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.

From bitter experience I would be very careful about looking after other people's dogs. You never know what could happen and how people react to a dog coming back with a simple scratch or nip. A chewed dog bed etc even if it's their own dog that's done it will be your fault. A judge will likely regard that you had a duty of care to the dog and liable for anything that happens even if you didn't charge a fee. What if the dog had knocked someone over on a walk or attacked another dog. If you're going to do it, take out public liability insurance.

If I felt like a complete bitch I'd make her think you might be available to dog sit again, dont say yes or no, i will think about it, then say "oh goodness me no, I can't. What if my dog eats the food again?! That would be a disaster!!"

But in reality I'd just avoid the crazy tight arse.

It seems as if the value to her of your friendship is four tins of dog food. Well, we pay to learn. Pay her price and cut her out.

I wouldn't give her anything. Tell her that if she wants to be a dick and quibble about a bit of dog food then she can foff and not dare ask you for a favour again. You saved her a lot of money.

Ditch the B*itch. The woman, not the dog. Obviously mental and also avoid the grass at the school gates. How some women royally take the piss on a day to day basis never fails to amaze me

There is absolutely no way on this earth I would pay, that is dreadful.

Tell her you'll deduct it from your sitting fees.

Seriously I would tell her to royally chuff off - that is disgraceful. If you insist on giving her the food back , present her with an invoice too for your services.

This. I can't believe the cheek of this horrible CF.

I think I'd just give her some tins of said food in front of the other parents at the school gate and make sure they also understand this part of the story. Won't help with your being out of pocket but will serve as a warning to any other school parents getting burned doing this person a favour in future and might chasten her slightly. I find people like this don't like others to see how they have behaved as they already know they are in the wrong.

Gosh the cheek ! When a colleague kindly took
my
dog in for a week as usual dog sitter was away I obv supplied all food etc AND paid her ( she did not ask for any money at all ) same amount of money dog boarder would have had , think then about £30/day.
Plus wine /flowers.
She took great care of my dog, why would anyone like your friend be so tight and precious when you returned her pet happy and healthy.
Ghastly.

This really isn't normal behaviour on her part. Who on earth turns on someone who's done them a sizeable favour over something so petty? Either the mum who told her has put some spin on it or made you out to have done something properly amiss, or your friend does not have a stable personality and you probably need some distance. Not sure it matters what you do about the food really, but I'd probably buy it back to climb even further up the moral high ground.

Just see already suggested- as per duchy's advice!

I have 2 dogs of my own and often have other dogs here for various reasons. One thing that always happens is that they want one another’s food!!! Trying to keep each one to their own bowl is virtually impossible. Of course if a special diet had to be adhered to it’s a different ballgame but honestly! If my dogs were being fed and happy I’d be over the moon. Suggest she checks out how much boarding kennels charge.

So the dogs swapped bowls and ate each others food, if you have to replace what your dog ate at the swap is she going to get you some of your dogs food that hers ate at the swapped!!?
Iam actually thinking just typing this how bloody pathetic it all sounds.
BTW I think your friend is thr most ungrateful cheeky fucker out.
Yes your plan of giving her 4 tins back in front of the other mums is a fantastic idea, they'll be few sideways glances thrown!!
Say ' hi Mary, I've got you some dog mest back as I know you have been rather concerned my dog ate your dogs good when they swapped bowls, but never mind'

I’d ask her how much her original dog sitter would have charged and then reminded her of how much I’d saved her by looking after her dog for free.
Then I’d say if she insisted on me paying for her dogs food even though her dog had eaten my dogs food. Then I’d have to charge her dog sitting fees. The ball would be in her court and I’d hope she’d see what an absolute Ahole she’s being.

Definitely hand her some tins of dog food loudly on the school run ‘here are the dog food cans to compensate for the dog food my dog ate of yours when I was dog sitting, and, here is the invoice for my fees for dog sitting, including the cost of half of the dog food your dog ate of ours. Ta.

Alternatively, send her a link to this thread!

This ungrateful cf

I’d chuck the tins through her bloody window! What a cheeky mare. I think I’d have asked her if she was joking or jet lagged.

Seriously I’d work out how much a dog boarder or kennels would have cost her and when I gave her the dog food back (at the school gates) I’d loudly say “here is the dog food you demanded compensating for! Considering I saved you £xxx I think that’s called looking a gift horse in the mouth! Don’t ever expect me to help you out again.”

Utmost CFery! I'm sure most/all of us who had the good fortune of having our beloved dog being looked after in comfort and FOR FREE would be so grateful and happy they've bonded and had fun. Ffs awful attitude, what an absolute twat.

Me, I don't like confrontation, but would have to say I find that preposterous and out of order. Tell her to do one or minus the food from kennel fees so she owes you. X

I’d be typing her up an invoice for £40 a night at the Dogbiscuotsareforlife Kennels. Outrageous. I’m so cross on your behalf - not even a bottle of wine to say thank you?! MASSIVELY CF.

Are you insane? You're going to pay for dog food for a woman who saved £££ and didn't have to cancel her holiday because of you? If you do that you're an absolute mug. Send the CF and invoice, less the dog food and never speak to her again.

“Um Mary, have you forgotten about the massive favour I did you with the free dog-sitting??!”

What a cow. She’s not a friend, she sounds like a narcissist to me, I would not give her the tins or money , if she pushes it, I would as someone else suggested, tell her it was more work than expected to look after her dog and you would like to be reimbursed at the going rate.

£75 per day/night for dog sitting here so I'd give her that bill minus the value of 4 tins of food and show her what a twat she's being ! Wouldn't dog sit again for her, let her pay next time.

Do you really think that the other school mums with care about you "owing" dog food?

Honestly if you made a display in the hope for sympathy I'd think you as daft as her.