My parents were willing to let a dog die and caused me 200k in debt
Oh boy. This is going to be a long one. But I just need to air this out.
In 2023, my parents bought a Siberian Husky. Kailangan daw nila ng bantay sa bahay, because I moved out and took our German Shepherd with me. I gently reminded them that Huskies are not guard dogs and they are high maintenance. They need a lot of exercise, they need to be indoors, and they need lots of attention. My partner seconded this, he told them how his family gave up their Husky, pina-adopt nila sa family friend kasi wala pang bakod yung lote nila that time, and they believed the dog deserved much more space than indoors lang.
Oo lang nang oo yung parents ko. Sila yung kinakausap ko about the dog na nasa bahay because one, sila bumili ng aso, two, my siblings are in school and their college requirements keep them from having a regular schedule, and three, hindi kaya ng 80 y.o. grandparents namin mag-handle ng high-energy breed. So, its really up to my parents.
I helped train the dog naman with the basic sit, stay, and paw commands. I also gave them a sack of dog food and reminded them na eto lang ang appropriate na kakainin ng Husky, because they can't digest rice. Wala namang kanin sa Siberia.
After a few months, I noticed that the Husky was always hyperactive when I visit. Given naman na puppy, but iba talaga yung kulit. Napansin ko na rin na he's always chained outside sa shed. My parent said na nag-zozoomies daw kasi indoors and baka masagi and madapa yung grandparents ko. I understood the hazard, but I asked them if they let him run sa garden, because we have a big enough space naman. Ayaw raw nila pakawalan kasi kinakagat yung mga bonsai.
I reminded them that he was a puppy, and puppies need to be trained, and you really have to wait until two to three years before they actually behave. Oo lang sila nanaman.
I also noticed that the Husky's poo is always sticky and wet. Yun pala, they were feeding him rice. And what else? Adobong ulo ng manok.
Nainis na ako at that point. I told them that the reason why I took two of the senior dogs with me, including the German Shepherd, was because they kept feeding them adobo and other table food. I also reminded them that naka-hepatic and renal diet na yung two other dogs, which costs 500-600 per kilo, because of that.
This went back and forth until 2024. Whenever I visit, I just try to make it a point to play with and pakawalan yung Husky because he's really a sweet boy. Then they end up being amazed at how the dog ends up following my every command and being cuddly with me after play time. They also always tell me na maputik and madudumihan ako. Hello, kasi ginawa niyong outside dog yung Husky? Nakatali pa. Of course madudumihan siya, he's literally standing on his own pee and poo.
I went abroad last December for a short while. Before I left, I noticed a bunch of fleas on the dog's head. I reminded them to buy him Nexguard. When I got back from my trip, I noticed that the Husky was not as energetic as he was. Two days na palang hindi kumakain, and hindi pa rin nila binibigyan ng anti-flea. I was gone for almost two weeks! They didn't even address it. Ano raw ba bibilhin. Nexguard nga. Nexguard! It's not the first time I told them to give him one. And it's not their first dog.
Two more days pass and apparently, hindi pa rin pala kumakain. And hindi pa nila dinadala sa vet!! My sibling just called me one morning to tell me that my parents were asking me and my partner to take the dog to the vet, because they needed to get groceries for Christmas daw.
When my partner and I arrived, I was a crying mess. The dog was lying on his own pee and poo, and his tongue was already lolling out. My grandparents were frantic, and akala ng mga kapitbahay kung ano na nangyari. I was screaming at my partner to get the car as I wrapped the dog in a blanket. May mga nahuhulog pang garapata sa lupa as I was carrying him.
Thankfully, there was a nearby pet ER. I've never seen my partner speed up through Christmas traffic my entire life. I was already crying in the backseat and talking to the dog. I promised him we'd take him away, that we'd adopt him and he'll have new siblings. I promised him daily morning runs, and camping trips, as long as he held on. I promised him his first car ride, na hindi na siya kakain ng adobo ever, and that even if I told myself I wouldn't get another dog because may seniors na ako, I would make a very very special exception for him, mabuhay lang siya.
Within fifteen minutes, we were at the pet hospital and nilagyan agad nila ng swero yung dog. The vet at the ER told us he was already in cardiac arrest, that he had blood parasitism, and that he had leptospirosis. Parang gumuho yung mundo ko. I asked what we could do to save him. The vet explained that he needed a blood transfusion. He was 18 kilos at the time, so he needed 1.8 liters of blood. How much? 65,000 pesos. His total initial bill was 90k.
I went outside and cried some more. If only nakinig sila, it wouldn't have come to this. But we couldn't let a dog die, not especially while he was only a year old. Andami niya pang hindi nagagawa, he hasn't even seen the outside of our house for a walk. He didn't even get a chance to play with toys, or sleep on a comfortable bed. So we gave the vet the go signal for the blood transfusion..I thought of the two senior dogs I took from them to save, hindi pa ba enough yun for them to realize how badly they treated dogs before?
Best believe I went off sa groupchat namin. I told them how they never listen, and how other people and animals suffer because of their stubborness. Their reply? "Aso lang yan. Wala kang karapatan sabihin sa amin ang dapat at hindi namin gagawin."
That broke my heart. It was Christmas and my parents broke my heart. We've had our differences in the past, pero hindi ko inakala na mawawalan ako ng amor sa kanila.
Because of the cost, I decided I was going to need financial help. I submitted a post in a dog lover FB group but for some reasons, it was declined. And as much as my parents were assholes, hindi muna ako nagpost to ask for donations because it was Christmas and I didn't want people to ask questions. I was also emotionally and physically exhausted and couldn't handle all the interactions.
The vet told us that leptospirosis was difficult to recover from but they were going to do their best. I went to the hospital every day to visit the Husky. It was only after five days that he was able to lift his head and look at me, but that was all I needed to give me hope.
I started applying for side hustles. I cooked food to sell for New Year's. The Husky was slowly regaining his strength, he began standing up. He couldn't use his hind legs yet, but he was able to stand long enough para mangulit each time I visited. He had his usual personality back. He was also loud. If you're familiar with Huskies, nagsasalita sila. He'd respond whenever I talk to him. As much as he was determined to get better, I was too.
Chinika ng vet attendants that my dad visited daw, and they found out that he owned the dog. They gave me a sad smile. I initially told them that it was a relative's dog who was badly taken care of. Parang mas nalungkot sila upon knowing that it was my parents pala.
In case anyone is wondering at this point, sinipot ko naman family ko nung Christmas, but mostly for my siblings and grandparents. I left after 30 minutes, and my siblings tagged along with me and we ended the 25th together. For New Year's, I chose to just cook and spend it with my dogs.
On the second week of the Husky's confinement, I asked for the current running bill. The litol Husky has been there for exacly fourteen days. The running bill was about 160k, hindi pa kasama yung 90k that we paid upon checking in sa ER. So all in all, about 250k. I realized that I really needed the help, so I edited my initial post and scheduled the posting for the next day.
I woke up that day with my usual routine with the dogs. When I checked my phone, the pet hospital was already sending me their condolences.
If you ask me, in all honesty, I don't regret trying to save the dog. He was a living, breathing creature, and I think we did our best naman to give him a decent chance at a second life. I was already willing to break my "two dogs only" rule for him, kasi nakita ko na how much he's suffered in such a short amount of time and I was ready to give him a better home.
What I'm feeling right now is rage. 'Yung 250k na yan, I've paid for more than that, but also because of my parents' carelessness, inability to listen, and admit they're wrong. It's not the first, nor the second time they've had a dog. We've had dogs at home since I was born. Kaya hindi ko ma-reconcile yung thought kung bakit "aso lang" sa kanila yun. The reason why our dogs survived was because my grandparents took good care of them, but they're old now. Parang afterthought nalang sa kanila yung buhay ng aso.
But also, this could've all been prevented if they listened from the start and took good care of the dog. Wala eh. Anak lang naman ako.
Hindi ito yung unang beses na nag-rant ako at sumama yung loob ko about a dog, but holy shit, my own parents. That wasn't on my bingo card.
Iyak nalang malala.
P.S. Hope you're happier and more comfortable up there, yah big goofy boi.
Oh boy. This is going to be a long one. But I just need to air this out.
In 2023, my parents bought a Siberian Husky. Kailangan daw nila ng bantay sa bahay, because I moved out and took our German Shepherd with me. I gently reminded them that Huskies are not guard dogs and they are high maintenance. They need a lot of exercise, they need to be indoors, and they need lots of attention. My partner seconded this, he told them how his family gave up their Husky, pina-adopt nila sa family friend kasi wala pang bakod yung lote nila that time, and they believed the dog deserved much more space than indoors lang.
Oo lang nang oo yung parents ko. Sila yung kinakausap ko about the dog na nasa bahay because one, sila bumili ng aso, two, my siblings are in school and their college requirements keep them from having a regular schedule, and three, hindi kaya ng 80 y.o. grandparents namin mag-handle ng high-energy breed. So, its really up to my parents.
I helped train the dog naman with the basic sit, stay, and paw commands. I also gave them a sack of dog food and reminded them na eto lang ang appropriate na kakainin ng Husky, because they can't digest rice. Wala namang kanin sa Siberia.
After a few months, I noticed that the Husky was always hyperactive when I visit. Given naman na puppy, but iba talaga yung kulit. Napansin ko na rin na he's always chained outside sa shed. My parent said na nag-zozoomies daw kasi indoors and baka masagi and madapa yung grandparents ko. I understood the hazard, but I asked them if they let him run sa garden, because we have a big enough space naman. Ayaw raw nila pakawalan kasi kinakagat yung mga bonsai.
I reminded them that he was a puppy, and puppies need to be trained, and you really have to wait until two to three years before they actually behave. Oo lang sila nanaman.
I also noticed that the Husky's poo is always sticky and wet. Yun pala, they were feeding him rice. And what else? Adobong ulo ng manok.
Nainis na ako at that point. I told them that the reason why I took two of the senior dogs with me, including the German Shepherd, was because they kept feeding them adobo and other table food. I also reminded them that naka-hepatic and renal diet na yung two other dogs, which costs 500-600 per kilo, because of that.
This went back and forth until 2024. Whenever I visit, I just try to make it a point to play with and pakawalan yung Husky because he's really a sweet boy. Then they end up being amazed at how the dog ends up following my every command and being cuddly with me after play time. They also always tell me na maputik and madudumihan ako. Hello, kasi ginawa niyong outside dog yung Husky? Nakatali pa. Of course madudumihan siya, he's literally standing on his own pee and poo.
I went abroad last December for a short while. Before I left, I noticed a bunch of fleas on the dog's head. I reminded them to buy him Nexguard. When I got back from my trip, I noticed that the Husky was not as energetic as he was. Two days na palang hindi kumakain, and hindi pa rin nila binibigyan ng anti-flea. I was gone for almost two weeks! They didn't even address it. Ano raw ba bibilhin. Nexguard nga. Nexguard! It's not the first time I told them to give him one. And it's not their first dog.
Two more days pass and apparently, hindi pa rin pala kumakain. And hindi pa nila dinadala sa vet!! My sibling just called me one morning to tell me that my parents were asking me and my partner to take the dog to the vet, because they needed to get groceries for Christmas daw.
When my partner and I arrived, I was a crying mess. The dog was lying on his own pee and poo, and his tongue was already lolling out. My grandparents were frantic, and akala ng mga kapitbahay kung ano na nangyari. I was screaming at my partner to get the car as I wrapped the dog in a blanket. May mga nahuhulog pang garapata sa lupa as I was carrying him.
Thankfully, there was a nearby pet ER. I've never seen my partner speed up through Christmas traffic my entire life. I was already crying in the backseat and talking to the dog. I promised him we'd take him away, that we'd adopt him and he'll have new siblings. I promised him daily morning runs, and camping trips, as long as he held on. I promised him his first car ride, na hindi na siya kakain ng adobo ever, and that even if I told myself I wouldn't get another dog because may seniors na ako, I would make a very very special exception for him, mabuhay lang siya.
Within fifteen minutes, we were at the pet hospital and nilagyan agad nila ng swero yung dog. The vet at the ER told us he was already in cardiac arrest, that he had blood parasitism, and that he had leptospirosis. Parang gumuho yung mundo ko. I asked what we could do to save him. The vet explained that he needed a blood transfusion. He was 18 kilos at the time, so he needed 1.8 liters of blood. How much? 65,000 pesos. His total initial bill was 90k.
I went outside and cried some more. If only nakinig sila, it wouldn't have come to this. But we couldn't let a dog die, not especially while he was only a year old. Andami niya pang hindi nagagawa, he hasn't even seen the outside of our house for a walk. He didn't even get a chance to play with toys, or sleep on a comfortable bed. So we gave the vet the go signal for the blood transfusion..I thought of the two senior dogs I took from them to save, hindi pa ba enough yun for them to realize how badly they treated dogs before?
Best believe I went off sa groupchat namin. I told them how they never listen, and how other people and animals suffer because of their stubborness. Their reply? "Aso lang yan. Wala kang karapatan sabihin sa amin ang dapat at hindi namin gagawin."
That broke my heart. It was Christmas and my parents broke my heart. We've had our differences in the past, pero hindi ko inakala na mawawalan ako ng amor sa kanila.
Because of the cost, I decided I was going to need financial help. I submitted a post in a dog lover FB group but for some reasons, it was declined. And as much as my parents were assholes, hindi muna ako nagpost to ask for donations because it was Christmas and I didn't want people to ask questions. I was also emotionally and physically exhausted and couldn't handle all the interactions.
The vet told us that leptospirosis was difficult to recover from but they were going to do their best. I went to the hospital every day to visit the Husky. It was only after five days that he was able to lift his head and look at me, but that was all I needed to give me hope.
I started applying for side hustles. I cooked food to sell for New Year's. The Husky was slowly regaining his strength, he began standing up. He couldn't use his hind legs yet, but he was able to stand long enough para mangulit each time I visited. He had his usual personality back. He was also loud. If you're familiar with Huskies, nagsasalita sila. He'd respond whenever I talk to him. As much as he was determined to get better, I was too.
Chinika ng vet attendants that my dad visited daw, and they found out that he owned the dog. They gave me a sad smile. I initially told them that it was a relative's dog who was badly taken care of. Parang mas nalungkot sila upon knowing that it was my parents pala.
In case anyone is wondering at this point, sinipot ko naman family ko nung Christmas, but mostly for my siblings and grandparents. I left after 30 minutes, and my siblings tagged along with me and we ended the 25th together. For New Year's, I chose to just cook and spend it with my dogs.
On the second week of the Husky's confinement, I asked for the current running bill. The litol Husky has been there for exacly fourteen days. The running bill was about 160k, hindi pa kasama yung 90k that we paid upon checking in sa ER. So all in all, about 250k. I realized that I really needed the help, so I edited my initial post and scheduled the posting for the next day.
I woke up that day with my usual routine with the dogs. When I checked my phone, the pet hospital was already sending me their condolences.
If you ask me, in all honesty, I don't regret trying to save the dog. He was a living, breathing creature, and I think we did our best naman to give him a decent chance at a second life. I was already willing to break my "two dogs only" rule for him, kasi nakita ko na how much he's suffered in such a short amount of time and I was ready to give him a better home.
What I'm feeling right now is rage. 'Yung 250k na yan, I've paid for more than that, but also because of my parents' carelessness, inability to listen, and admit they're wrong. It's not the first, nor the second time they've had a dog. We've had dogs at home since I was born. Kaya hindi ko ma-reconcile yung thought kung bakit "aso lang" sa kanila yun. The reason why our dogs survived was because my grandparents took good care of them, but they're old now. Parang afterthought nalang sa kanila yung buhay ng aso.
But also, this could've all been prevented if they listened from the start and took good care of the dog. Wala eh. Anak lang naman ako.
Hindi ito yung unang beses na nag-rant ako at sumama yung loob ko about a dog, but holy shit, my own parents. That wasn't on my bingo card.
Iyak nalang malala.
P.S. Hope you're happier and more comfortable up there, yah big goofy boi.