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 do this but pay her the difference in 1 &2p coins

I think this is the best response. What a strange attitude to have towards someone, who’s done you a massive favour.

Highly unlikely this woman would ever dog-sit for OP, and if she did, it's likely she would charge OP an arm and a leg, after the fact.

I would do this but pay her the difference in 1 &2p coins

I would be annoyed enough and petty enough to do this 😁

She’s being ridiculous. Everyone who has had more than one pet at a time knows how difficult it is to get them to stick to their own bowls and how they swap and eat the others food (which can make feeding pets on restricted diets really difficult). I would have interpreted the dogs swapping a sa funny anecdote!
I wouldn’t buy her food- you did her a massive favour and her dog got to spend the weekend with its friend. I wouldn’t be doing her another favour again.

I wouldn't do any drama of handing over tins at the school. Instead I'd either phone her or send a message and say very simply, you are stunned that she'd asked for two tins of food back when you had taken care of her dog while she was away.

Bloody hell. I’m glad I live in the North East 😳

Think I'll move up!

I can't wait for tomorrows update!

This is a perfect response - calm and to the point.

Me too - I really want OP to sock it to her - some of the suggestions have been fab!

How will she realise? Is she mystic meg?

I would pointedly not be carrying ANYTHING when you see her tomorrow.
If she dares to ask for 'reimbursement' again, I'd calmly tell her she can deduct it from the kennel charges she owes you, especially when you took on her pet for her on such short notice.

This ⬆️⬆️ with bells on.

I'd be telling her to fuck off. Simple as that.

I'm a little late to the party, but unless the dog wasn't able to eat any other food without feeling ill, and tbh she should have said if the dog needed feeding separately, then she hasn't got a leg to stand on.

This is so passive-aggressive. Use your words like an adult.

Yep, sometimes the best solutions are the simplest.

Recently I had a pet sitter £35 a night which I thought was cheap. I would message friend with an invoice for your care. Whoever the mutual friend that gossiped was. Is not your friend. You did the dog friend a massive favour. She is ridiculous if she thinks you did it to give your dogs a nice meal!!

you need to be honest with her and say youve saved her a fortune along with that’s exactly how you’d have treated them if your dog had the more expensive food and hers took a fancy to it.

Shes being ridiculous and I think it needs pointing out. We can’t let these sort of people just carry on.

This is just childish and you’re dragging it out.

Why be so passive aggressive? Why do you want to involve others?

Message and calmly point out how you helped her, and in doing so saved her costs. Explain that because of that you’re surprised at her asking for food to be replaced. Suggest you both let it go. If it were me, I’d not offer to help again.

"Mary, I looked after your dog for free for days, saving you tens if not hundreds of pounds, so I am quite shocked that you demanded I reimburse you for food your dog ate of its own accord. I won't be giving you any money, and to be honest, I think you owe me an apology if you'd like our friendship to continue."

"hopefully she'll realise I'm upset over something"
She might not.

Perhaps you didn't really want to mind her dog, but you sometimes find it hard to say No to people. You find yourself agreeing before you know it.

If that's the case a handy trick is whenever anyone asks you to do something say 'can I get back to about that?'

I'd give her what she wants and never ever be available to help her out again. Did you mention the free boarding you provided???