'He had put the puppy in a plastic bag': 10-year-old steals puppy from his aunt, has a tantrum when she won't give it to him

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Jan 5, 2024 6:00 PM EST

Not all kids are ready to be pet owners. Even though moms and dads are usually the ones who end up taking the most care of the family animals, it's important to make sure your kid is mature and safe enough to have a big pet before you get one. Before getting a dog or a cat, you might get them a lower-stakes animal like a fish or a gerbil to see how they handle it. Or, you could bring them around friends' dogs and cats to see if they can respect their boundaries. My parents waited until I was nine and my sister was seven before getting a real-life dog, and I think that was a safe bet.

Even if a kid has reached double digits, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're ready to have a pet. One woman promised her 10-year-old nephew he could have one of her dog's puppies, only to realize he was demonstrably unfit. 

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  • 01
    r/AmltheAsshole u/Key_Barracuda_5919.5h AITA for not wanting to give my nephew a puppy after he attempted to steal one from me?
    via u/Key_Barracuda_5919
  • 02
    I am 25 f. My dog, dove had puppies. She's a golden lab. I promised my nephew Dion 10 he could have one of the puppies when they are ready. He was so excited. So last week, when Dion and my sister came over he asked if he could see the puppies, which I said yes. He went into to see them. Me and my sister were catching up. Then we heard Dove barking which alerted me to go check on Dion and Dove. Dion was standing the corner with his hands behind his back. We could hear the puppy muffled cries and
    via u/Key_Barracuda_5919
  • 03
    him what was he doing? He started crying and said he wanted the puppy now and that he was taking this one home! I told him no, you already know that there to young and that they need there mother milk. Dion had a tantrum. My sister had to take him home. Dove was understandably agitated and was now wary on who comes near her pups.
    via u/Key_Barracuda_5919
  • 04
    I had decided over a couple of day's that I didn't trust Dion to have one of them. So when my sister came to vist, I told her that I didn't want to give Dion one of the pups after what he did. She got upset with me and said it was a mistake and he learned his lesson. I said he didn't even apologize! She said what for? The puppy was fine. I got angry then and said what if Dove hadn't alerted us? The puppy could have died! She said I was going to brake his heart if I go back on my promise. I said,
    via u/Key_Barracuda_5919
  • 05
    Spowstyl corona22extra • 4h Partassipant [3] NTA - ABSOLUTELY NOT THE 1. You don't put a living animal in a plastic bag. 2. You cannot reasonably expect to receive a dog if you tried to steal it previously. (You can't shoplift from a store, get caught, and try to remain in good standing as a customer) same thing applies here. 3. It's your choice what happens to the puppies, and your choice who you sell them to. Not her. 4. You're not a liar. Had Dion not stolen the puppy, hid it from you, and sc
    via u/corona22extra
  • 06
    SaintAnyanka • 4h Partassipant [3] To add to this - if a child doesn't know not to put an animal in a plastic bag, that child is not (even with parents guiding) fit to be a dog owner. That child would put the dog in so much danger. And the number one responsibility for a person who rears puppies is to make sure they go to homes that will care for them properly. If his mother doesn't understand that and why the child is not fit to be an owner, that just means she is not fit either. If I had a ch
    via u/SaintAnyanka
  • 07
    consider_its_tree • 4h One more add on. If the sister can say "What is the big deal" to her son almost killing a puppy, she is not fit to be a dog owner either. Let alone just supervising a kid as a dog owner. Kids can be idiots, but if you cannot rely on the parents to care about the puppy, that is not a safe home. 42.7k ...
    via u/consider_its_tree
  • 08
    unicornhair1991 - 2h Another addition: it's really hecked up that the sister took a video of her kid crying and calling OP names to send to OP to emotionally manipulate OP into giving up!? This sister is BONKERS ... 41.3k
    via u/unicornhair1991
  • 09
    thoughts_are_hard. 1h ANOTHER addition: this kid is TEN. I'm concerned, honestly, about his emotional development. My sister is turning 11, I've worked with that age group for a long time. This level of not understanding consequences and tantrum-ing doesn't seem developmentally appropriate to me Edit: autocorrect changed tantrum to cantering, changed it back ... 69
    via u/thoughts_are_hard
  • 10
    LukeHeart 5h ● NTA the kid could of killed that poor pup. Plus he didn't even apologise for it and instead just threw a tantrum. Your nephew is far too young to be looking after a pup and your sister is untrustworthy as well. She didn't discipline her child or even correct him on why he shouldn't of tried to steal a pup. She didn't even make her kid apologise and basically wrote it off because the puppy ended up okay thanks to you. That's not someone I would trust with any dog let alone a puppy
    via u/LukeHeart
  • 11
    jljboucher. 2h 10 isn't too young with guidance but the mom is isn't reliable either. 329
    via u/jljboucher
  • 12
    spookyxskepticism. 2h Yeah, from my perspective the mom is the real dealbreaker here. 10 is actually kind of old to try and get away with stealing a puppy and throw tantrums. 10 is also PLENTY old enough to understand when you need to apologize. The mom has clearly been making excuses and enabling this child with zero discipline/ guidance.
    via u/spookyxskepticism
  • 13
    The second OP told her sister her son hadn't apologized was when the sister should've said "you're right, he must apologize. If he apologizes, is there any way in the future he could make this up to you?" The dog can't go to the child without a responsible, present parent to help guide them. And that's true even without the attempted theft of the poor puppy. Clearly the sister here is not that parent. OP is NTA 266
    via u/spookyxskepticism
  • 14
    or Trevena_Ice • 5h Aficionado [16] NTA. Dion doesn't realized that the puppy was a living being and not a toy. And the reaction of his mother - trying to guilt you, sending you a message of a crying Dion and so on - shows that she wouldn't stand up if Dion would treat the puppy poorly. You can give him a toy dog but not the living puppies Reply ... 1.1k
    via u/Trevena_Ice
  • 15
    enthusiasticsquirrel • 4h Not only crying, but calling OP names too! The fact him and sis thought that was more appropriate than an apology video speaks volumes. NTA ... ✩ 441
    via u/enthusiasticsquirrel
  • 16
    monsterdove • 4h Partassipant [2] I didn't catch the name calling! Mom teaching son manipulation to get what he wanta. Do not allow this boy back into your home OP, and possibly not his mom, either -i could see her sneaking off with a puppy in a handbag.. wait until the dogs are grown at LEAST but imho, this is situation that calls for cutting contact. Animal abuse, then emotional abuse, both unrepentant. NTA !!! ... 分 175 凸
    via u/monsterdove
  • 17
    jimbob19304.5h Aficionado [11] NTA. You're not obligated place a puppy into a home where they might not be looked after. I can understand a 10yo making a mistake, but your sisters attitude that he had nothing to apologise for is more concerning. IF your sis had come back and said Dion knows he did wrong and is very very sorry and we are going to teach him how to be a good puppy owner then you might have been being harsh. But the acceptance of his behaviour and then the emotional manipulation is
    via u/jimbob19304
  • 18
    llama_llama_48213 • 3h This right here! I have 2 kids, 11 and 10; if either of them had done this, I'd be mortified and definitely be thinking they weren't ready for a dog. 10 is old enough to know consequences but parenting is key right at this moment. ... 90
    via u/llama_llama_48213

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nephews family drama dogs cute dogs stealing pets puppy reddit story aunt pet family sister reddit thread Reddit cute puppy theft
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