'He said 'the dog is half dead anyway' and took the cash I'd saved.' UPDATED
"He said 'the dog is half dead anyway' and took the cash I'd saved."
*Trigger Warning: Loss of a pet
I know the title is a little odd but it was the best way I could summarize what he's done. I have an 11-year old senior German Shepard. He was hit by a car in 2018 and we went through a very difficult recovery process.
He had seizures, urine issues, constant fear of anything going fast near him like I couldn't throw a ball anymore. We had another puppy but our senior was so stressed we had to rehome her. You would have sworn he was displaying abused behavior but he was just scared.
He's moved past all of that and I'm so proud of him. The vet prescribed zoniamide for his seizures and so far he's been recovering well. We were discussing ways to improve his "mobility".
Its like a walking cane, but for dogs, and it has sensory objects on the end to prevent him from bumping into furniture. We tested it in the office and his mood improved instantly but at that time I couldn't afford more treatment for him so I opted to come back.
I met D earlier this year while walking him. He's known since day 1 that my dog requires special treatment and I would absolutely provide it. Everything went well and he wasn't controlling or abusive.
Everything just "clicked" but its my fault because I was too comfortable. We were talking about finances and I told him about my debt and the money I was saving up for my dog. After paying off the debt from his previous treatments I didn't want to open another card so I started saving cash in a little fireproof chest.
He stole it. Yesterday, I went to his place I noticed he has a new setup. I was asking him where he got the money from and we fought and he said, "he's half dead anyway, you need to let go".
He's not even close to dying. He's a little older but he's nowhere near dying age. We go to the veterinarian regularly and everything checks out as well as it can be given his circumstances. No one has ever mentioned death, we've only been looking at the future and improvements.
I'm so upset, what do I do? We're both students I don't want to call the police and ruin his future but that was for my baby to get what he needed so he can walk around my home comfortably.
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
Uhh, what? He stole your money, you should be filing a police report.
You deserve that money, he needs to pay it back. Dump him and call the cops.
It's not only that she deserves it, it is HER money. He stole it. I'd absolutely call the cops. I'm with her, if I hadn't lost my Drogo to cancer, I would have done anything to help him, and keep him with me. Different situation, but I completely understand where she's coming from. He's a POS.
That's why I hate the sentence "I don't want to ruin his future". Those people won't just stop because "some woman" told them to stop or because they hurt someone. He stole money, he got a new computer, and if he doesn't get the police telling him he's busted, he'll calculate carefully that all things will be fine again in a few months when "she's over it".
You cannot ruin the future of someone who stole, they ruined it themselves. By stealing. But the thief ruined your future by being a-okay with you losing your pet earlier or getting into debt.
On first reading I was thinking ok, maybe you were living together & he was resentful that you were hiding money from him, but he's literally come into YOUR house, stolen YOUR money & gone & bought HIMSELF a new computer?? He doesn't give a flying hoot about anyone except himself, throw him away & call the police.
You need to get out of the relationship immediately and call the cops right now. That guy STOLE money from you. That guy doesn't care about your feelings or your dog at all. He stole money he knew you needed to treat your baby.
He has no empathy and no morality. That could get super dangerous for you in the future if you stay with him. I get that you don't want to destroy his future but he obviously didn't care about your or your dogs future. He destroyed it himself. So please call the cops and get help. This is about your money, your dog and your safety.
Over six months later, the OP returned with an update.
My dog died today. I think it was a seizure or an episode, I don’t know he was fine until now. He wasn’t stressed, and he wasn’t in pain okay? I remembered this thread and everyone who helped me.
I wanted to come back and say thank you for both of us. The vet got the donations and I got a loan for the rest. We really tried but he didn’t want to stay anymore. There’s an active case for the theft.
That’s all I can say on that. He’s my ex now.
We don’t talk anymore. I don’t have my dog anymore. Thanks for listening.
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
I’m so sorry for what you’re experiencing right now. Your pup is now free from all earthly sufferings and back to chasing his ball with complete liberty. I think losing pets is one of the harshest factors of the human condition, and I am truly feeling your pain right now.
I remember reading your first post and I'm happy your pup made it this far, and was able to see you prioritize him in his last year over that AH. Your baby loves you so much and I’m certain he’ll be watching over his beloved protector.<3
Imagine stealing money intended for an injured dog? I would have taken out ads in the school newspaper so everyone knew what he did.
Regardless of if the dog is going to live a long life or not you don't just steal money from your partner. Good on her for dumping the trash. And not a surprising update, but still sad. Poor doggo.
Theft is theft. Whether that money was for a dog or a car or just her emergency fund doesn't matter. She was more worried about ruining his future pressing charges than he was about stealing from her & risking his own future. If they were together 2 months or 2 years doesn't matter. If their finances are separate, that's her money.
He ruined his OWN future by stealing and flaunting it. I wish that line of thinking would disappear. You don’t ruin someone’s life by letting them have the consequences of their own actions. They did that all by themselves.
The "I don't want to ruin his life" coupled with "I'm too old to cry" and the total lack of any mention of family or other friends makes me worry for what the OP has gone through in her life up to this point. Her dog and this thread might have been the most support in a hard life she's had; I'm grateful that both could help her.