙΟΝ, GG Ryan @thegalaxygodde1 - 1d Replying to @AbortionChat "She's three" translates into "she's snack sized" Q8 177 673 ili 34.5K AbortionChat @Abortion Chat 1d Bahahah ● :
    via thegalaxygodde1
  • 07
    oatmeal influencer @acechhh - 17h children are so vulnerable and dependent on adults for survival and it makes me sad the way some grown adults talk about them on here. sure she shouldn't run up to animals but she's 3. you don't need to be a weird little freak in the comments calling a toddler problematic lol :
    via acechhh
  • 08
    mindy @mindyisser 21h you seem like a really cool person ●
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    Nicole Pomarico @nicolepomarico As the mom of a 3 year old, you can tell them 100 times not to approach dogs they don't know, and they might even listen to you perfectly 99 times, but there is always that 1% chance today is the day they don't. Follow So yeah, she's 3. Make room for people learning how to be people.
    via nicolepomarico
  • 10
    Justin Boldaji @justinboldaji. 16h "Zoë" tells me everything I need to know
    via justinboldaji
  • 11
    Nori Reed @realnorireed 15h Small child runs up to my dog. I body slam her and say, "Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?"
    via realnorireed
  • 12
    Sophia Benoit @1followernodad 13h Any time someone starts a sentence with "maybe" like this, you know they're an absolute miserable sod
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  • 13
    红色娘子军 @detachment_red Follow f king dog people, if your dog is unsafe to be around small children it's ultimately your job to watch your dog babe
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  • 14
    sk @kirkxxs. 18h we shouldn't run up to dogs we don't know yes! but like... she's 3. i don't know how you have this much disdain for a 3 year old. ur beefing with a 3 year old.
    via kirkxxs
  • 15
    whirling, screaming... Follow @slime_golem Small child runs up to Grognard. I put him in a sleeper hold and whisper in his ear, "Welcome to the Thunderdome." Parent: He's a newborn baby not even a day old. Me: I am going to suplex this baby for approaching Grognard
    via slime_golem
  • 16
    Sunk Cost Pharisee @Liamjsm. 10h comments to this are so insane. we might have to force people to work day care shifts if we're still interested in living in a society
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  • 17
    Robert Komaniecki @Komaniecki_R 1. don't let your child run up to strange dogs 2. don't talk about children like they're dogs just to own their parent Follow
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  • 18
    helena @freshhel · 17h The foot stance.. spelling your dogs name ikea style.. I gotta kick it w her
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  • 19
    matt @computer_gay 11h JP @jpbrammer . maybe I am beefing with a baby 9:18 PM - 11/4/20 from Earth .
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  • 20
    tyler v (nice) @godlikemind 17h You shouldn't have your dog in public if you can't handle being approached my children better than this. Nobody in real life gives you reward tokens for making a pithy little remark about a baby. It doesn't get you into heaven to be rude
    via godlikemind
  • 21
    Laura Elliott @TinyWriterLaura . 2h controversial opinion i genuinely think you are all overreacting to the tone of this tweet. was it rude? yes. is rudeness the main takeaway? no, because if you as a parent are letting your kids run up to strange dogs you are putting your child & the dog in danger & that is on you
    via TinyWriterLaura
  • 22
    B1G_Ryan @B1G_Ryan - 16h Stop bringing your dogs everywhere in public, you weirdos. The rest of us shouldn't have to interact with your pets in grocery stores or coffee shops
    via B1G_Ryan
  • 23
    TION daisy Replying to @Abortion Chat A lot of people genuinely don't know to do this with dogs so I take the chance to yes body block but then go "We should ask first, she might not be nice. Do you want me to show you how to let a dog say hello?" and I hope it slows the kid down in their next interaction 13 ♡ 1,115 @amazeydazey. 23h 10 il₁ 203K AbortionChat @Abortion Chat - 22h And that's great. But Zoë is a service animal. It's not my job to teach problematic kids. There were plenty of other d
    via amazeydazey
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    Kimberly Nicole Fos... @KimberlyNFoster Replying to @AbortionChat this was very rude of you Follow
    via KimberlyNFoster
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    Chris @reclusechris49 - 23h Replying to @Abortion Chat You couldn't have found a kinder way to respond? It was a teachable moment that you made ugly.
    via reclusechris49

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dogs twitter Twitter Thread toddler debate dog owner parenting service dogs Parenting Fail parents children
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