A mum who is allergic to dogs has found herself in a difficult situation as her son won't come home if he can't bring his puppy.
The pair come as a package deal, despite his mum suffering with an allergic reaction whenever the pooch is around.
The woman took to Mumsnet to ask fellow parents for their advice, explaining that her 18-year-old son is in the armed forces and lives with her when he's not working.
She recently looked after his dog but she "absolutely hated" it, saying: "I'm slightly allergic I had [a] sore throat and had runny nose even allergy tablets didn't help and I just hated having the dog, the smell, the mess..."
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When she "nicely" told her son that she doesn't want the dog in her house anymore, he said it was "fine" but he wouldn't visit without it.
"I absolutely hated having the dog but I obviously love seeing my son," she exclaimed.
She also added that she's spent "thousands" having her garden landscaped and the dog has dug holes in the lawn and trampled on her flowers.
"I can't leave her in the kitchen, she chews. She's only young," the mum explained.
Her post divided Mumsnet users, with many siding with the son and criticising her for being so stubborn.
"Surely you could put up with the dog for a short visit from your son? I’d put up with a sore throat if it meant my son could visit," one person said.
"What else do you want him to do with the dog? I'd be proud of him for not neglecting his pet," another agreed.
Other people slammed the son for not taking his mum's allergy into account.
Someone ranted: "He isn't a considerate young man at all if your problem with allergies are less important than being with the dog. Does he take it to work and stay beside it 24/7? No holidays or nights out?"
A second said: "What do people with dogs do when they go to visit someone? Do they expect to just take their dog with them everywhere? Don't they consider that before they get one? Not everyone wants a dog in their house."
Some users agreed it was a tough situation but encouraged the mum to come to a mutual understanding.
One person said: "Neither of you are unreasonable... what's a good compromise? Meet up halfway at a dog friendly pub? For a country walk?
"If he cannot afford to pay for care, he has to sort out other arrangements as this is his problem to solve."
What would you do in this situation? Let us know in the comments.
