Admittedly, I never understood the type of love a person could have for their fur baby until my family got a dog. I get it now, and obsession is an understatement.
So, when I read this OP's story in the AITA subreddit about not wanting to rehome their dog due to their fiance's request, I saw red. Here's the full story:
They wrote, “AITA for refusing to give up my dog for my fiancé’s allergic daughter? I (34F) have a golden retriever, Max. He’s been with me for seven years and is more than a pet — he’s family. My fiancé, Tim (37M), recently moved in with his 9-year-old daughter, Emily. Emily is severely allergic to dogs. Not the ‘take a Benadryl, and you’re fine' kind — she breaks out in hives and has serious breathing issues.”
The OP continued by writing, “I’ve suggested every compromise I can think of keeping Max out of her room, constant deep cleaning, investing in air purifiers, even boarding Max part-time when Emily is over. But none of it is good enough. Tim says I need to ‘put Emily first' and get rid of Max completely. He also made it clear that if I don’t, we might need to rethink the wedding. I told him flat-out that I was not rehoming Max.”
“I love Tim and Emily, but Max is family, and I’m not dumping him like an old piece of furniture. Tim says I’m selfish and ‘not ready to be a stepmom.' His family has piled on, saying I’m prioritizing a dog over a child, and now I’m the villain of the week. My friends are split — some agree with me, others think I’m being heartless,” the OP added.
Before we continue, I have a few questions to ask you all.
Holy cannoli, I know what I'm thinking (dump the guy and keep Max), but let me leave it to the commenters to express their thoughts. Here is what some said:
This person made an excellent point.
And I wholeheartedly agree with this commenter.
This person gave some tough love.
Lastly, this person thinks it's a lose-lose situation either way.