Man Tells Roommate to Move Out Because of His Emotional Support Dog
A 26-year-old man in dilemma has ignited a heated online debate after sharing his experience about telling his roommate to move out because of his emotional support dog.
The anonymous man took to Reddit’s “Am I The A**hole? (AITA)” to seek advice revealing that his once-harmonious living situation took a turn for the worse when his 27-year-old roommate, whom he referred to as “Jake” in the post, acquired a small terrier mix as an emotional support after struggling with anxiety for a while.
“We’ve always gotten along well, and he’s been a decent roommate until recently. Jake has struggled with anxiety for a while, and earlier this year, he got an emotional support dog, a small terrier mix,” the anonymous man shares.
He explains that despite not being a “dog person,” he initially welcomed the idea of his roommate, Jake, getting an emotional support dog because he wanted to be supportive.
However, the dog’s behavior quickly became a source of significant stress. “The issue is that this dog has turned my life upside down,” the poster acknowledges. “It barks constantly when Jake isn’t home, chews on furniture, and has accidents all over the place.”
He went on to reveal that despite multiple attempts to address the issue with Jake, the dog’s behavior has persisted. “He’s always apologetic, but nothing really changes,” the man explains.
Furthermore, he suggested hiring a dog trainer or walker, but Jake cited financial constraints as a barrier.
The 26-year old poster who reveals he work long hours and really value his peace and quiet when he is off, shares that the situation grew increasingly tense that he began to dread coming home after a long day at work.
“It’s gotten to the point where I dread coming home because I know I’ll be dealing with the dog’s mess and noise. I work long hours and really value my peace and quiet when I’m off, but that’s impossible now,” he explains.
Unable to tolerate the situation any longer, the poster presented Jake with a stark choice: either the dog had to go, or Jake would be forced to find a new place to live.
However, Jake’s reaction to the ultimatum was strong. Their relationship grew ‘super tense’ with Jake accusing the man of being heartless and punishing him for needing support.
The situation even further escalated, with some of their mutual friends taking Jake’s sides and saying the man should be more understanding since it’s a mental health issue.
The confused man who now says he “feel like I’m sacrificing my own well-being here,” turned to the AITA community to ask, “Am I the A**hole?” but the community largely sided with him.
Many users emphasized the importance of responsible pet ownership, regardless of emotional support needs. They argued that the roommate should prioritize training and behavioral management for the dog, rather than relying on excuses.
“Nope. Dog ownership, regardless of emotional support needs, requires training and behavioral management. Period. If he can’t provide those, he shouldn’t have a dog” one user shared.
Another echoed in support writing ” He’s an irresponsible owner. He needs to train the dog and provide it with appropriate enrichment. His budget has nothing to do with whether or not he can train the dog, he’s just using that as an excuse for his inability/unwillingness to take initiative and responsibility for the living creature that relies on him. Untrained dogs can be dangerous as well, and if it’s an emotional support animal it needs to be properly trained to assist him.”
Some users even suggested that the breed of the dog, a terrier mix, might not be the best choice for someone struggling with anxiety, as terriers are known for their high energy levels and can be challenging to train.
‘NTA. He needs a trained dog, and definitely not a terrier..they’re great dogs, but they’re often like the Energizer bunny on crack. If he can’t handle getting the dog training, or staying with and training it himself for a while, or getting a calm breed, maybe he should take the dog food money and get some medication for his issues instead,” one user wrote.
“Terriers do bark. They’re high energy and very sensitive if you don’t train them properly, it’s a nightmare,” another added.
