To never agree to this again?

[lastqueenofscotland]

I agreed to dog and house sit for a colleague I’m friendly with while she goes to her sisters wedding and is away for a couple of weeks.
I grew up in the country with plenty of animals so perfectly used to most dogs however...
the house is filthy. The oven in particular is disgusting, none of the glasses were remotely clean, I ended up buying some paper cups

Can you ask your landlord if it’s only for a week or so, tell him it’s an absolute emergency. Come up with some bullshit story.

Has your friend called to check in on her dog? I’d be having serious words!

"You don't actually need hot water to wash a cup"
Sorry I disagree, that'sbadenough but what about no hot water to wash your hands after the loo, you must be joking !!

You probably need hot water to wash a cup in the house being described. I'd always want hot water to wash dishes though.

You need hot water to wash your hands after the loo definitely! You can't wash up greasy stuff properly without hot water either. I'd phone your colleague up and tell her it just isn't working and you are going home. I would not sleep with an animal on my bed either.

KateMcallister not an animal lover then?? I've had dogs throughout my life and have found them often preferable and more loyal than many humans I've come across even with their bad habits and as for eating shit and vomiting etc, have you spent much time around babies/toddlers/kids in general

YANBU to be upset by the cleanliness, water, dog in bed etc

But all the posters saying it's a hovel / the dog shouldn't have to live in squalor / report her for dog cruelty - really??? it sounds like a dirty house where someone doesn't clean much and is very disorganised. We all have different standards but I doubt the dog is in danger... some people don't clean their ovens much, me included.

Quite agree it doesn't sound pleasant and the colleague has been incredibly thoughtless and shouldn't have asked you OP. hope you are managing - very tricky situation as you are kind of stuck there. Good luck.

I really feel for you. I regularly dog-sit for friends of mine and their house is like a hotel! Loads of clean towels, fresh bedding, stocked fridges and freezers, lovely garden. I make sure I leave it as I found it.

Those of you saying you 'need' hot water - some of us literally can't afford hot running water at all times. I've not died of lack of hot water for hand washing yet (human race would have died out if it was essential).

We didn't have hot water in the tap for years - couldn't afford it. Youve got an electric shower so you can get clean. Just boil a kettle for the dishes, it's not that hard. Or call the owner and tell her to make ither arrangements if you really can't cope.

Do not clean the house!

You'd be happy to live in a hovel for two weeks then? Eeww.

Would you say you're having an allergic reaction to the dust / pigsty

This is bizarre I’d just have said from the beginning that you couldn’t live there due to no hot water and filth and a dog in your bed and what was she going to do about lack of provisions for the dog and not let her ignore you , no way I’d be cleaning someone else’s filthy house or sleeping in a dog haired bed just to be polite .

This is bizarre I’d just have said from the beginning that you couldn’t live there due to no hot water and filth and a dog in your bed and what was she going to do about lack of provisions for the dog and not let her ignore you , no way I’d be cleaning someone else’s filthy house or sleeping in a dog haired bed just to be polite .

This

Those of you saying you 'need' hot water - some of us literally can't afford hot running water at all times. I've not died of lack of hot water for hand washing yet (human race would have died out if it was essential).

If you can't afford to run hot water, then you cant afford a dog and you shouldn't ask someone else to come to your house and live like that as a favor to you...

The dog can only go into kennels if it's immunisations are completely up to date. Do you REALLY think they will be??!!

I think I used to live like this, in my twenties, before I had children. And I've always let my dog sleep on the bed. I don't think I was quite a bad as the OP is describing (I hope!). It doesn't sound like there's any point berating her. I doubt she'll get it. But I would try begging your landlord to let the dog stay in the circumstances. Maybe try and be out of the house as much as possible, take your own bedding, and use it as a great story to tell your friends.

Either the dog's owner is incredibly lackadaisical or she is uncaring. She has allowed a friend into a home which is dirty ,expecting the friend to care for a dog without leaving adequate supplies for the dog. It is really unacceptable. I admit that I would probably clean the place, mostly for my own sanity . I would boil kettles of water and use loads of bleach. And yes I would tell her that her home was disgusting.

'can't afford hot water'? I've been down to pennies yet I'd still have hot water. Different if the boilers broke and you're waiting for it to be fixed.

Exactly Furano.

I would go without food for hot water. In fact I have (long ago) gone without food for heating. If you can afford a holiday, you can afford hot water, one would think.

Oil fired heating and hot water system, which costs a fortune to run, which I don't have. Immersion tank, ditto. Occasionally put it on for a special occasion (washing up after Christmas dinner) but have cut my electricity bill to the bone, and can't afford to put it on more often.

And I also go without heating, most food and holidays. Yes, I have two jobs. And yes, I really am that poor.

@steppemum do you realise how patronising and derogatory your post sounds about your ‘friend’ obviously having mental health issues as she doesn’t hold down a job and is not near and tidy! Wow!!

sorry, the way I wrote it was not clear.

She does have diagnosed mental health issues, which do, in her case, contribute to the fact that she is unable to keep herself and her house in good order. She has help from SS and family and friends with this. She struggles with personal hygiene too. I made the point simply because sometimes people's houses are reflective of their underlying health.

But the last comment about the job and her appearance, was in contrast to the OP's situation where the person was working and looking after herself well, so it was unlikely that she was unable to look after her house, like my friend, it is more likely that she just hasn't.

There was no suggestion intended that anyone with mental health issues couldn't do either, it was intended to say that sometimes a house reflects the person's situation, and I wrote it because a lot of people were piling in with stories of revolting houses they have been in, and how no-one should ever clean someone else's house. I simply wanted to point out it wasn't that simple, and also there are times when what you do is roll up your sleeves and help.

OP, have you got anywhere with this?

I think I would just call your colleague and say, “Sorry, I can’t live in your house, it’s a pigsty and it’s making me feel ill. What do you want me to do about the dog?”

Who wants to wash other people dirty crap.