Woman Asks If She’s Wrong For Telling Her Husband She Won’t Sell Their House To Save His Dog
She explained that their family is living off of a single income and selling the house would only be more of a financial struggle.
Marek Szturc via Unsplash / Blackleaves via Canva A woman turned to the internet to get some advice after her husband made an impossible request in hopes to save his dog. Posting to the subreddit "r/AITA," the 30-year-old woman revealed that her husband's relationship with his dog is causing a rift between them, especially financially.
She refuses to sell their house so that her husband's dog can get a life-saving surgery.
In her Reddit post, which has since been deleted but was reposted on social media, she explained that her 35-year-old husband had adopted a female Husky before they met, and didn't do any of the proper research about the breed before getting her.
"He refused to spay her because as he says, 'She wouldn't be a real Husky and would lose her personality,' which we all know isn't true. She is now 8 years old," the woman explained.
For the last year, she admitted that they've spent a total of $8,000 from their emergency savings on vet bills because her husband is currently unemployed after losing his job in June and hasn't received any government assistance yet. So, she covers all of their living expenses.
Since her husband doesn't know anything about either Huskies or dogs in general, he often gives things to her that she shouldn't eat, causing her to have to go to the vet. On top of that, the dog had multiple other health scares and was eventually spayed, but now has a tumor growing that requires a pricey surgery.
"Since my husband has no job and no income, his solution to pay for the vet bills, multiple tumor removals, chemotherapy, etc., is to sell his car and then the house that our children and I live in," she continued. Since the two are married and the house they live in is considered a "family residence" he needs her permission before selling it, but he's adamant about doing it because he can't bear to let his dog die.
"He has a very unhealthy attachment to his dog," she admitted. "She basically replaced his dad after his dad's passing eight years ago and says she's the only thing he had after the passing."
As someone who has animals of her own, she acknowledged that it's understandable to want to do anything and everything to make sure they are healthy, but wanting to sell the house is a bit too excessive.
"I think everybody needs a limit where they say, I'm not going to put myself in crippling debt and be homeless for this," she added, noting that her husband thinks she's being selfish for not wanting to sell the house and car despite how hard they are struggling with living on one income.
Many people agreed that she was not being unreasonable for refusing to agree to her husband's demand to save his dog.
"Even if the dog would make it, I doubt she's got more than 2 years of life left in her. Most likely, she's got a few more months. Either way, a house is a huge investment," one Reddit user pointed out. "I do sympathize with your husband though, he's clearly in significant grief, and not processing this very well. It won't be any better in a few months even if you were to sell the house."
Another user added, "Your husband isn't considering the pain it will bring the other members of his family. He is in a tough situation, but he will need the car when he gets [a] job eventually."
"The Husky might not even live very long with all the treatment, it's a risky move to potentially prolong the dog's life. What will you do if there is another financial emergency this year and your drastic options have already been used?"
Selling a house is an incredibly serious and significant financial decision.
Just as she mentioned in her Reddit post, it wouldn't be a solution to the problem but would only lead them into more of a dire situation. It's also not just their home, but their children's as well, and there are more people to think about than just his dog in this scenario.
While empathy for the husbands' grief is understandable, practicality can't be ignored. Their disagreement serves as a reminder that, in circumstances like this, it's important to have a nuanced approach that takes into account the well-being of all family members and avoids impulsive decisions that might lead to more significant challenges down the road.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.