Family Forced to Cancel Vacation After Daughter Refuses to Watch Their Dog

A woman on Reddit is refusing to be her parents' designated dog sitter while they go on a family vacation together, resulting in them canceling their "much needed vacation" altogether.

"They also asked me to do the same for my brother and [sister-in-law] because they wanted to take a family vacation in September. My husband and I can't afford to go because I am currently out of a job. Even though this would be the first family vacation I will have ever missed and it made me really sad, I said I would of course help," the woman began.

She explained that watching her brother's dog would be a major undertaking.

"Here's the thing about watching the dogs. It's a 24/7 job that requires me to stay at my brother's house. The dogs are wonderful, but very high maintenance. Because of this, I have been telling my brother for nearly 10 years that he needed to hire a dog sitter (money isn't an issue for him)," she shared.

The woman noted she doesn't "feel comfortable" staying at her brother's house and the "round the clock care" of their dogs is "exhausting."

"Sunday at family dinner ... my brother was sitting across from me, so I reached out to hold his hand and said that 'I love him, I love the pugs, but I can't watch them when they go on vacation and that he needs to get a dog sitter.' I said it was just too much to ask me to be trapped at their house for seven nights, and that I have been asking him to hire a dog sitter for nearly a decade. I even offered suggestions and said I'll help find someone," she explained.

Her brother initially got upset, but then admitted that asking her to watch all the dogs for nearly a week was indeed a big request. She thought her family understood, until the next evening came around.

"I call my parents to see if they have heard from my brother. Apparently he called them after he got home from family dinner and was 'blindsided' by me. My [sister-in-law] was just as upset as him too. They think I'm throwing a tantrum because I can't go on the vacation. While yes, that sucks, I told him my real issue is being trapped at their house for seven nights," the woman shared, adding that her family has now canceled their vacation.

READ MORE: Mom Slammed for Grounding Daughter Who ‘Ruined’ Family Vacation

Users in the comments told her not to give in to her family's demands.

"They are grown people who had plenty of time to find arrangements for their dogs. Didn’t they have somebody else to watch the dogs when you all traveled together? Is this a weird ploy to punish you by making you feel guilty or something? Seems reactive," one person wrote.

"He’s just trying to make you feel guilty so you’ll change your mind. Don’t fall for it," another chimed in.

"Part of owning pets is having a plan for what you do when you're away. A plan of 'my sister will move in for however long is required to look after them, leaving her husband at home' is a sh---y plan," someone else commented.