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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU To Take 2 days Annual Leave for dog getting neutered

90 replies

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:07

Getting our dog neutered next week so have to take Annual Leave for when he goes in & also the next day when he’s at home.
What are your thoughts on this?

OP posts:
SallyD00lally · 02/09/2025 23:34

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

Lol

I mean clearly you're no-one's manager.

How can you not understand that what people do privately with their annual leave is nothing to do with their manager?

Do you work? Have you ever worked?

So bizarre.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 02/09/2025 23:34

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:33

I don’t think my Manager will have a issue
with me taking the 2 days Annual Leave off as it’s just me/work colleague who work together in one section & as long as one of us is in she’s fine with it however she most likely will ask why

So why the AIBU?

Original poster
ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:35

However she does have a dog herself so I’m of the thinking she be able to relate here and I don’t think my colleague I work with directly is too bothered

OP posts:
SallyD00lally · 02/09/2025 23:35

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:33

I don’t think my Manager will have a issue
with me taking the 2 days Annual Leave off as it’s just me/work colleague who work together in one section & as long as one of us is in she’s fine with it however she most likely will ask why

She can ask all she wants but you're not obliged to tell her as long as you've given enough notice.

Do you ask her what she does with her annual leave?

SallyD00lally · 02/09/2025 23:36

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:35

However she does have a dog herself so I’m of the thinking she be able to relate here and I don’t think my colleague I work with directly is too bothered

Are you not listening to anyone here OP?

Original poster
ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:36

SallyD00lally · 02/09/2025 23:36

Are you not listening to anyone here OP?

Show quote history

Well yes I am but why do you ask

OP posts:
SallyD00lally · 02/09/2025 23:40

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:36

Well yes I am but why do you ask

Show quote history

Because you keep banging on about whether your manager will relate and whether your colleague is bothered.

None of this matters.

The annual leave belongs to you.

Tell your manager you're booking it off and that's that.

WorriedRelative · 02/09/2025 23:47

It is nobody's business why you are taking annual leave. You can use it for anything you like. Your boss and colleagues don't need to know.

They may ask, but you don't owe them an explanation.

My boss would say something like "doing something nice?" Because she's a normal friendly human being, I'd probably say "no pretty boring really, just vet appointment" and she would express concern that my pet is ok and comiserate about vet fees.

Equally I might just say "just using up some days owed" if I don't want to get into it.

People take time off for all kinds of reasons. Seeing friends, taking their parent/OH to a hospital appointment, going shopping, watching sport, taking a duvet day, settling a new puppy in at home, the kids first day at school, whatever.

thebabayaga · 02/09/2025 23:49

It's an operation, it could go badly, you could have to provide care, or the dog might be fine. Either way, it's your leave and nobody else's business what you do with it, don't tell them if you're bothered by what you think they might think.

Snippit · 03/09/2025 00:15

Please take the annual leave, if I hadn’t when my beautiful Labrador was spayed she would have died. The day after the operation I noticed her dressing was soaked with blood,
I rushed her to the vets who had to operate on her again. It turned out one of the internal sutures had somehow come undone and she had serious internal bleeding.

Had I gone to work she wouldn’t have survived. Don’t hesitate about taking leave, you’d never forgive yourself if something similar happened.

Original poster
ML5 · 03/09/2025 00:21

Snippit · 03/09/2025 00:15

Please take the annual leave, if I hadn’t when my beautiful Labrador was spayed she would have died. The day after the operation I noticed her dressing was soaked with blood,
I rushed her to the vets who had to operate on her again. It turned out one of the internal sutures had somehow come undone and she had serious internal bleeding.

Had I gone to work she wouldn’t have survived. Don’t hesitate about taking leave, you’d never forgive yourself if something similar happened.

Oh so sorry to hear about your dog and hope she’s all ok now. Yes I will definitely be taking the 2 days of annual leave (DH taking the 3 days off after)

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 03/09/2025 00:22

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

otoh I reckon some of my managers would have let me have the time off without using annual leave days🤷‍♀️

CrazyAboutFurBabies · 03/09/2025 00:34

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

I think it’s ridiculous you should even be butting your nose in what other people chose to do on THEIR annual leave time. If you were my manager I would quit…

OP I think this is absolutely the right thing to do.

I actually took 3 days off when my girl went in for hers, she had stitches etc so had to be careful she wasn’t trying to lick her wound etc,

NNforthispost · 03/09/2025 00:51

You don’t need to give a reason for AL - but it’s up to you what you take it for, so long as you’ve given whatever notice you need to, to book off the time. Surely that’s fine?

And you have to book in for a spay so you’d have the dates in good time to book leave.

I took a week off with mine, only because she’s into dog parkour and I knew that despite being in pain and the obstacles we put in place to deter her from jumping, she’d still try it. I was right - she was fast asleep three days after having it done - so I snuck up for a lightening fast toilet break and without those three minutes she got on the window ledge and was just jumping off when I came down the stairs and she split her stitches so I had to take her back.

I also highly recommend surgical suits if your dog doesn’t like the cone of shame - she was much more comfy and it stopped her licking. The cone just came out at night when I couldn’t keep an eye on her.

I hope your dog is okay. Lots of rest and lots of cuddles needed.

Pryceosh1987 · 03/09/2025 01:05

Its good to be prepared to make the environment around you, safe. All the best.

MissHollysDolly · 03/09/2025 01:22

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:33

I don’t think my Manager will have a issue
with me taking the 2 days Annual Leave off as it’s just me/work colleague who work together in one section & as long as one of us is in she’s fine with it however she most likely will ask why

Then just say you’re getting the dog neutered and taking the chance to catch up on life admin.
although tbh if either of you can work at home I’d be doing that to save the annual leave for the beach!

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 03/09/2025 01:26

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

Why is it ridiculous... Annual leave is there to use how you want!

DdraigGoch · 03/09/2025 01:53

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

Who needs a reason to book annual leave?
If I want a day off, I take a day off.

HoppingPavlova · 03/09/2025 04:35

& as long as one of us is in she’s fine with it however she most likely will ask why

That’s not right. A manager has no right to know what people do with their leave. People can go overseas on holiday, camp in their backyard, sit and stare at a wall in their living room, or run a naked marathon. None of this is any business of the employer.

GingerPaste · 03/09/2025 04:42

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

I hope you’re not anyone’s manager then as people are fully entitled to take their time off for any reason or no reason at all. You’re not required to have a ‘good reason’ for taking a day off.

Peptalk2025 · 03/09/2025 05:34

IMissSparkling · 02/09/2025 23:10

I think it's a ridiculous reason to take annual leave and if I was your manager I would be a bit Hmm

Then you'd be a pretty awful manager. It's absolutely none of your business why someone takes their annual leave. They have a set number of days - end of story.

Zanatdy · 03/09/2025 05:34

Perfectly reasonable to take AL for that. I was able to WFH but otherwise i’d have done the same.

Queenofheart · 03/09/2025 06:09

ML5 · 02/09/2025 23:12

Fair enough but at the same time I can’t leave dog alone at home & also have to take/pick up from Vets

Show quote history

Maybe you don’t have pets you think the world of and are part of your family!

I would totally do this OP

Maddy70 · 03/09/2025 06:14

You don't need to my dog was fine that evening it's a waste of holiday days. If you're that concerned book the neutering for a Friday

spoonbillstretford · 03/09/2025 06:17

Why do you need to state a reason for taking annual leave? People take annual leave because you should take annual leave.