A woman declined to pay for her brother’s dog’s $12,000 vet bill. Now, his beloved dog is dead and the siblings are feuding.
Sharing her situation on Reddit, the woman explained her brother’s life used to revolve around his 8-year-old dog.
When the dog was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, the vet estimated surgery and treatment would cost $12,000, which the man didn’t have.
“He asked my parents for the money, and they told him no. He already owes them five figures,” the woman wrote in her post, adding that when her brother came to her, she declined to help him.
“I’m not a dog person at all. I don’t have a relationship with the dog and don’t consider it family,” she shared.
“Even more important, I’m not one to lend significant money. I could afford [$12,000] as a gift, but that’s still a lot of money that I’d rather keep,” she added.
When his dog passed away a few weeks ago, her brother blamed her.
“Yesterday, I heard from him. He texted me thanking me for killing his dog and called me an a–hole. I gave him my condolences but said this is not my fault,” the woman wrote.
“I thought not getting paid back timely would be far worse for our relationship than a sick dog possibly dying. Guess I might have been wrong,” she concluded.
READ MORE: Woman’s Child-Free Friend Compares Her Baby to Dog
In the comments section, Reddit users backed the woman’s decision to not get involved financially and reminded her that the dog’s death was not her fault.
“As a dog person, I do get your brother’s grief and why he’s lashing out, but it was his dog, and so the responsibility/financial burden lies with him,” one person wrote.
“[$12,000] is a huge sum of money for most, and I wouldn’t blame any pet owner for choosing not to pay that kind of money to save their beloved pet, let alone having to depend on family to be able to afford it,” another commented.
“I am a dog owner. Kids love the dog. We all would be destroyed if he were to get sick. But I wouldn’t lash out [$12,000] for a treatment, [especially] if I can’t afford it myself. It is an animal, not a human being,” someone else shared.
“He still owes your parents a lot of money. He can not be trusted to pay you back at all. It’s sad his dog passed away, but that is not your fault at all,” another commented.