To many pet owners, their fur babies are family members, so they would never be willing to give them to other people. However, if “other people” are relatives or close friends, the pet owners are likely to struggle with a dilemma.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
A young woman wrote a post on the account
u/isoC10H12N2O in the subreddit
AmItheAsshole to consult the internet about her problem. She had a dog, Toby, and after her marriage, she and her spouse decided to adopt a second dog called Scout. They both adored the pets, and her husband seemed to feel affection for the new dog.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
The issue came up when they brought along Scout during the visit to the husband’s family. He has a sick sibling who sought a service dog to take to college. The poster’s mother-in-law complained about the failure of a potential dog at his test. She gave myriad praises to Scout and thought that he would be a perfect dog for her sick child.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
The Redditor’s husband was in favor of his mother’s idea, so he strived to persuade the woman to give up Scout to his brother. The dog passed all the tests and evaluations to become the brother's support dog, but the poster opposed the plan.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
The husband believed that they should give the dog to his poor brother, who needed a support dog than them. The dog could be a great help for him, while the couple did not necessarily own two pets.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
By contrast, the poster thought she did not have to leave her lovely pet because her husband’s family failed to find one. She was sure they still had time to look for a well-trained dog before their son went to college. The Redditor saw her mother-in-law as a narcissist as she often looked down on others but now kept giving sweet talks to get the dog. Additionally, the woman had spent a lot of money on the dog, so she wanted to keep it with her family.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Under the post, most netizens rallied behind the poster and criticized her husband’s family. Undoubtedly, the woman did not have to take responsibility if her brother-in-law could not find a suitable dog. The mother only wanted to gaslight the writer to satisfy her demand without much effort.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Many laid into the husband when he forced his wife to do such a thing. They did not think he was either a good husband or pet owner as he was willing to give up his dog instead of finding another for his brother. If he thought of Scout as one family constituent, he should not have supported his mother's suggestion.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Some believed there was something fishy about the story as many service dogs were available in the market to meet the brother-in-law's needs. The only reason for the mother’s intention was that she wanted to take advantage of the poster’s efforts to find a good dog.
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Source: r/AmItheAsshole
Do you agree with Redditors that the husband and his mother were in the wrong? Do you think that they were terrible when trying to manipulate the poster? What would you do if you were in the woman’s position? Have you ever met a “narcissist” as the mother in this case?