Friend asking for dog food 'compensation'

[dogbiscuitsareforlife]

What do you make of this.

One of my school mum friends, (I'll call her Mary) has a dog and we often bump into each other out for dog walks and walk along together. Not super close, but chatty and friendly

Last week Mary told me she had been let down by a dog sitter for a holiday. She couldn't find anyone so I offered to help. Our dogs get on well and I'm used to having more than one, although at the moment only have one. She asked how much I'd charge but I said no bother just provide his usual food and treats, which she did. Her dogs food is a superior top end brand to the food I give mine.

All was great whilst we had him, but when feeding, the dogs seemed to favour each others food and swapped between bowls. I didn't think too much of it but did mention it to one of the other mums at the school gates in a jokey way, saying my dog obviously preferred the more expensive brand to the supermarket stuff I provided. Whereas her dog really liked the cheaper stuff.

Mary has obviously been told and today asked me if I fed my dog her dogs food. I was a bit taken aback but explained the above and of course I did give her dog its own food but sometimes dogs want what the other dog has.

She was very cold and told me to compensate her for any tins I gave my dog as she wasn't there to provide for my animal! I'm totally bemused, I saved her £100's in dog sitting fees and although I'm not now going to charge her she must see she is totally unfair.

Or am I wrong and should I buy a pack of 4 tins to give her. My DH says ignore but I don't want bad feeling.

I would get the 4 tins and say to her face how petty and ungrateful she has been. You have cared for her dog in your own home and have exercised it for her saving her expensive kennelling or dog sitters. You are not a professional sitter so naturally fed the dogs together and anyone who has ever had more than one dog will know that they snaffle each others food! If she had to have her dog on a special diet say for medical reasons she should have pre warned you! I would block her and not speak to her again after this
to be honest i would also be annoyed with the gossip who needlessly repeated your off the cuff joke!

Get her a couple of tins of the cheaper food as that is the one her dog obviously prefers.

This lady is not a friend and is taking advantage of you. If she is concerned that her dog ate inaccurate food she should say this/should have explained at the time that it was extremely important that her dog only ate the food that she provided.
Buy her the replacement food and explain calmly that she has been unkind and that you had done her a big favour and that it was a joke. I’m not sure how she will argue when confronted with the truth. Then as someone else said cut her off.

You were clearly joking at the school gate with another mother, it is funny that your dog liked the expensive food, don’t take it to heart. People can be very mean but you seem to very kind hearted and generous.

Prepare an invoice detailing the number of days you had her dog based on the going rate and then minute the cost of the four time of dog food. Hand that to her. That should make the point!

This ^^

What a CF. Tell her to pay for a kennel/sitter next time.

What a horribly ungrateful woman! Compensate her or not, either way give her a wide berth. Her behaviour is seriously odd.

When you hand her the food, say ‘that’s four days’ dog sitting at £15 a day, here’s my bank details so you can transfer it.’ Then walk off before she replies.

As has been said manytimes buy her tins of dog food however many you want to but point out how disaapointed you are with jer attitude and that obviously you womt be dog sitting again

Your friends shouldnt have passed that info on. No good deed goes unpunished. She is a cheeky cow, and an uptight one too. I wouldn;t have any further dealings with her and absoutely no favours.

Mary is a CF, OP. It would of cost her alot of money to place her dog into kennels while she was away. You were kind to offer but she took advantage. Just shows you what she is like as not even a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates to say thank you. I would keep her at arms length.

Oh I couldn't be arsed with the drama - explain the dogs were swapping food not you, give her the tins. Mark her as loopy and not to do favours for her every again. Also note who you spoke to about it at school and give that stirrer a wide berth too. Move on - life is short.

I think I’d buy her the food and give her it nicely as if I think it’s normal, then when she hints she doesn’t have a dog sitter again I’d say ‘oh dear’ see if the penny ever drops 😄

Just send her your dog sitting bill, and ask her to deduct the cost of her 4 tins (minus the cost of your 4 tins that her dog ate of course) if she feels the need. You probably won’t hear again. What an awful woman.

I wouldn’t tell these school mums anything going forward, as it seems to get misconstrued. Your ‘friend’ is so ungrateful, I would be fuming, professional dog and cat sitters cost a fortune, you did have a big favour. She gave you no feeding regime and so you just did the routine you do with your own dog, fair enough. I would not be compensating her, just to keep the peace! Do not look after her dog again.

This is the exact response I was about to write

I wouldn’t ignore her. I’d tell her what a cheeky fucker she is and to go and chase herself.

Send her an invoice at £50 for home boarding PER NIGHT and give her credit for the value of the tins. Then you don’t need to buy anything and she can see what a CF she has been.

also check out the person you spoke to at the gate for gossiping and stirring.

avoid on future walks

I wouldn’t buy any tins. I would wait until I saw her or text her and say
“obviously I assumed you were joking about the tins given I didn’t charge you to look after DDog, If I’ve got that wrong and it was a more contractual service rather than a favour please let me know and I’ll knock the price of the tins off the dog sitting & walking fees and send you a revised invoice? Thanks

Don’t buy her the dog food, what a cheeky mare she is!
I’m also gobsmacked she didn’t get you a bottle of wine or chocolates or something as a thank you. You did her a massive favour!

Yes this!

She’s not a friend she’s a self entitled twat I’d hand her the dog food and an invoice for dog sitting services.

I think OP said that Mary handed the food over with no instructions or guidance. If there really was a health issue, surely Mary’s duty of care over her own dog would have compelled her to explain this, either in detail or even in passing - enough for the OP to be in the loop. She chose not to, for whatever reason, so retrospectively getting cross about this (if that was part of her ire) is basically changing the goal posts.

OP, I’d probably buy the food, hand it over, and wait for revenge to be a dish best served cold.

She is a massive piss take by asking for compensation for food. You saved her a lot of money by looking after her dog for free (I know as I’ve got a dog myself and pay a lot for doggie care when we go away and can’t take her with us).

bill her for doggie care and once she’s paid you, you can compensate her with 4 tins of dog food!!!

this woman is off her head and totally ungrateful for the favour you did for her.

I'd tell her to piss off.
Or if I was feeling charitable, I'd say 'before I reply, can I check whether this is a joke?' and make her sweat a bit before telling her to piss off.
The only one creating bad feeling is her.
Go nuclear and enjoy the freedom from future bullshit.

Blooming cheeky mare!
total overreaction, ignore. If she persists say ok but I would like £20 / day dog sitting charge first.