My friend has a dog who she seems to regard as an incumbrance.
She never takes her for a walk and regularly leaves her on her own for much of the day/evening.
She seems to think that any misbehaviour by the dog is her 'sulking' and not just a manifestation of her unhappiness or her just being a dog.
She says she doesn't allow her toys because she doesn't want to have to clear up after her dinner she has basically no stimulation when left by herself all this time.
The dog is small and approx eight and up until a year ago lived with my friends husband (in the same house) who was very ill and barely left the house. They had a sort of upstairs downstairs arrangement.
Sadly he has passed away and I have heard my friend say that the dog 'was my husbands dog ' or 'my sons dog' (no longer there).
I sometimes take the dog out for a walk when I walk mine and look after her once a week when she is out for ten to twelve hours at work.
Originally my friend was giving me some petrol money each week for this as agreed but this has stopped.
I also look after the dog when she is on holiday. The first time she paid me a tenner a night. This time she has given me a fiver for three days and two nights. I worry for this dogs welfare but I'm pissed off that my friend is treating me like this! I can't escape her particularly because at the moment she is a client (I am a hairdresser).
I am thinking to still walk her now and then but say I'm busy if she asks re the overnights again because it's quite a lot more responsibility and at the end of the day it's a luxury to be able to go away without your pet.
What would you do?
I feel sorry for this girl: she is a delightful girl who deserves the best life.