Not everyone is a dog person, and not everyone is a child person. And that is totally fine! We don’t all want to be taking trips outside every time our dog needs to do its business or dedicating time to changing diapers every few hours. But the important thing is that we respect other people who do want those things. If someone becomes a parent, that’s an incredibly exciting time for them, and all they need is support from their loved ones. And if someone gets a dog, well, that’s an incredibly exciting time too, but they don’t necessarily need to bring it everywhere they go.

But apparently, not everyone understands that a fur baby is not equivalent to an actual baby. One father recently posted on the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit wondering if he was wrong for skipping his sister’s New Year’s celebration because his son was not allowed to attend. Below, you’ll find the full story, as well as some of the responses from invested readers, so you can decide for yourself whether or not he should have made it to the party. Let us know your thoughts on this situation in the comments, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring drama surrounding childfree events, we recommend reading this story next! 

After finding out that it would be a childfree celebration, this father decided to skip his sister’s New Year’s party

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

Now, she’s upset with him for not attending and for refusing to treat her dog like a human being

Image credits: Chewy (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Competitive_Pick5918

I am a textbook dog person. I squeal every time I see a cute one walking down the street, and I can often be found admiring photos of my family’s dog on my phone in my free time. I have no desire to have children and don’t feel much when I see a baby, but I am overwhelmed with an intense sense of longing when I see a cute dog. Diagnosable puppy fever, if you will. However, I am still well aware of the fact that a dog is not a human. A dog can be left at home alone for a few hours and does not need to be constantly tended to. A dog is not related to my family members, so I would never expect them to treat her like one of us. In my home, she is a member of the family, but I cannot require that everyone else treat her the same way. Dogs can take up a huge space in their owners’ hearts, but they are obligated to occupy the same space in everyone else’s.

Sarah Savage wrote an article for Auburn-Opelika Moms discussing this exact topic and noting that no matter how wonderful man’s best friend may be, it is not fair to equate them to babies. “You get a dog from friends, a rescue, a breeder, or maybe your college age child who gets a puppy and then realizes they can’t keep a labradoodle in a dorm room and begs you to just ‘watch him’ for a while. I grew my children in my actual body and carried them for nine months,” she explains. 

“I felt them move around in my womb. I had nausea, Braxton Hicks, heartburn, and when I waddled around trying to get some exercise, it felt like I’d been karate kicked directly in the crotch for several hours after,” Sarah writes. “I was super emotional about everything, ate ice cream like it was my whole job, and once sat in a tailgate chair in the garage watching Netflix on my laptop for an hour because I couldn’t stand the smell of dinner. I labored for 15 hours with one, 13 with the other and pushed them out of me with the help of lots of drugs one time and entirely naturally the next. I attached a breast pump—which is really just a benignly named torture device—to my chest every 3 hours around the clock for 5 months to feed my daughter and currently nurse my son whenever and wherever he wants it.”

Of course, not every parent is actually involved in the birth of their child; dads don’t have that option, and plenty of parents adopt or use surrogates nowadays. But the point is that it is a much more intense experience to have, or receive, a child. Unfortunately, however, it’s not always easy to convince our family members to love our children as much as we want them to. Most people are thrilled to become an aunt, uncle or grandparent, but sometimes jealousy and other personal issues just get in the way. 

Jealousy is always common between siblings, regardless of their ages, and it seems like in this situation, the woman just wants to receive the same treatment as her brother. His child gets attention, so why shouldn’t hers? The only issue is that by demanding attention, and equal treatment for her dog, she’s being extremely selfish. A dog is a companion, a financial commitment, and a time commitment, but it just can’t be viewed in the same light as a human child. We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments, pandas, and then if you’re interested in reading another article featuring drama surrounding childfree family occasions, look no further than right here!  

Most of the readers agreed that the father did nothing wrong by deciding to skip the party

However, a few people noted that both siblings could have been more mature

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