'AITA for refusing to let my neighbor’s kid sell 'tickets' to watch my dog in my own backyard?'
"AITA for refusing to let my neighbor’s kid sell 'tickets' to watch my dog in my own backyard?"
I (29F) have a 3-year-old golden retriever, Maple, who loves being outside. My backyard is fully fenced but visible from one side because my neighbor “Tess” (36F) has a low chain-link fence.
Two weeks ago, Tess’s 8-year-old daughter started dragging a chair to the fence and talking to Maple every afternoon. No problem, Maple loves attention. I even said hi once or twice.
Then last week, I noticed a group of kids lined up along the fence holding coins. Tess’s kid had a cardboard sign saying:
“DOG SHOW, 10 pesos to pet Maple.”
I walked outside like, “Uh… what’s going on?” The kids scattered. Tess came out and said it was “just harmless entrepreneurship” and that Maple “loves the attention anyway.”
I told her I wasn’t comfortable with random neighborhood kids reaching into my yard or sticking their hands through a fence. Maple is gentle, but any dog can nip if startled, and I don’t want liability on my hands.
She rolled her eyes and said I was “crushing a child’s initiative.”
The next day, I installed privacy panels along that fence. Nothing extreme, just those wooden slats you weave through chain link.
Tess LOST IT. She said I was “punishing her family,” that her daughter was “heartbroken,” and that I was “turning the neighborhood into a hostile place.” I told her she should’ve asked before letting her kid run a business using my dog. She said I was being dramatic and slammed her door.
My friends are split, half say it’s my yard, my dog, my rules. The other half say I could’ve handled it with a conversation instead of putting up a barrier immediately. AITA?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
NTA. Technically, you did have a conversation before you put up the barrier. Based on the information you provided, it sounds as if Tess was dismissive of your feelings and concerns. It sounds like she wasn’t going to stop letting her kids or the neighbors children play with your dog or try to pet her through the fence.
She had an opportunity to say “I understand. You’re right to be concerned. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Instead, she berated you and dismissed you as the pet and property owner.
You did not owe her anything, much less a second conversation when you already had one. You were right to react in a manner that protects your dog and you as a pet and property owner.
All it would take is one time for Maple to bite someone’s kid and you would be facing all kinds of legal problems, medical bills, etc. Plus, Maple deserves to be safe and protected from unknown people/kids who may not treat her nicely.
You handled it just as you should have. You’re not creating neighborhood hostility. You’re creating a safe backyard for Maple and protecting the neighborhood from potential issues.
NTA. Your neighbor wasn’t supervising, wasn’t asking permission, AND was literally monetizing your dog without your knowledge. Liability aside, that’s wild behavior. You didn’t yell, threaten, or do anything disproportionate, you simply removed access. Tess is mad because she got caught running a business off your property.
NTA- they would sue in the blink of an eye if Maple nipped or bit a child’s hand for pulling ears or something.
The combination of a dog named Maple and the currency being pesos is throwing me for a loop. I generally think reddit is too harsh calling everything AI slop but even Im thinking that here.
You had a conversation, she wasn’t receptive to your boundaries, the natural consequence is losing access to the dog. She’s not in the place to be acting entitled to your dog, especially because it has to do with child safety.
NTA my dog LOVES hugs and kisses and pets however he is bitey when he gets anxious. I would never let random kids play with him if I wasn’t right there And with him on a leash.
NTA - If the 8 YO wants to pet - and you're okay with that, fine. But without asking, she started her entrepreneurship with your dog without your permission. If she were going to be a good entrepreneur, she should have reached out to you, gotten permission, and then started her business. Now she has to face the penalty.
NTA, there’s a lot of liability in allowing people to pet your dog, especially children that are not supervised by an adult. And not just for you, potentially for Tess. I would also be concerned that the children may feed the dog something that could make your pup ill or even kill them without intending to do so.
If the chain-link faints belongs to your neighbor, she may be within her rights to remove the privacy slats, so you may need to be prepared to put up a privacy fence. You should probably consider putting up a security camera to monitor that area, for the safety of your dog.
NTA. Totally within your rights to maintain privacy and mitigate liability. Should Maple have bit anyone, it would still be you on the line, not the neighbor’s. You did well, and I am sorry your neighbor is acting a bit infantile and unable to see your perspective. Maybe they can get their OWN dog and the daughter can continue on with her little side business.