My recently hospitalized elderly neighbors have been abandoned by their children. I found a pet sitter to care for their two small and vicious , yappy dogs. The elderly husband is back from the hospital and refuses to pay the pet sitter. He has money. His hospitalized wife accused the pet sitter of taking advantage of them and the pet sitter began to cry. She wouldn't hurt a fly, she's honest and loving. The petsitter quit and social services called me and asked me to care for their dogs because I'm a dog owner and live right next door. I told her to get someone else and she said there isn't anyone else. She played on my guilt, saying " surely, you wouldn't let these little dogs suffer. They did nothing wrong" Well, I have the scars on my ankle from these little dogs from a previous visit. I might add that we live way out in the country, in a sparsely populated area. I'm the only neighbor around. For now, the dogs are being cared for. I feel guilty for not saying "yes" but I don't want to be accused of stealing down the road and having the elderly woman calling the police on me when she returns in two months from the hospital. Why is social services calling me about this? Do I have a moral obligation to care for my neighbors dogs? As long as my neighbors can rely on me, they won't hire anyone. I'm thinking my best option is to pack up the RV and leave town for a couple of weeks! I do believe in paying it forward, but enough is enough!
You have no moral or other obligation to take care of the dogs. Explain that the owners can afford a pet sitter, and that the owners don't seem to want that. Then just say No. And repeat as many times as it takes.
And when you say social services, do you the mean the county social services, or senior assistance as in the title of your post? I ask because I'm wondering what jurisdiction this agency or group has over your neighbor and you.
I think you're right that no one will be hired as long as you're willing to care for the dogs for free.
I also don't understand why the husband can't care for them if he's home.
I think this is a situation that I'd nip in the bud before becoming too tied down and having your own plans dictated by the need to care for someone else's dogs. Maybe a vacation for a few weeks would be nice, but the issue may still be waiting for you when you return.
Time to say no, firmly and unequivocally.
There are rescue groups that find homes for dogs, sometimes temporarily until someone takes them. From the sound of the dogs, they wouldn't be too welcome, but it's an option. If the husband has money, there's always the option of a boarding kennel.
Or he can hire a pet sitter/walker. But it sounds as though the accusations made by the wife would make that an undesirable option for anyone else who's subject to her false claims.
But really, they're not your dogs and not your responsibility. It's not you who's allowing the dogs to suffer; it's the owners, specifically the husband if he's home and has the funds to hire care for them.
I probably saved these guys hundreds of dollars in dog boarding fees, several times. My point is when someone shows you who they are believe them the first time because they will eventually bite you in the butt.
And I like your scorpion analogy! I've never heard that, but it's true for so many situations.
See All Answers