Dog owner of 4 senior dogs plans 2-week vacation and demands sister take her dogs in for the entire time, sister refuses: ‘I don’t know how to properly care for dogs like that’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 16, 2026 6:45 AM EDT

If you were the proud owner of four senior dogs, would you have felt comfortable leaving them to go on a 2-week vacation?

We have two 5-year-old cats at home, both very healthy and very happy felines who have become an integral part of the family. Every time we want to go on a vacation, whether it is for three days or three weeks, we make sure we have a trusty pet sitter who will take care of them every day while we are gone. By now, the same pet sitter comes every time; she knows our cats, she knows our house, and she knows exactly what to do. We trust her with all our hearts.

If she tells us she can't pet sit when we ask her about certain dates, we simply move the dates. It's much more important to us to know our cats are safe than to go on vacation, and that should be a basic guideline for every pet owner out there. You're obviously allowed to go on vacation, but you also have a huge responsibility towards these animals, who we hope you see as family too… 

The fact that the sister in the story below is comfortable leaving her four senior dogs behind while she and her boyfriend are going on a two-week vacation is a bit of a red flag. But we initially thought that if she also has a trustworthy pet sitter available, then maybe that could work just fine.

Well, she doesn't have a pet sitter. Not only that, but she expects her sister, who has no experience taking care of dogs, let alone senior dogs, to take on the responsibility for the entire time. She has no problem leaving dogs in need of medical care and extra attention with someone who has never done it before, and that is the biggest red flag of them all.

But what will she do now that her sister has refused to help?

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  • 01
    Four senior dogs sitting outside.
    via James Haworth

    Four senior dogs sitting outside.

    Subjects are models.

  • 02

    AITA for refusing to take care of my sister's 4 dogs while she's on vacation?

    My sister is 25 and she's really good person. She adopts older dogs from shelters that almost no one else wants take in. I respect her for that and I mean that without any sarcasm.
    via DearGlitterx
  • 03
    But right now she has 4 dogs and they all require special care. One can barely walk and gets around on wheels, plus she wears a diaper. Another
    via DearGlitterx
  • 04
    has poor eyesight and gets scared by loud noises. The third needs pills on a schedule. The fourth is anxious and can bark for hours if my sister isn't around.
    via DearGlitterx
  • 05
    Recently, my sister said that she and her boyfriend were going on vacation for two weeks and she asked if I could take the dogs in. I
    via DearGlitterx
  • 06
    immediately said no. Not because I don't love them, but because I don't know how to properly care for dogs like that. I'm at work almost all
    via DearGlitterx
  • 07
    day, I live in a small apartment and honestly, I'm afraid I'd miss a medication dose, fail to notice a problem or simply not be able to handle it. I
    via DearGlitterx
  • 08
    explained all of this frankly and said that I'm afraid I won't be able to do it properly.
    via DearGlitterx
  • 09
    I offered to help her find a pet sitter, chip in for it and come to see how they do every day after work and write her. But once again refused to take all
    via DearGlitterx
  • 10
    four of them in. She got upset and said I was letting her down when she needed family help. Mom also said I could have put up with it for two weeks.
    via DearGlitterx
  • 11
    I feel bad because my sister is doing a good deed. But I think taking in sick senior dogs without any experience and leaving them alone for most
    via DearGlitterx
  • 12
    of the day just to avoid looking selfish is a bad idea and I told that frankly. Without anything made up just to avoid helping. AITA?
    via DearGlitterx
  • 13
    Woman sitting outside with her senior dog.
    via Getty Images

    Woman sitting outside with her senior dog.

    Subject is a model.

  • 14
    cowboyconstellations NTA. If she insists on owning a bunch of dogs that require a lot of special care, she can't go on vacation for 2 weeks without a solid plan in place to care for them.
    via cowboyconstellations
  • 15
    thedjbigc Sounds like Mom should put up with it for two weeks.
    via thedjbigc
  • 16
    regularforcesmedic If your mom is so concerned, she can do it. NTA.
    via regularforcesmedic
  • 17
    CloudXo7 NTA. Loving dogs doesn't magically give you proper pet care skills. Especially if we are talking about dogs needing special treatment.
    via CloudXo7
  • 18
    Imagine if you take them and something happens?
    via CloudXo7
  • 19
    Competitive_City_245 NTA. You don't accept the responsibility for any animal if you're not 100% sure you can properly take care of them. Your sister also isn't
    via Competitive_City_245
  • 20
    entitled to your help, although it's nice when family has the capacity to help. Your mum can put up with it for 2 weeks - sounds like she's volunteering!
    via Competitive_City_245

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dogs dog owner pet sitter senior dog family sister dogsitting vacation rescue
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