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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:
EverySongbirdSays · 08/04/2016 18:04

It wouldn't necessarily affect her financial state and my point is it's stigma to assume it would. That said, I do think OP should pay as it was her fault the dog got sick. It's not like it happened organically, what if it had got out and been hit by a car instead? Would she still expect paying for negligence?

SuburbanRhonda · 08/04/2016 18:06

Oh get over yourself paul.

You sound utterly humourless.

PaulAnkaTheDog · 08/04/2016 18:08

If it's humourless to dislike posts like that (totally uncalled for) then sure!

SuburbanRhonda · 08/04/2016 18:08

Yes it is. Glad you agree.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 08/04/2016 18:16

Oh I don't know, it's a struggle but I manage just about.

I'm hardly a saint for not killing off the dog though am I, just responsible unlike the Op.

Hi Paul! Always a sensible opinion Smile How are you doing?

amarmai · 08/04/2016 18:18

mn is always on the side of the dog and owner , so no point expecting sensible answers on this topic. Perhaps she can at least give you what it wd have cost her to have the dog looked after?

ArcheryAnnie · 08/04/2016 18:20

Bit astonished at all the people saying "OMG you nearly killed the dog - it's your fault, OP!" The world is full of things that can hurt dogs, and it's impossible to totally guard against them all. The OP did not put chocolate in the dog bowl - the dog jumped onto furniture to steal it. The dog could have choked on a stick in the park, or picked up a discarded chicken bone in the street while being walked, and unless you keep the dog in a sterile box, these incidents are always a possibility. And, if your own dog isn't prone to climbing on furniture to snaffle food, then if you are looking after someone else's otherwise very similar dog, it would be very easy to fail to anticipate that this might happen.

If you have a pet, then it is up to you to provide health care for when your pet gets ill, however it happened. The dog owner hasn't disputed this, or blamed the incident on the OP, but is just fobbing off actually paying.

NeedACleverNN · 08/04/2016 18:22

The dog could have choked on a stick in the park, or picked up a discarded chicken bone in the street while being walked

Yes they can. If I as the owner was walking the dog, that would be my fault.

If a dog sitter was walking the dog and had to take them to the vet, I wouldn't dream of paying. They should have been watching closely

Floggingmolly · 08/04/2016 18:29

The dog could have choked on a stick in the park
That would still have been on the op, as she had assumed responsibility for the animal. Why would you offer to take care of it while assuming that any misadventures are not your fault?
If op didn't consider herself in charge; the dog may as well have been left at home with a supply of food and water.

Thisisnotausername · 08/04/2016 18:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Viviennemary · 08/04/2016 18:53

I think there are arguments on both sides. A compromise would be to share the vet's bill. I don't think blaming people for having a square of chocolate in the house is very helpful. I wonder what Judge Rinder would say. She did save money on boarding kennel fees. It's cheeky of her not to reply.

AyeAmarok · 08/04/2016 18:54

YABU, sorry.

You didn't look after her dog properly as you let it get hold of chocolate.

What if you'd left bleach in it's dish to clean it and you forgot and the dog ingested bleach and needed serious medical treatment, would you still think that was her fault?

PaulAnkaTheDog · 08/04/2016 18:59

Excellent freakin apart from being humourless. Enjoying a good ol' comedy film and a glass of wine. Child free!!! Smile

totalrecall1 · 08/04/2016 19:01

The dog ate the chocolate on your watch OP. Your responsibility

Lunar1 · 08/04/2016 19:06

If I was in your position I'd pay. The dog was in your care. I'd be mortified if I'd let harm come to someones pet. I was a bloody nervous wreck looking after the school guinepigs!

slithytove · 08/04/2016 19:12

How many people saying op should pay as the dog was in her care, would be saying the same if it was someone's dc she was looking after?

Dc she is babysitting for break an expensive vase. They were in her care. Should she suck it up?

Similar concept imo.

Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 08/04/2016 19:16

You cannot compare a broken vase with a deadly toxin, which chocolate is to dogs. As a dog owner, the OP knows this.

But to use your example, if I was babysitting and had, for example, a priceless antique and it got broken, I'd see it as my fault for not moving it out of the toddlers way.

BMW6 · 08/04/2016 19:20

You are responsible OP, sorry to say.

fascicle · 08/04/2016 19:26

I think from a legal point of view, the OP has a duty of care. I'm pretty sure I read about a case a few months ago whereby a woman, walking her friend's dog, settled out of court (think it might have been for tens of thousands of pounds) with a cyclist who sustained some serious injuries when he got caught up in the dog's long lead.

The chocolate thing with dogs is also foreseeable (relevant in terms of legal view of possible negligence). So I think that it might be unreasonable to expect the friend to foot the bill.

£300 sounds expensive, if in the UK. When something similar happened a couple of years ago with my mum's dog, the vet's bill was £150.

Just wondering if there might be any provision under your household insurance which would enable you to make a claim.

ArcheryAnnie · 08/04/2016 20:46

The lesson from this thread: never ever do a favour to anyone you know which involves looking after a pet.

Waltermittythesequel · 08/04/2016 20:57

Or: don't poison your friend's dog?!

PaulAnkaTheDog · 08/04/2016 20:59

Waltermitty GrinGrinGrin

Thisisnotausername · 08/04/2016 21:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alexa444 · 08/04/2016 21:12

A broken vase wouldn't have killed the child. Put it another way. In a country where you have to pay for medical treatment, no NHS. You were watching someone's child and they drank bleach. You would foot the bill, yes? Because you were responsible for this child's safety and you allowed them to ingest a deadly toxin.

Jengnr · 08/04/2016 21:14

If you offer to do something for nothing to help your mate out you need to do it properly. Whether the owner paid for care or not is irrelevant.

Also, you called the vet for a dog nicking a bit of chocolate?? Did it do something?

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