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.

This is the craziest thing I've heard in a while. Is she ok?

Yep, she's definitely seen this thread!

Whether she stumbled across it herself or somebody alerted her with "Hey, Mary, have you seen this thread about some woman who's a weapons-grade CF - she's a dog owner too!"

@AnnieSnap I live in the NE and I pay over £70 for an overnight for my dog

Let's all wave to the CF who’s obviously read the thread 👋

The cheek of this woman is mind boggling. Please don't reply and never ever speak to her again.

£70 would be cheap for the knowledge your dog was in kind and caring hands for the night.

@m00rfarm

why?! Op should keep that money and spend it on herself ! Treat herself

She is absolutely unhinged.
Avoid completely from now on.
CF's like her will ask again, they can't help themselves.
I wouldn't hesitate to forewarn any other mother you think she might try and catch out.

This comment should most definitely be sent in reply to her calling it 'quits'.

She has been caught red handed being a CF. She'll carry on being a CF unless someone calls her out on her behaviour. You could do that by sending her the text above. She'll know and you'll know (no one else will) but her cards will be marked.

Wow! Barking Mad provides an lovely home boarding service for considerably less than that!

Let's call it quits?

Cheeky bitch. It's not "quits" at all - you have done her a very big favour and she owes you one.

I wouldn't reply to the call it quits text and I wouldn't talk to her anymore.

What a cunt.

I'd make a point of telling everyone I know at the school gates about the cheeky fucker. Keep it factual and unemotional and they'll be nothing she can say or do because it's all true! Publicly shame her.

I really hope she's seen this thread. If so, I'll take the opportunity to call her an ARSEHOLE again.

And she'd still be getting her poxy dog food back, with my earlier suggested message. Call it quits? My arse.

Some of these comments are WILD 🤣

The person you were talking to has clearly stirred the pot here, and gone back to your friend saying you were bragging about your dog preferring her dogs food and you letting them eat out of each others bowls rather than separating them.

From her point of view, yes you were doing her a favour, but she trusted you with her fur baby and is now upset they weren’t allowed to eat their food in peace because you didn’t separate them despite knowing the foods were completely different. ANY change in diet for a dog is tricky because their stomachs are so ridiculously sensitive that it gives them diarrhoea and can make them quite ill. But you risked her dogs health as well as your own dogs… and could have given both bad tummies.

From your point of view, you were doing her a favour and saving her money so it shouldn’t matter if they ate each others food or got poorly tummies 🤷🏼‍♀️

One of my dogs would have the runs if his diet changed, while the other can (and has) literally eaten dry wall or foil roasting tubs 🤦🏼‍♀️ she could eat ANYTHING and be fine, but it doesn’t sound like you even checked or asked or made any effort to separate them for dinner and then you definitely told the wrong person at school 😅

I think she’s right to be a little miffed but asking you to buy a few cans of food is also petty lol

I'd tell her I'd deduct it from her dog sitting bill, she's taking for granted how much help you've been in a looking after the dog at short notice and second for nothing. Def don't offer again!

You didn't use her dog food to feed your own dog. She should have realised that when she got spare tins back.
I'm glad she has decided to leave it, probably because she's realised how much she saved on kennel fees. I'd not be doing any more dog sitting favours though. Ungrateful person.

Well yes, not separating them at feeding time could have gone very, very wrong in terms of resource guarding and food aggression, even more than the allergy angle... but probably a moot point as I can't see poor OP ever dogsitting out of the goodness of her heart again.

@Sahj123

she could always just not go on holiday and then she wouldn’t have to trust anyone with her “fur baby” would she?

So she didn’t get you a present either!

Calculate the price difference, put the cash in an envelope, and hand it to her when there are lots of other people you know around, loudly and with a cheery tone of voice. "Here's the cash you asked for, for when I was looking after your Rex for free, and Fido accidentally ate some of his food. I Dooooooo hope its the right amount. Let me know if you need any extra!"

Please turn her down if she asks you to dog sit again.

She's not a friend, she's an entitled acquaintance aka CF. As she's sent a text I'd reply with something like 'Call it quits? - don't think so. I gladly looked after X for 4 nights and the dogs chose to eat a bit of each other's food. You've had free boarding for your dog and he's fine. Beggars belief that you have any issue at all tbh. Not quits at all, the benefit is all yours so I won't be repeating the favour'.

I think she’s right to be a little miffed but asking you to buy a few cans of food is also petty lol

I agree with that.

To me giving a dog its own food is basic care whether you are being paid or not.

But to then complain & want "compensation" after the last minute dog sitting meant that you wouldn't miss your holiday is just ridiculous.

I mean-get some perspective!

I'm sending this one to my mum who's dog I'm currently looking after while she's in Barbados 😂😂

Sounds like dogs being friendly, congratulate her on her dog's nice manners and leave it at that!