Redditor Refuses To Walk Friend's Energetic Dog Without A Leash, Gets Called "Animal Abuser"

"She said that if I put a leash on him, that'd be "abuse."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• August 3, 2023

Friendship is a bond that, in most cases, transcends our everyday problems and disagreements. However, it is not uncommon for disputes to arise, especially when the responsibility of a living being, such as a pet, enters the equation.

This is a recounting of an incident in which a good friendship was tested by the responsibilities around pet care. The protagonist, a 26-year-old woman, found herself in a predicament when her 27-year-old friend urgently requested her to walk Jeffy, her energetic 1.5-year-old golden retriever.

Being familiar with Jeffy and having visited her friend's place regularly, she initially agreed to the request. The situation, however, took a turn when she discovered that the walk would involve navigating a busy street and park without the safety of a leash.

Jeffy, despite being well-behaved and trained to follow commands, was used to walking without a leash. This situation posed a dilemma for our protagonist, who, though not inexperienced with dogs, felt uncomfortable with the idea of managing Jeffy's excitement and potential unpredictability without the security of a leash.

She feared losing control, with the dog potentially getting scared or overexcited, running off, and getting lost in the bustling neighborhood. Despite her attempts to explain her concerns, her friend insisted that walking Jeffy with a leash would be tantamount to abuse, a claim our protagonist strongly disagreed with.

This belief that a leash restricts a dog's freedom and exploration, while not uncommon among some dog owners, fails to consider that not all people handling the dog might be comfortable or experienced enough to manage the dog without this tool, especially in potentially high-distraction environments.

Read the full story below:

OP asks:

OP found herself in a predicament when her 27-year-old friend urgently requested her to walk Jeffy, her energetic 1.5-year-old golden retriever.

Jeffy, despite being well-behaved and trained to follow commands, was used to walking without a leash.

She feared losing control, with the dog potentially getting scared or overexcited, running off, and getting lost in the bustling neighborhood.

Despite her attempts to explain her concerns, her friend insisted that walking Jeffy with a leash would be tantamount to abuse, a claim our protagonist strongly disagreed with.

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a-hole:

Walking an unleashed dog by the road is risky, no matter if it is trained or not

"This friend only cares about what you can do for them, not about you."

OP responded:

Is the dog trained to obey OP?

Unleashed dog + busy street = disaster waiting to happen

Here, you person without any knowledge of dogs, you must walk my dog without a leash

It's clear that our OP here did the right thing. Sure, she was asked to help out a friend, but that help came with a catch - walking an energetic dog on a busy street without a leash.

That's a risky move, even if Jeffy is usually well-behaved. She doesn't know him as well as his owner does, and it's completely fair for her to worry about what could happen if something out of the ordinary pops up.

Her friend's claim that a leash equals 'abuse' doesn't make sense. Leashes are there for a reason - to keep the dog and everyone else safe.

Yes, Jeffy might be trained and good-natured, but that doesn't mean everyone else will be comfortable or capable of managing him without a leash.

Damjan