AITA for refusing to let my sisters dogs out and telling her that she needs to rehome one of them?
I (25F) live with my husband (23M), my dad (51M), my older sister “Jill” (29F), and her husband “John” (29M). We split rent because it’s affordable and usually works fine.
The problem is the dogs.
My husband and I have 3 dogs. My dad has 3 dogs. Jill and John have 5 dogs. Most of the dogs get along, but one of theirs and one of my dad’s have to be kept separated because they fight on sight.
The biggest issue is Jill’s dog, Peanut.
Peanut was abandoned near our house as a puppy along with her brother. We took them in, but both puppies got parvo and only Peanut survived. Jill became extremely attached to her, which I completely understand.
After Peanut turned about a year old, she started showing aggression. First she attacked another dog we were trying to rehome. Then she began attacking other dogs in our house, including two of Jill and John’s own dogs.
These fights have become extremely dangerous. Several people in the house have been injured trying to break them up:
Jill had to get 5 staples in her head.
John has been bitten multiple times.
I have been bitten and injured.
During one fight, I was thrown into a counter and hit my stomach during my first trimester, which led to an emergency ultrasound to make sure my baby was okay.
Thankfully my baby was fine, but it was one of the scariest moments of my life.
Peanut has also:
Bit my ex-boyfriend in the past
Lunged at my other sister
Stalked my other sister’s two young children
We later found out Peanut is a coydog (half coyote, half domestic dog), which may explain some of her increasingly unpredictable behavior.
My husband and I are expecting our first baby in October, and we do not feel safe having this dog around our child.
Jill insists Peanut is “just anxious” and a “good girl,” but refuses to acknowledge how dangerous the situation has become. John says the dogs stress him out too much, so he avoids dealing with them and expects me and my husband to basically figure things out on our own.
Three of their dogs stay in their bedroom while they are at work, and they expect us to let them outside during the day. However, Peanut has started growling, baring her teeth, and snapping at us when we try to enter the room. The last time I attempted it, she tried to bite me.
Because of this, my husband and I have stopped letting their dogs out. We do not feel safe.
Recently, John got angry because one of the dogs pooped in their room while they were at work. When I explained that we are afraid of Peanut and don’t want to be bitten, he dismissed me and stormed off.
I finally told them that Peanut needs to be rehomed to someone qualified to handle an aggressive coydog, or they need to make other living arrangements.
I do not want Peanut euthanized. I understand why Jill is attached to her. But at this point multiple people have been injured, children have been put at risk, and I refuse to bring a newborn into this environment. If it comes down to it, I will not hesitate to have her put down.
I want to be clear that me and my husband can not afford to move out. That was our plan afger my sister straight up refused our request to rehome the dog, but my husband lost his job while we were in the process of buying a house.
I also feel its important to note that me and my dad had an agreement when buying the house. My dad bought it outright using his retirement fund early and its in his name, but I have put thousands of dollars into fixing it up and also buying animals, fencing, and garden supplies (its a homestead) as my dad promised to sign it over to me in the future so long as I let him continue to live in the house. I invited my sister and her husband to move in with us after discussing it with my dad as the house they were renting was being sold and they had nowhere to go.
I also want to note that this dog has cost me hundreds of dollars in livestock that she has killed and eaten.
So AITA for refusing to let their dogs out anymore and telling them they need to rehome Peanut?