'He feels like I’m taking advantage': Woman demands her family member pay her $350 to dog-sit his "untrained" dogs two hours away, claiming it's needed to cover the costs of her missing four days of work and hiring her own cat-sitter

Author image for Emma Saven
Emma Saven
Jan 29, 2026 3:00 PM EST

Should we really be charging our family members for favors these days?

There's no doubt that we are living in expensive times…The air we breathe practically has a price tag on it these days…So, unless you're part of a family dynasty or have gotten ChatGPT to finally expose this week's lottery numbers, most people have to work pretty hard to fill their wallets at the end of every month…So yes, some could argue that time is most definitely money. But the question I ask you all today is: How much of that valuable time are we willing to give up for those we love? 

Well, I guess it depends on how 'close' you'd consider yourself to certain family members, and what they are each requesting exactly. I mean, asking you to cook an extra dish for the family barbecue and driving two hours away to dog-sit for four days…don't necessarily require the same time and effort, so perhaps it's solely based on who is asking…and for some people, what they are willing to offer in return. As "controversial" as it is, it seems not everyone is willing to offer up their time for free, even when it comes to lending a helping hand to their own relatives… 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement

  • This woman is willing to put a price tag on her time, and it's not cheap…but some could argue her reasons are justifiable? 

    A family member has recently asked this woman if she’d be willing to dog-sit his two dogs while he’s away on vacation. The problem is that she doesn’t want the dogs staying at her apartment. She already has a cat and often describes his dogs as “untrained,” so that setup simply isn’t an option for her. Instead, he asks if she’d be willing to stay at his house.

    It may sound like a simple solution, but he lives almost two hours away, which would require her to take several days off work and hire a pet sitter for her own cat… Suddenly, this favor is feeling a lot more complicated. To make matters worse, she doesn’t even like his dogs. Because of all this, she feels that $350 is a fair starting price for the time and the inconveniences involved.

    So, do you agree that it's a hefty price that clearly lacks a family discount, or a fair request in exchange for her “services”?

  • "To me, it feels like I'm doing a massive favor"
    via gettyimages

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITAH for asking to be paid for pet sitting

    A close family member asked me to pet sit his 2 dogs for 4 days. I've never pet sit for him before.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • Normally his mom would, but she isn't able to this time and there isn't anyone else available (new baby, their own dogs don't get along with his, etc).
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • I don't want these dogs in my apartment. Aside from the place only allowing 2 pets (I already have a cat) and I don't want to risk my lease if I'm found to have snuck them in, one isn't well potty trained and will pee and poo inside.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • Also, they aren't great with cats and vice versa. His idea is I would stay at his house.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • I want to help out family, but there's a lot about that idea that I don't like.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • He has a roommate and I don't want to have to be around some random guy (I'm a woman).
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • I would have to bring my own food. His house is also 2 hours from mine so I'd have to take 4 days off work.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • Also, admittedly, I don't like these dogs in the first place. They aren't trained in several ways, so aside from the one not potty trained, they also bolt if they slip outside, bark for hours, and fight with each other.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • (One had bitten 4 different people in the face, though more warning nips than real injury.) So I reluctantly said I'd pet sit if he paid for my pet sitter (the cat) and we negotiated an additional 200 bucks.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • Man counting $100 bills in his hands
    via africa-images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • To me, that feels like I'm doing a massive favor, which is always. a nice thing to do for family, though if the situation was reversed I'd be bending over backward offering my food and to pay for gas, on top of money.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • But he feels like I'm taking advantage and asking for too much. We both seem to have a bad taste in our mouths at this point.
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • So TLDR; AITAH for asking for $350ish to pet sit at a family member's house for 4 days (3 nights)?
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • cherrybom1 Why can't the roommate watch the dogs? He can pay his roommate....
    via cherrybom1
  • WhatALowCreditScore Original Poster's Reply He told me his doesn't trust his roommate to actually do it, and also the roommate was one of the people who got nipped in the face, so he probably wouldn't agree anyway
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • Artistic-Tough-7764 We keep going over this: No one owes anyone free pet or child care, their seat, their home, their sanity or their silence.
    via Artistic-Tough-7764
  • WhatALowCreditScore Original Poster's Reply For sure, but what's the line between "owing," which I don't think I do, and wanting to help out family because that's what family does
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • nikkidarling83 Why doesn't he just board them?
    via nikkidarling83
  • WhatALowCreditScore Original Poster's Reply He had a couple excuses. One was thinking the prices were too high and the other was that they'd be too scared, I think? Not good reasons, for sure
    via WhatALowCreditScore
  • chrestomancy YTA You are putting yourself and your pet out to help someone who doesn't appreciate it at all. Even worse, you are burning vacation days for a non-vacation, non family emergency reason. Kennels exist for a reason, and would cost somewhere around $400 for the pair. His failure to have a plan B or budget for kennels does not constitute a family emergency for you.
    via chrestomancy
  • Woman lying on the floor next to her laptop and playing with her cat
    via dimaberlinphotos

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • BAT123456789 Upend your life to watch dogs you hate when there is already someone living there who could do it? NTA to him but YTA to yourself. Just learn how to say no to completely unreasonable things like this.
    via BAT123456789
  • Greedy-Win-4880 >But he feels like I'm taking advantage and asking for too much. We both seem to have a bad taste in our mouths at this point. So he can find a different pet sitter. Honestly you don't even want to watch his dogs, its not convenient to you in fact you have to take almost a full week off of work and you have to hire your own pet sitter in order to do this. It's costing you money which is dumb. Don't do it. NTA.
    via Greedy-Win-4880
  • Acrobatic-Job2815 Geez, just say no. Sooo not worth your while.
    via Acrobatic-Job2815
  • ShelbiLee NTA if you say No. There is no way I would have to take 4 days off work, travel 2 hours away from home, supply my own food, be responsible for dogs that have bolted outside in the past, and share space with an unknown person to "help out family". Even if they are paying me my lost wages plus dog sitting fees. No is a complete and absolutely appropriate response to family. Practice saying it out loud.
    via ShelbiLee
  • FewWrangler5475 As a professional pet sitter, this is outlandish. I'd charge $100/night easily because it's a full time job in someone else's home
    via FewWrangler5475

Check out our Instagram for more hilarious animal content!

Love our stuff? Shop for some of our pawsome merch here.

Tags

cat dogs favor pets dog sitting family leave vacation
Scroll Down For The Next Article