r/ChoosingBeggars • u/are_enough • Mar 21 '23
I will graciously allow you to experience the joy of taking care of my dog for me
22
u/scarletmagnolia Mar 21 '23
I live in the East Bay. A dog watcher, walker, play with the dog while I’m gone person, is not inexpensive. I’m not saying it should be, I’m saying I was shocked when I found out how much people pay for the service.
Nothing about living here is cheap or inexpensive.
17
u/hoteldetective_ Mar 21 '23
Does this person even want their dog if they’re ok leaving it for 9 months? Also, I hope they’d at least provide toys, treats, food, and general supplies to maintain the dog. I can’t imagine paying out of pocket to take care of someone’s dog because they think I’m that much of an animal lover.
2
u/DarkYendor Mar 22 '23
It could be for one weekend every third month. If they were gone for 9 months, I doubt they’d be offering their room.
1
u/hoteldetective_ Mar 22 '23
Didn’t mean to imply I thought they’d be gone the full 9 months, just sounds like they’ll be gone more than around for that time
0
u/SarahCKT Mar 22 '23
Pretty sure it means a an extra person that's available during trips during those times. Not that they will be gone that full time. Oy
1
301
u/CapHillster Mar 21 '23 edited Mar 21 '23
I think it misses the context -- is this specifically for friends? If so, it's probably OK.
If not, it sounds a bit entitled "I have a list of volunteer dogsitters, do you want the privilege of joining it?"
I borrow a friend's dog all the time for fun when they travel / I just feel like going on a walk.
153
u/neo1piv014 Mar 21 '23
I'm guessing that it's not since this ad also includes a description of the dog (which friends would already know) as well as their ideal location (which friends would also know). If this is something posted only to their FB friends, they sound like one of those friend hoarders where the friends list is basically a phonebook.
60
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
Bingo. An actual friend would already know where she lives, be familiar with her dog, and would be someone she would feel comfortable reaching out to individually to ask this favor. My guess is that her friends already declined (probably because the dog is poorly trained and therefore a huge pain in the ass to watch). So she's resorted to the old group email blast to "Hey friends", which we all know really means co-workers, cousins, acquaintances, friends of friends, old classmates, etc.
32
u/PorkyMcRib NEXT!! Mar 21 '23
Plus, an actual friend would have known to defriend her a long time ago.
0
u/PorkyMcRib NEXT!! Mar 21 '23
Plus, an actual friend would have known to defriend her a long time ago.
6
u/eagleblue44 Mar 21 '23
If it was also asking friends, I'd feel they wouldn't refer to it as adding them to their list of dogsitters
17
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
If they were actually friends with this person they would already know where she lives and would be familiar with her dog and wouldn't need a description of it. This is one of those email blasts where "friends" actually means "Co-workers, acquaintances, friends of friends, significant others of friends, cousins I only see at weddings and funerals, and old classmates I haven't hung out with since graduation".
6
u/Southernpalegirl Mar 22 '23
I don’t think so, she officially crossed into choosy beggar when she said she wants someone who loves dogs, not getting paid which leads me to believe she is not planning on paying for her dogs care. She’s specifically leaving out any mention of compensation. Choosy beggar in my eyes.
3
u/abstractraj Mar 22 '23
We have a friend who watches our dog, but even then we cover her brunch or theater tickets or whatever. Win for both parties is always good
3
u/cfgregory Mar 22 '23
Ja, I ask a friend to stay at our place and take care of our cats. I didn’t have to describe location or the cats. Thankfully we only had to pay in treats from the US (we live in Europe).
2
u/doej0 Mar 22 '23
We have a neighbor who comes round every so often and asks if she can walk our dogs. Cus she loves dogs but doesn't have the time for her own.
16
u/donottouchme666 Mar 22 '23
I wonder if I could find someone who would clean my place once a week purely for the joy of smelling cleaning products and picking up all my stuff.
15
u/educationalfrenchie Mar 22 '23
There was an AITA about this! Someone who loved cleaning, enjoyed trying new cleaning products, and volunteered to clean several of their neighbour's houses because it was fun for them it and she liked the people. Then some crazy lady they didn't know knocked on their door and said 'when are you going to clean my house for free?'
I did not understand anyone in that story, but whatever works for you?
3
u/donottouchme666 Mar 22 '23
HA!! I remember that one!! I was pretty confused myself with everyone in that story!!😆
1
u/fleakie Mar 22 '23
Omg I remember that one! It made me so angry!! That crazy lady sounded like my mother.😂 The OG Karen.
92
u/aryawitner I can give you exposure Mar 21 '23
A lot of these ads make me feel like I'm the root of all evil since I would (and have) happily do it for a friend.
56
u/Ariaerisis Mar 21 '23
The important thing here is the "for a friend" part. That person isn't asking friends though, she's asking from complete strangers.
21
u/aryawitner I can give you exposure Mar 21 '23
Isn't this on Facebook? I kinda assumed it's primarily being read by people the OP knows...and now us.
10
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
She's asking her Facebook "friends" which includes every relative, acquaintance, co-worker, classmate, etc she's ever had, most of whom she probably hasn't seen in years (hence the need to describe the dog and specify what region she lives in). A real friend is someone you'd feel comfortable directly asking for a favor like this and who would already be familiar with your dog and where you live.
I'm guessing that her real friends already declined (or she knows they will decline), probably because the dog is poorly trained and a pain in the ass to sit. So she's resorting to the casual acquaintance email blast.
3
u/jpw111 Mar 21 '23
Do we know that she's not posting this in a local FB group?
-1
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
It's the same principle. Email blasts and Facebook announcements target the same audience: people you know in some capacity but don't see regularly.
5
u/jpw111 Mar 21 '23
There are a lot of people in my local (like town or city) Facebook group who I don't know in any capacity.
6
u/heidismiles Mar 21 '23
Why would that make you evil?
3
u/aryawitner I can give you exposure Mar 21 '23
Because I am contributing to the idea that you can get petsitters for free when apparently I am supposed to be hitting my friends up for money.
14
u/notdorisday Mar 21 '23
Nah, most of us do things for the people we care about without expecting compensation.
1
u/grantchart Mar 28 '23
I'd do it for my ex, who left me for a skankho from the Bronx, if it meant I'd have an opportunity to spend time with a labradoodle.
20
u/Thediciplematt Mar 21 '23
In the east bay?
Eff you guy. This place isn’t cheap and you need to pay for it like everyone else.
14
u/painterwill Mar 21 '23
If it's not cheap maybe that's why they're leaving for Spring. Summer... and Fall. Nothing says "my dog is a joy to be around" like leaving it behind while you fuck off for months.
5
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
LOL seriously. The Bay Area is filled with professional dogsitters. There are fucking apps for it.
1
u/Sidewalk_Tomato Mar 25 '23
There are, and at least one of them is decent. One of my friends gets plenty of business.
There's a dog near me that I adore and I would dogwatch for free (because I live so close, and she is the cutest), but . . . that thought has only occurred to me once in my life. For this cute dumbass.
Her dogparents (who I have run into multiple times) would probably be terrified if I offered, so I . . . say nothing.
6
u/Flat_Bodybuilder_175 Mar 22 '23
My neighbors always paid me to stay in their house with their amazing animals and eat their food. Theyd go on vacation every summer and leave me to a manicured corner lot with 2 sweet ol housecats and a lapdog. They literally reminded me to eat their food before it expired. I remember making ribs one night and thinking "why are they paying me?" I still miss having that opportunity, and would do anything to have it again, especially in their newer, hilariously larger home. But they knew it was still a job, and paid and thanked me accordingly. Homies.
5
u/Movie-z Mar 21 '23
I’d assume the “East Bay” refers to the Bay Area in the States. The traffic is terrible all the time, and it could take a long time to drive for just several miles. To be honest, unless your friend lives within walking distance, you better just hire a dog sitter who does this for a living. Spending two hours in traffic every day to take care of your dog is too much a favor to ask.
2
u/InitfortheMonet Mar 22 '23
It could also be East Bay, RI. The state is shaped like a lopsided upside down V, with each leg being West Bay and East Bay, and Narragansett bay running up the middle. Depending who you ask, the Bays have beef. To travel within your bay is typically less than a thirty minute drive anywhere, but switching bays is 45-60 min, and usually involves bridges, which Rhode Islanders don’t like to do.
2
5
6
u/sabbycat83 Mar 22 '23
These people are crazy!!! I dog sit, and I charge between 50 and 100 and night. I love dogs, but my time is valuable and I’m not dog sitting for free. I even dog sit for close friends—who pay me!!!!
19
u/TheWoodser Mar 21 '23
Maybe you don't need a dog......or travel less.....or take the dog with you.
13
u/DaedricWanderer Mar 21 '23
For a labradoodle I’d want double pay
2
u/Then_Ask_3167 Mar 22 '23
For real, I doggy sit a pair of brothers a couple times a year. Love those fools but they are exhausting!! She pays me very well.
1
8
u/grayyy_cee Mar 21 '23
i’m not going to lie i’d love to hang out with a doodle for a week.
6
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
I'm betting, based on the entitled nature of the owners post, that her dog is not particularly well-trained.
4
u/CapHillster Mar 22 '23
That's a really good point.
The dog who stays with me (for free, and I end up buying treats/indulgences without allowing reimbursement) is an extremely thoughtful and well-behaved guest -- but so are her adult owners.
1
u/Then_Ask_3167 Mar 22 '23
there is rarely much just 'hanging' with a doodle. They have very high maintenance requirements. Entertain them regularly and well or they'll do it themselves, destructively.
3
u/makeupformermaid Mar 21 '23
I know a millionaire that does this. She lives far out too. She always posts that payment will be enjoying her home.
2
u/fleakie Mar 22 '23
Jesus.
1
u/makeupformermaid Mar 22 '23
Oh it gets so much worse but I'm afraid of giving identifiable details🤣
3
u/fleakie Mar 22 '23
Honestly, it sounds like something my aunt would do. People with money are the cheapest and most greedy people on the face of the earth. Maybe I shouldn't generalise (prime exception; Mr beast) but rich people are the fucking worst.😬
3
u/MissusPringle Mar 21 '23
To be fair, if I didn’t have my own hooligans to tend to, I’d do this for free.
3
u/flowercan126 Mar 21 '23
I would take this and steal the dog. I would love it like my own. I wouldn't just petty steal it.
3
u/Dave-Again Mar 22 '23
This is a real thing people do. There used to be a whole website matching people with dogs up with people who want to take care of them for free. My wife and I did it a couple times.
3
u/Hips-Often-Lie Mar 22 '23
What kinda labradoodle is 20 pounds?
7
u/thebeecharmah Mar 22 '23
The mini-terrorist version. The Standard Terrorist version is like 65-80 lbs
1
u/Hips-Often-Lie Mar 22 '23
That can’t be healthy for the poor dog. Are they somehow mixing teacup poodles with labs?
1
u/thebeecharmah Mar 22 '23
Mini poodles and labs.
Agree - adopt, don’t shop!
1
u/Hips-Often-Lie Mar 22 '23
I had shar-peis for years and was horrified to learn they’ve also gone tiny. Horrible and unhealthy.
2
u/Frogs4 Mar 22 '23
A 'minature' one. Smaller than 'standard', bigger than 'toy'. It's what my miniature weighs.
3
u/YesterdayCame Mar 23 '23
I know it’s completely out of touch, but this is actually one of the best offers I’ve ever seen. It’s literally three seasons of free housing in exchange for taking care of someone else’s dog. Rent in the East Bay is almost $2000 a unit.
15
u/meatdiver Mar 21 '23
I wouldn’t mind especially if the owner brings the dog to me.
I cat sit for my neighbors all the time.
Summer is around the corner and I would actually love to have play dates with dogs outside. We have trails that would be perfect for that.
27
u/heidismiles Mar 21 '23
I'd gladly do that for a friend, but not a stranger. It's time and labor and should be paid.
8
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23
I love dogsitting my brother's lab when he and his wife go on vacation because he's a sweet boy and very well behaved. My brother also asks me directly, since you know, we're family and all and he knows I'm familiar with the animal.
If someone I was only casual acquaintances with included me on a mass email blast asking to watch their dog, my first question would be "Who in your life did you already ask, and why did they say no?"
1
u/drmojo90210 Mar 21 '23 edited Mar 21 '23
I love dogsitting my brother's lab when he and his wife go on vacation because he's a sweet boy and very well behaved. My brother also asks me directly, since you know, we're family and all and he knows I'm familiar with the animal.
The fact that this poster couldn't find an actual close friend or family member willing to do this and thus had to resort to email blasting their extended contact list for help is kinda revealing.
If someone I was only casual acquaintances with asked me to watch their dog for a week, my first question would be "Who did you already ask, and why did they say no?"
3
u/beluuuuuuga Mar 21 '23
Yeah, as long as food is provided the I would love to take care of a dog for a family or whatever. Actually did do it once and it was just fantastic.
3
u/ActivateGuacamole Mar 21 '23
there are many people who enjoy animals but don't want to commit to keeping one. for those people, this could be worth it.
It really depends on the person.
4
u/beluuuuuuga Mar 21 '23
Or don't have the space to have one for long periods of time. I don't have a garden or anything and usually work late, so I have no time or space for a dog. One summer holiday though I got to look after a dog and had time to take it for long walks each day!
2
u/practical_junket Mar 22 '23
I’m this person. I cat sit for free because I love cats. I keep them in my home long term. I had one family go to Europe for a month last summer and I’ve kept their cat several times since. They travel for longer than usual amounts of time and I love keeping their sweet baby.
3
u/Slow_Environment_782 Mar 21 '23
Dog sitting is a big responsibility that shouldn’t be asked of anyone except immediate family, for free. What a shitwad.
2
u/yasmin_Alexa Mar 21 '23
As a fellow redditor, I must say this sounds like an interesting proposition. Can you tell us more about your furry companion? What breed is it? Does it have any special needs or quirks? And most importantly, are you offering any compensation for this privilege? We gotta make sure our time and effort is valued, ya know?
2
2
2
u/lodav22 Mar 21 '23
Meh, I’d happily take a dog in for free. My dog loves company and my kids love looking after dogs. If it was for a friend I’d never think of asking for money.
2
u/Eil0nwy Mar 22 '23
If this is a 20 pound labradoodle, it must be a puppy. I can’t imagine that mix comes that small. So the request is for a more needy young dog. Who knows where she is in her potty training, need for exercise, etc.? She probably is very sweet, but will you have to pay for anything she chews up? I hope the requester comes up with a pet sitting trade arrangement with another fond dog owner. Or, if they do find a kindhearted friend willing to do it for free, that they will come up with a lovely thank you gift each time they return.
2
u/dovaqueenx Mar 22 '23
Spring…. Summer….. and FALL!? This motherfucker is taking a sabbatical and expecting others to take care of their responsibilities, for free 😂
1
u/SarahCKT Mar 22 '23
I took it as an extra person if someone else was not available, on a trip, and they take numerous trips- not one big long one.
2
2
2
u/htankers Mar 22 '23
Meanwhile in the UK we have a service called Borrow My Doggy which connects dog owners with people who want to look after dogs (usually people whose want to have their own dog but their current circumstances mean they cannot). The owner supplies food etc but no money changes hands. In my area there are far more people on the borrower list than there are dogs to borrow. Similarly when someone posts on local Facebook asking for an unpaid dog sitter they get a lot of offers. This absolutely would not be seen as a choosy beggar here.
2
u/Frogs4 Mar 22 '23
Makes a change from toddlers, I suppose. Still adorable and fun to take care of, though.
I did recently go on a city break for 4 days and left my doodle with my partner, who said she pined for me the whole time.
1
u/Colliemom4 Mar 21 '23
Hell I am that person - I say hi to the dog before I say hello to the owner when I see them 😜 I am the one at a stupid, boring gathering, over in the corner playing with the dog(s). For context, I have four large 100# (# means pounds kids, not hashtag) dogs and my living room is wall to wall deluxe, pillow top beds and big squishy hot dog bun shape dog beds.
I’d take the little Doodle for free. But, frankly, good luck getting him back if he/she is too adorable LOL. I’m retired, and in the immortal words of the flight attendant at the door of the airplane in that Twilight Zone episode, “Room for one more honey.”
1
1
u/HD-Thoreau-Walden Mar 22 '23
The “ideal person” sure, but that leaves room for negotiation and resume padding.
1
u/xscientist Mar 22 '23
Whenever we drop our dog with a friend, we tally what the cost would have been for boarding, then spend an equivalent amount on taking the friend out to dinner. It’s a little less awkward than handing over a wad of cash to a homie, and we all get to try a new restaurant together.
1
u/thebeecharmah Mar 22 '23
Labradoodles are fucking terrorists cracked out on Four Loko. Change my mind.
1
1
u/likkachi Mar 22 '23
i used to watch my grandmothers dog twice a year for 10 days each time. always told her i didn’t need or want money but she always gave me cash, left the fridge and pantry well stocked, and gave me a grocery card to get anything i might need/want. i’d also have access to her car if needed, and was right down the road from my dad who could take her out if i was busy during the day.
now i watch my parents two dogs when they go away and i still end up paid when i don’t ask. the other option is sending them to the vets boarding because the senior is fragile and the puppy is, well, a puppy. instead i get a couple hundred off rent and they save a couple hundred. pantry is typically stocked too, or mom will offer to pick me up stuff.
but, i can’t even justify having my mom care for my cat if i want to go away for a weekend. he’s high maintenance and goes to the vets boarding facility instead. the idea of asking people to watch my personal animal(s) for free is just so mind boggling to me.
all that was to basically say while i don’t expect payment because these people are family, they still appreciate and appropriately compensate for my time. and in their shoes i’d absolutely do the same, and if i wasn’t willing to for whatever reason, then my cat would go to boarding.
OOP should instead maybe consider talking to a family member and rethinking how they want their pet cared for while on this mystery vacation. (9 months? one week every few? who knows, it’s not clear)
1
u/TheVeganGamerOrgnal Mar 22 '23
I understand how you feel, my cat is so easy maintenance, he only needs fed twice a day and his bowl of biscuits topped up, he's quite skittish and prefers to be left alone, so I pay family to look after him when I'm away, but my sisters' cat is high maintenance, she needs company 24 hrs and food multiple times a day, So I get to look after her as we can't leave her to a vets boarding and the Dog my other sister has is ill trained, doesn't have any control and needs to be caged unless with my sister so nobody looks after her, She goes to boarding where they can handle her
1
1
u/SarahCKT Mar 22 '23
My mom and I would happily do this. We love animals and it's nice to have one that gets to also go home. They didn't mean months at a time. They meant different times during those seasons, not that full time. I'll take an extra pet for a week. It's a joy for us. I love with my family and my mom is like 20 minutes away, we do not live together- to be clear.
1
u/merkk Mar 22 '23
I don't think this qualifies as choosing beggers...a lot of people dog sit for free because they enjoy having a dog around. I'd be surprised if that ad didn't get a few legit responses.
1
u/rocker895 Mar 22 '23
Someone should post one of these where it's Tom Sawyer getting all his friends to paint the fence for him.
1
u/Financial-Ostrich361 Mar 22 '23
We have this kind of thing in New Zealand though. There’s a company that matches people who would like a dog but can’t afford one or whatever, with people who want someone to hang out with their dog when they’re not there.
1
u/1972USAGuy54872 Mar 23 '23
Good deal for someone homeless! Stay in her room for simply taking care of the dog. Not a bad gig if you need a place to stay for that length of time
1
u/Sad-Foundation9682 Mar 27 '23
A family asked me to pet sit while they were on vacation. They didn't offer to pay, but no problem. I have multiple dogs so one more isn't an issue and I don't mind helping a neighbor. What got me though was they just dropped the dog off with no supplies -- no food, food bowl, bed, toys or treats. Luckily, I had extras of everything, but I never did them another favor.
1
u/huisbaasbob88 Apr 07 '23
Because you’re enjoying it so much that you’re fucking off for the most part of the year. Lol.
1
u/weakherofan Apr 12 '23
So i went to college in a rural area, basically just the college and pretty much any employee had students begging to walk their dogs from time to time cause they missed their own pets. But that's as far as the love of dogs gets you. And it didn't cover winter walks in the northern us sub zero weather
0
u/LeadershipAware Mar 21 '23
First of all what the fuck is a labradoodle.
2
u/educationalfrenchie Mar 22 '23
The person who 'invented' them is on the record (New York Times?) saying it was a terrible, terrible mistake.
Surprised you haven't met one, they are everywhere.
1
0
135
u/racoongirl0 Mar 22 '23
Absolutely FUCK people who adopt dogs then go off traveling for months and leave their pets home with strangers taking them out for a walk once a day. Reminds me of my old roommate who got a german shepherd/Aussie/ huskie/ chow chow mix and left him in our 2 bd apartment while she went out with friends EVERY DAY. I spent more time with him than she ever did and the poor baby was so bored, untrained, neglected, and under stimulated that he tore up the apartment and ate the baseboards.