Frustrated Dad Returns His Daughter's Emotional Support Dog Because She Was Using Her Depression As An Excuse For Neglecting Him

He encouraged her to go to therapy first but she said a dog would help her better

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• November 2, 2022

The World Health Organization estimates that one in seven teens suffers from mental health conditions. Although the internet has made it easy for people to share their own struggles with mental health, teenagers still face a lot of stigma for it.

They are also less likely to ask for help either from their peers, parents, or school counselors. Sometimes, it can be up to parents to recognize the symptoms and intervene before their teenage kid resorts to risky behaviors.

A 47-year-old dad posted on Reddit about his 17-year-old daughter's recent bout with depression and anxiety. She had been having a difficult time at school and asked if she can adopt a dog for emotional support.

OP suggested that she should try resuming her therapy once more but she didn't agree to it. She didn't like her last therapist and refused to look for another one.

OP was against adopting a dog because he knows his daughter can overlook her responsibilities. He also made it clear he won't be helping out with the dog since he is typically exhausted from work.

His wife was supportive of their daughter's need for an emotional support dog. She told him it could be what she needed to get her spirits back up.

OP finally agreed but made sure she was getting a low-maintenance dog

The dog immediately bonded with OP's daughter and his wife but didn't warm up to him

Eventually, he started getting out of his leash during walks and destroying items at home. His daughter also neglected taking him out, so OP went home to poop and pee staining their new carpet.

OP warned his daughter twice that if she continues to neglect her dog, he will take him back to the shelter

She broke her promise to do better and OP got tired of coming home to a soiled home. He brought the dog back to the shelter when his daughter was out of the house.

She was upset when she got home and didn't see the dog. She told OP that he brought her severe depression back and they haven't spoken since.

A lot of the comments pointed out that every person in the story failed the dog. They asked OP why he agreed to get the dog in the first place.

OP's wife assured him this is what their daughter needed and his daughter promised to be responsible for the dog she wanted

Would one conversation about responsibility change his daughter's treatment of the dog? We will never know but this commenter said it wouldn't have hurt.

OP replied that his daughter knew the full care and training of the animal would have fallen to her because she knows how long OP's work hours are, plus his wife is also going back to work

Returning the dog was definitely the right move. He wasn't getting the time and attention he deserves hence the destroying of things. If OP's daughter craves interaction with animals, she can try volunteering at the shelter.

However, he essentially blindsided her and took her chance to say goodbye to the dog when he returned it without her knowledge

One thing OP has to focus on is encouraging his daughter to go back to therapy. The dog may have helped her feel better for a while but it wasn't the solution to her depression and anxiety.

She is not completely blameless because she is old enough to know that the dog she claimed was her best friend and emotional support animal depended on her for its every need

It can't have been a nice experience for a dog living in a house where he wasn't cherished

We can't deny that OP handled things the wrong way. He did warn his daughter what would happen if she keeps on neglecting her dog but he shouldn't have returned the dog without telling her.

It did look like no one in their family really discussed what goes into taking care of a dog or even what they should be doing collectively once the dog was at home

Your mental health does not give you a pass to be a bad person. OP's daughter was wrong to say that she neglected to take care of her dog because she was depressed — a dog is a living being and deserves more than half-assed attention.

But this isn't really their biggest problem. OP and his wife have to make sure their daughter gets the help that she needs and maybe when she gets better, the subject of fostering a dog can be brought to the table.

Chelsi