‘They did a $1,400 surgery’: Dog-sitter makes executive decision to take canine for emergency treatment while doggo owner is unresponsive, owner refuses to reimburse dog-sitter for the bill

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kalila courban
Feb 10, 2025 6:00 PM EST

Hey there, friends and fellow canine lovers! When we go on vacation—or travel for any reason—we always make sure to leave our doggos in capable hands we trust. We also provide our pet sitters with contact information for our local veterinarian in case of emergencies. While emergencies may not be likely, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

The original poster (OP) of the thread we're featuring today agreed to pet-sit his friend's dog while she went on vacation. Specifically, she attended a music festival and was largely unavailable during the time OP was watching the doggo. A few days into the week-long pet-sitting arrangement, the dog, Cherry, became very sick, and it was clear to OP that she needed immediate medical attention. After unsuccessfully trying to reach his friend, OP made the decision to take Cherry to an emergency vet. She was diagnosed with a blockage and required surgery, which cost $1,400. When OP's friend finally got back to him, she was shocked that he had approved such an expensive treatment without consulting her and refused to reimburse him for the vet expenses.

Now, we're a bit torn on this one. That's because it's unclear what caused the blockage in the first place. If OP was responsible—say, by giving the dog something harmful—then it makes sense that the financial burden should fall on him. But if it was a freak accident unrelated to OP's care, then it seems fair that Cherry's owner should take responsibility.

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    "She completely blew up, saying she'd never have approved such an expensive option"
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    AI** for taking my friend’s sick dog to an expensive vet without her consent while she was away?

    I (20M) agreed to dog sit for my friend Alma (22F) while she was away for a week to see her parents. On day three, her dog, Cherry, started vomiting and refused to eat. I called her but she didn't pick up
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    (she was at a festival). I panicked and took Cherry to the emergency vet, where they diagnosed her with a blockage and did a $1,400 surgery. Cherry is fine now.
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    Now when Alma got back, I gave her the bill, explaining. it was an emergency and that was my only option. She completely blew up,
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    saying she'd never have approved such an expensive option and would've waited to see if Cherry improved. She says
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    she's broke and can't pay me back. Our mutual friends are split some say I saved Cherry's life and didn't have anything better I could have done, others
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    say I overstepped by not waiting longer coz "it's not like a dog could d that quick."
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    Alma is now ignoring me and told everyone we know that I "forced her into debt."
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  • Okay, after reading through the perspective of OP we see the urgency to take Cherry to the vet. On the other hand, it's still unclear what exactly caused Cherry's unlucky health issue. Could it be that OP gave her something that should have been off-limits and this led to her health decline? We are left with lots of questions here… 

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    MATICS
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    Witty_Count289 · 16h ago • Edited 14h ago NTA, a blockage can kill any dog quickly. You literally saved her life by taking her. Well done for noticing she was really unwell, it can be tricky to spot. ETA: the vet wouldn't just go ahead with a surgery without exploring the option of making the dog sick first to see if whatever is causing the block could come out. This obviously wasn't a viable option
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    BlackDynamite_7 OP. 16h ago It was crazy, I just grabbed her and went to the vet, don't know much about dogs but I knew something was definitely wrong.
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    Hello_JustSayin • 16h ago NTA Top 1% Commenter You did what you had to do, and it was the right call if there was a blockage. Your friend should absolutely pay you back...with her gratitude that you saved her dog's life. I have left my cats for friends/family to watch. I let them know that they could call/text; however, I also left them with information for our regular vet and an emergency vet. I let them know to do what they think is right, and that I would pay them back. for any expenses.
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    . SpaceAceCase • 16h ago Partassipan... Top 1% Comme... NTA, this is why pet insurance and emergency funds exist. I legit have a savings account dedicated to putting money aside for emergencies involving my pets. Your friend should be happy you took the dog before it got bad. If money is tight she could have worked out paying you in installments or something.
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    STA
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    Suspicious_Culture49 • 16h ago NTA. You did the right thing. She shouldn't be a pet owner if she can't pay for emergency vet bills
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    Legitimate-Suit-4956 · 16h ago Top 1% Commenter Emergency surgery for a blockage isn't optional, and you definitely didn't overstep. Refusing to eat (for most dogs) is a key sign to take the dog to a vet. That said, day three means there's a decent chance that the blockage was incurred under your watch.
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    willard1214 · 16h ago . She should have left you with instructions for how to handle medical emergencies. She didn't. You saved the dog's life. I hope you get the money back.
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    • 16h ago Edited 15h ago Someti... Part pant [1] Info: You only called her one time??? What was the blockage? Was it caused by something you gave the dog?
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    Daisyflickerr • 5h ago You tried to contact Alma, and her being unreachable doesn't make you responsible for the vet bill. It's unfortunate that she's in a difficult financial situation, but that doesn't negate the fact that you did what you thought was necessary to save her dog's life.
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    Expensive Shower_405 16h ago . $1400 for abdominal surgery is cheap. My dog had to have surgery from a deer attack and it cost us about 6k
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    Rorosi67 . How old is the dog? Did you tell the vet that you were not the owner? Did you ask if the surgery could wait 12-24h until you could contact the owner? No matter if any of us think it would be immoral not to treat the dog, it is ultimately the owners choice to treat or not. They may have opted to euthanize it especially if the dog was old. I'm going to say YTA for the moment depending on what was said and asked.
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