Dog Sitter Hacked off Dog’s Eyelashes

[Elvisthedonkey]

The “dog sitter” being my DMiL.

We have a dog with beautiful long eyebrows and eyelashes, which droop down over her face. Quite typical of the breed. DH had asked DMiL if she could look after her for a few days as we had to go away at very short notice. She has a large house and her own dog so we hoped it would not be too much of an imposition.

She took her and seemed fine about it but when we picked her up she had hacked off her lovely long eyebrows and eyelashes. It has not even been neatly done - they are uneven and tufty. “Hacked” really is the word. It looks awful.

Our dog had very obviously been to a dog groomer very recently - so surely she would realise that if we had wanted them cut we would have asked the dog groomer to do it? Or done it ourselves?

I’m weirdly upset about it - we loved her long eyelashes - and I can’t help thinking it was some weird passive aggressive move (she doesn’t like me and has form). I’m not sure if I should say something or if that would just make me sound ungrateful. I’m sure if I asked her she should would say she did it because they were getting in the dog’s way or something (they weren’t) and she was trying to neaten them up.

AIBU? Should I say something?

20 plus years ago my then MIL cut all my sons blond baby curls off ! He looked like a cherub 🤣 totally gorgeous . We came back to a short back and sides ! It’s just the I know best , your opinions don’t even count , that was the final straw for me . Sorry off topic 🤦‍♀️

Not as bizarre as clearly not reading all of the OP's posts.

No, she had been well cared for and had no infestations when she came to us. They are not inevitable - your shelter owners sound negligent. I know my own dog, thanks!

I would be really cross! Poor pup.

Yet you left your precious dog in the care of a volatile woman.

Strange.

Yes, even when she'd done me a massive favour.
She has no right to touch the dog in that way.
Just the same as if she'd babysat my child and decided to cut its fringe because she thought it was too long!
It's not her place to start waving scissors around, massive favour or not and especially without permission.

OP huge lesson learnt. You left your dog with a woman with anger issues. Why?

Don't leave the dog with her again.
The most MIL should have done was to ask you both about the long eye brows and whether your dog needed them trimmed.

That would have been reasonable.

Then you know.

You say nothing but you don't ever leave her in charge of your dog or anything else that you hold precious again, no matter how up-against-the-wall you might be and she might be the only person available at the time.

She has had her cards marked and you don't need to mention it to her again but if she raises it, you can go to town and say that the breed of dog is actually supposed to have these long lashes as it is bred to have them. What she did was damaging a feature of this particular breed of dog on your pet and for this reason, you both feel that you can no longer trust her with things that are precious to you because you don't know what will be next under the scissors or on the chopping block.

No, why has your HUSBAND - her SON presumably - not said anything? Is he a wimp?

I can't believe everyone is defending her.

It's not her bloody place to groom
OP's dog, no matter what she thinks about the practicality of the fur.

Well I thought I was reasonably knowledgeable about dogs but today I learned that spaniels can have realllly long eyelashes and eyebrows that don't impede their vision in any way 😮

I genuinely didn't think that would be possible, I thought you were going to be one of those dog owners, like the ones that claim that their extreme-squashed-face-can't-breathe-gets-constant-skin-infections-in-the-folds-and-can't-give-birth dogs are perfectly healthy. So thanks for the photo, now I see what you mean and agree there's no justification in chopping those!

That looks maddening to have stringy hair getting in the way of the eyes ..I can see now why she clipped those long bits off.

It doesn't bloody matter. It's not her dog and not her business.

Or do you genuinely think it's acceptable to just go around decide how other people should groom or style their pets?

As an aside, the photo posted is of a totally standard spaniel clip and there's nothing there that would cause any kind of hazard or safety issue to the animal.

But even if there was, it doesn't matter because it's not her dog!

In that case I would mention it and risk the consequences or she'll think she has been given carte blanche to do whatever she likes as nobody will question it . She sounds quite nasty .

The attached photo; that looks silly and would be annoying having that in your face.
Why leave your dog with someone who hates you? it's never going to go well.

All this, plus doesn't like you, and, she has form for passive-aggressive stuff; WHY did you and your DH think she would be a suitable person to leave your dog with?!?

By what you say, I'm wondering why your DH (and you) hasn't gone NC with her? Why are you even having anything to do with her, at all?

Happened to me too when I left my horse with a backer. My horse was an Appaloosa and had a lovely long mane and tail. Came back without them (well; you know what I mean!). The mane was almost hogged it was awful.

The horse was also very underweight.

So you'll get a reaction if you mention it. So what??? You're letting her off scot free and not being held accountable for her actions. Your DH really does need to have a word with his mother. Why are you all so frightened of her?

Sneak into her house at night and shave off her eyebrows

I’m joking before anyone starts going wild

By not saying anything to her because you are scared of her reaction just leys people think they can do what they like. Because they can.

---- edited as read thread properly now

I'd be spitting feathers if this was me and my dog. She'd be getting an earful whether she has a temper or not.

I wouldn't leave my dog with her EVER though.

Seems like a weird thing for her to do but also, they are just eyebrows so ...

My own spaniel sometimes has long eyebrows and sometimes not. They seem to come and go of their own accord.

Of course you say something, well your DH has to. And you know going forward what she thinks of you, any normal person would have told you they did it and why, people are strange.

Should you say something? Are you kidding? Take your dog to a groomer, to make sure the dog1 can see properly, and get a proper sitter. Ask Gran if she'd like you to give her hair a trim? its looking a bit straggly.