A family dispute over money and priorities has gone viral after a woman admitted she paid for her dog's emergency surgery but refused her brother's request for a loan.
The 39-year-old said she spent $1,200 to treat her pet's dental abscess months after turning down her 26-year-old brother's plea for $700 to repair his truck so he could keep his job. The fallout has left relatives divided, with their father siding against her.
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Loan Request Became Family Tension
The woman explained in a post on Reddit's Am I the A**hole? forum she couldn't spare the money in December, pointing to tight finances during the holidays. She said her brother was upset by the refusal and tension lingered into the new year.
According to her, relatives expressed concern when he lost his job but did not confront her about refusing the loan until months later, after the vet bill became known. The job loss, she wrote, eventually became central to their arguments about her decision.
Emergency Surgery For Beloved Pet
By February, her dog became ill and stopped eating. A visit to an emergency veterinarian revealed a dental abscess that required immediate treatment. The procedure cost $1,200.
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When her brother discovered she had paid for the surgery, he accused her of lying about not having money. She countered that she never claimed she lacked access to funds entirely—only that she could not spare them at the time he asked. "My dog depends on me. I'm all he has," she said in her online post.
Family Takes Sides In Argument
The dispute deepened once relatives learned of the situation. Their father supported the brother, telling his daughter she should apologize. Other family members echoed the criticism, framing her choice as prioritizing a pet over her sibling's livelihood.
She defended her decision, emphasizing the difference between an ongoing financial strain in December and an unavoidable medical emergency in February. Despite her explanation, she said the pressure has left her exhausted.
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Online Reactions Offer Counterpoints
Users on Reddit posted hundreds of responses, with many expressing support. Several said she had no obligation to lend money to her brother. Some argued she was right to preserve her savings, adding that without it her dog might not have survived.
Others focused on responsibility. One commenter wrote, "Your brother is not your dependent, your dog is," stressing that pets cannot cover their own medical needs. Some also asked why relatives who criticized her had not stepped in to help financially in December, pointing out that support should not fall on one person alone.
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Image: Shutterstock
