Friend asking for dog food 'compensation'

By the fact that you deliberately avoided her OP, I'm guessing that you're dreading any confrontation?

If that's the case, write her a note telling her that you willingly helped her out at the last minute by having her dog, thereby saving her £100's, because you thought she was a friend. However, the fact that she has requested that you replace the food that your dog ate, when the dogs chose to swap, shows her that you are nothing of the sort, and in future you want nothing further to do with her. Put it through her door, and let her chew the bones out of that, as dog food is obviously so important to her!

You absolutely can give her the tins of hers that you fed your dog: 0, because you did not feed the food to your dog. You already explained it to her. Is she stupid? You put the dogs' food down and they ate what they wanted.
I cannot believe the audacity and cheek.
I do think you should clarify that you were avoiding her because she's pissed you off rather than her thinking it's from any sense of guilt.
Common courtesy would dictate a gift and an offer of financial recompense in line with what she would've paid the sitter who let her down imo. I have no idea why she thinks otherwise.
Others have suggested messages or what to say or who to. Some great advice there already.

Dogs (in general) always think "the grass is greener" and routinely eat each other's food on that basis.
I'd just work out the difference in cost between this obviously 'oh so special's food and yours give her that since her dog ate your dog's food.I'd also tell the ungrateful wretch in no uncertain terms that you won't be helping her out anytime in the future.

She'd be getting her fucking tins of poxy dog food back for sure - after they'd been through my own dog's digestive system!

Obviously I'm kidding, but I would give her the tins. It would be a good opportunity to point out what an arsehole she is as you hand them over. 'Here's your tins, you absolute clown. You'll be paying for kennels as well as food in future'.

As for 'not wanting bad feeling', unfortunately you've already got it. So you might as well deal with it and enjoy having the last word.

I'd just say "I think there's been a misunderstanding. I fed your dog the food you provided, and my dog it's usual food. They decided to share with each other but I didn't see any need to separate them while they ate as they were both happy with the situation."

Unfortunately if she didn’t have enough sensitivity to show appreciation for your kindness there’s no way she’ll read your mind. Someone will need to spell it out loud and clear to her!

This is the right response imo

send her an invoice for dog sitting with a deduction of 4 tins of dog food

Please don’t give her any dog food!

it feels unbelievable that people are so entitled but it happens all the time. I had DC's school friend over one afternoon after school and the little girl handed me a box of grapes "Mummy packed these for an afternoon snack". We had a lovely afternoon - I took them to the park for a bit on the way home from school, we had miniburgers for dinner and the kids played nicely (they are 5). The mum collected the girl at 6pm and that evening I got a message that asked if the kids had eaten the grapes. I had forgotten about them (they were in out fridge) so she asked if I could walk over the next morning to drop them off as "fruit is pricey and the kids could have it with lunch". I was like, no, I can't walk 20mins to drop off a box of grapes. Maybe just write off the loss of £2 since I provided you with 2,5hours of free childcare AND your child's dinner.

You need to say something because otherwise she could interpret this as you avoiding compensating her. And FFS don't give her the food

This.

It's a shame you didn't feel up to saying anything to her-that you hadn't deliberately fed the dogs each others food.

You'd seen them do the occasional swap.

Shame the other Mum thought it was worth a mention.

Shame the dog owner has made so much of it.

They must both think badly of you.

I would be tempted to give her the tins and an invoice for dog-sitting with the total fee, discount of 100%, total owing equals £0.00.

I'd send her an invoice for the dog sitting and the next time I saw her chatting to one of the other mums, call out, 'I hope she's not asking you to dogsit - she's a very ungrateful person!'.

But then, she would have put me in the mood for a stand-up row so I wouldn't be too bothered about any upset. There are days when you really need to let someone know how you feel about them.

I pity the dog.

Did the ungrateful cow not even tell you when she normally feeds her own dog or how much 🙄 just left you to crack on & guess?? I wouldn't joke with that group of mums again either - they sound like trouble tbh. & definitely don't ever offer to dog sit again for her!

Never in a million years would I be giving her dog food back. I would tell her she’s being ridiculous, it’s impossible for me to police which dog is eating what and I did her a massive favour. If she wants the food back that she thinks your dog ate she needs to give you the food her dog ate of yours. It’s pathetic I would not pass the time of day with her again it would piss me off so much

Don't give tins, give truth.

Text.

"Hi there. I know you saw me yesterday but I wasn't ready to talk to you. I have to tell you that I feel pretty shocked by the last interaction we had. I took your dog on good will, as a friend.... you know you would have been paying at least £30 a night for a dog sitter, yes? I loved, cared, walked and played with your dog and made sure he felt secure and at home whilst away from his humans. I made a joke to someone about our dogs preferring each others food which is pretty common when dogs get the chance to eat in new places, and that comment made its way back to you and caused you to want to CHARGE ME for the few bites of your 'superior' dog food that my mutt ate?

The cheek of it caught me off guard which is why I avoided you, but we have been good friends till now, so I thought I would put my grown up pants on and tell you that I'm pissed off and hope you can see why."

I think I'd tell her to grow the fuck up. One of the horses at my school escaped yesterday and ate one of the livery horses feed. We just used some of the school horses feed for the livery horse.

The owners laughed it off. Certainly didn't strop and demand two scoops of calm and condition and half a scoop of linseed in compensation.

Animals are like kids, their friends packed lunch is always more appealing and sometimes they do this.

If you give her the tins of more expensive food then effectively you caring for her dog has cost you money….shouldn’t it be the other way round!

In this circumstance I’d tell her you are shocked she wants you to pay for food for her dog. You did feed him, it’s not your fault he preferred your dogs food and you did look after him at short notice when she was stuck.

I wouldn’t offer anything to her.

I also would not be chatting at the gates with any of those school mums again about anything remotely personal. Clearly they like to gossip about people.

Please don’t give her any dog food. Her behaviour has been appalling. Next time you see her I would smile say hello and say I hear you’ve been moaning about me…. And leave the silence hang. She will either say oh no etc or she will moan about the food. In which case you smile even more sweetly and say I saved you hundreds of pounds in kennel fees…and you haven’t even bothered to gift me a bottle of wine. Yet you moan that the dogs ate each others food…. And have the cheek to ask for compensation. There’s one of us definitely being very cheeky have you worked out which one yet? And walk.
And if any of the other mums bring it up just laugh and say some people are so blooming cheeky aren’t they…

I pay £550 a week for dog care. I would be invoicing her and removing the cost of the food off

I agree. I’m shocked how many think this CF should get anything.

But reading some of the posts, it’s easy to see how entitled CF’s get away with their piss taking behaviour

Even if I were going to reimburse her, it would only be for the price difference between her food and yours, not for the entire lot.

I'd actually just message her saying "lol, are you really asking for money from someone who did you a massive favour for free?" And let her respond to that how she wants.