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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect her to pay the full amount?

252 replies

ameliarose78 · 08/04/2016 09:08

About a year ago I met Z through a dog club, we have the same type of dog and we met up a few times.

Z has a mental illness and as such doesn't work and relies on a pension, her DP works full time - no DC.

She put a post on FB asking if anyone could mind her dog for 2 weeks while her and dp went on holiday - I said I could, she offered to pay me but I said there was no need.

During said dog's stay at my house, she jumped onto my bedside draws from my bed and ate a piece of dark chocolate. As she is a very small dog this was a toxic level and I had to bring her to the vet for emergency treatment - total bill was 300 quid.

I asked her owner to pay me back for this. This was roughly 6 weeks ago and as yet I haven't seen any money - just saying how hard it is for them, how they can't afford it and promising to have paid it numerous times and have had it 'bounce back'.

So AIBU to ask her to pay the full sum and should I go round to her house and ask her for it?

OP posts:
shinynewusername · 08/04/2016 11:43

I"d feel so guilty about the chocolate, there is no way I would ask the owner for money. It would have been different if the dog had just got ill by chance in your care.

KirstyJC · 08/04/2016 11:43

If you had left out a joint of meat on the worktop and the dog ate it, would you think that was your friend's responsibility or yours? I'm guessing yours.....so why is it her responsibility to pay for problem you caused by carelessness? It might be different if you left the chocolate securely in the fridge and the dog managed to open the door and get to it but you didn't. You left food in easy reach of a dog. That was stupid and the obvious happened.

If she had paid for kennels then the kennels would be responsible for any negligence on their part which required vet treatment. This is no different. She presumably asked you to look after the dog as she's skint and now you're asking her to cover the cost of your negligence? I'm not surprised she's stalling! Take more care with things in the future and stop trying to make your 'friend' pay for something she shouldn't have to and can't afford to.

JessieMcJessie · 08/04/2016 11:51

If you are so skint you should have taken her up on her offer to pay you for looking after the dog. All you had to do was undercut the kennels and she was still getting a good deal.

Theimpossiblegirl · 08/04/2016 11:53

Whenever I leave my dog with friends, I leave all his insurance paperwork and have an agreement with the vet that any treatment will be paid for/claimed for on my return. It's pretty standard.

This is why I always tell people to get their pets insured. An unexpected vets bill can run into the thousands.

MidniteScribbler · 08/04/2016 11:53

I think you're getting out of it pretty cheap actually. The last time I dogsat it did $80,000 in damages to my property. Never again.

CandyFlossBrain · 08/04/2016 12:00

Would it really occur to most people to not do what the Op did? I wouldn't expect a dog to go after chocolate, I've owned dogs and they never seemed at all interested, plus I wouldn't expect a dog to steal as soon as my back was turned, and I wouldn't expect a tiny dog to jump up on furniture to get at food he couldn't even see! I couldn't honestly say that I would worry about my own chocolate consumption with a dog in the house. Frankly, its owner should have trained it better.

Did they contact their insurance company? If not, ask them to do that. And perhaps they could at least contribute 50%. And then never do them another favour!

SuburbanRhonda · 08/04/2016 12:02

So I really see no reason why the fact that you were providing care for free makes any difference here.

Can you honestly not see the difference between signing a contract with a boarding kennels and having a friend look after your dog for free? Really?

NeedACleverNN · 08/04/2016 12:06

Actually I would expect a tiny dog to jump.

It's what they do. Most small dogs sre allowed on furniture where bigger dogs aren't

CandyFlossBrain · 08/04/2016 12:09

Well, ok, I don't have experience with small dogs tbh. See, I wouldn't expect it!

squashtastic · 08/04/2016 12:09

I think she should have had insurance, especially if she is leaving it with other people. Also how much would kennels cost? It's annoying for her as it was your fault..but that's what insurance is for.

mouldycheesefan · 08/04/2016 12:12

How would a square of chocolate be toxic to a dog?

NeedACleverNN · 08/04/2016 12:13

Well, ok, I don't have experience with small dogs tbh. See, I wouldn't expect it!

I get that actually. But no I've had two chihuahuas and it's amazing how high the little sods could jump tbh.

trixymalixy · 08/04/2016 12:16

Midnite, how on earth were $80,000 worth of damages caused?!

OP YABU, the dog was in your care and you left out something you know to be toxic to dogs.

DecaffCoffeeAndRollupsPlease · 08/04/2016 12:18

I think the dog owner should pay the vets bill. As koala said- their pet, their responsibility.

GertrudeBadger · 08/04/2016 12:19

i think it's 50/50, you made an honest mistake and incurred costs, obviously she'd be a bit cross that her dog nearly died due to getting it's paws on the chocolate. My large retriever has unfortunately wolfed down all sorts of chocolate, he's very good at finding it and he's ok but labs for example you not infrequently read about dying from eating chocolate. It's odd they're so drawn to it.

Floralnomad · 08/04/2016 12:20

Your fault ,you pay and think yourself very lucky that the dog didn't die .

GoblinLittleOwl · 08/04/2016 12:24

Astonishing.

You look after a dog as a favour, for free, for a fortnight, which saves the owners an immense amount of money.

The dog steals a piece of chocolate, (obviously not trained not to jump on furniture or steal food), and incurs vet's bills for treatment which saves his life.

Then people expect you to pay for the privilege.

This is the mindset that appears when dogs jump all over you outside because 'he can smell your cats, he doesn't like green coats, it's your hat, he thinks you are playing a game.' Never the pet or the owners' fault.

Most definitely pursue these people for the money.

MackerelOfFact · 08/04/2016 12:29

There's no way I'd look after someone else's dog without having their insurance details to hand, or at the very least some kind of indication of how much they are willing to for you to authorise on vet's bills on their behalf in an emergency if you can't/don't have time to contact them first.

The fact that you didn't do this, and that the accident was your fault in the first place, means you should pay upwards of 50% of the vets bill IMO.

Floggingmolly · 08/04/2016 12:32

People expect her to pay because it happened in her house. If it wasn't reasonably "dog proof" (and I would say leaving chocolate within reach is certainly not), she shouldn't have offered.

Floralnomad · 08/04/2016 12:32

The issue is that although the OP was being very kind she took on responsibility for the animal and allowed harm to come to it , it's the same as when you hand your child to a childminder and your child breaks something in her house - yes it's nice if you offer to pay to replace the item but you are not obliged to do so because it's her responsibility to keep your child and her items safe .

SuburbanRhonda · 08/04/2016 12:33

So people are still not reading the OP where it says the owner says she would pay but just keeps stalling and making excuses not to pay.

SuperFlyHigh · 08/04/2016 12:34

I have had dogs and a friend has a mini pin.

Is chocolate really that harmful to a dog?!

I used to feed my lab kit kats as an occasional treat this was before allergy to chocolate to dogs was known about 80s - the others I just kept it out if their way in later years. Lab lived til 15.

SuperFlyHigh · 08/04/2016 12:35

Was the dog actually sick or did friend freak out and rushed dog to vet where vet said X y and z re medication.

MatildaTheCat · 08/04/2016 12:40

Talk to her. Ask if she thinks YABU. If the answer is 'yes' then you need to discuss and compromise. If the answer is 'no but I can't afford to pay' then you can agree a payment plan that works well enough for both of you.

Out of interest what does happen if a dog has an accident whilst boarding in kennels? Either they must insist that the dog is insured or the owner would foot the bill, it's very unlikely the kennel would pay. Accidents happen.

triceraplops · 08/04/2016 12:42

Sorry OP, it's your own fault. You're lucky you didn't kill your friend's dog, leaving chocolate out like that. Extremely irresponsible of you.

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