AITA for refusing to rehome my service dog?
A person with generalized anxiety disorder adopted a service dog that has significantly improved their mental health. However, their roommate’s cat is stressed by the dog’s presence, leading to destructive behavior.
Despite efforts to ease the cat’s stress through separate zones and calming aids, the roommate demands that the service dog be rehomed, dismissing the importance of the person’s anxiety. The roommate threatens to move out if the dog stays, putting the user in a tough situation—forced to prioritize either their mental health or the roommate’s demands.
‘ AITA for refusing to rehome my service dog?’
Around a month ago I adopted a service dog to help manage my anxiety (which is severe as I have generalized anxiety disorder). The dog has been a huge help for me, and I’ve grown very attached to him. However, my roommate’s cat has been extremely stressed out since I adopted the dog.
Her cat has started destroying our furniture, peeing outside the litter box, etc. She has now demanded that I rehome the service dog because she believes her cat’s well-being is being compromised. I tried to explain that I understand the cat is stressed out, but the service dog is necessary for my mental health.
She argued that the service dog is unnecessary because anxiety isn’t “that serious” compared to seizure disorders or other reasons people have service dogs. I’ve tried various solutions to help the cat adjust to having a dog around, like using calming products for her cat, keeping their food bowls in separate rooms, creating “dog-free” zones with gates, etc.
Despite this, my roommate insists that I must rehome the dog or she will consider moving out. This puts me in an impossible situation because I’m basically being asked to choose between my mental health or my roommates’ cat’s mental health.
Here’s the comments of Reddit users:
andromache97 − INFO: what tasks is your service dog trained to perform to help manage your disability? if the answer is “none,” your dog is an ESA and no different than a pet other than it has certain housing rights. and Y T A for calling an ESA a service animal, which hurts people who have actual service animals.
Also, did you ask your roommate if they were ok with it before you adopted the dog?
Swirlyflurry − NAH. Time to move. The two of you are not compatible as roommates.
Stormy111161 − Unless this is a true service dog, and by that I mean trained since birth to perform a specific task related to your disability, then YTA and all you have is an emotional support dog.
Yes, your mental health is important to you. By the same token, your roommate’s mental health is important to her. The trauma her cat is experiencing is definitely affecting her mental health. The two of you need to come to a resolution, and her cat was there first.
brilliant_nightsky − YTA Cat was there first, so you need to move and take your dog.
emliz417 − YTA you’ve had this dog for a month. If we’re being generous, it’s a service dog *in training*. It sounds like it does absolutely zero tasks for you and its only job is to exist. Thats an ESA
Scenarioing − Adopted a “service dog”? Um, no. That’s not how service dogs work. YTA for bringing a disruptive glorified pet in to the pre-existing household and trying to feed us this crap about there being a service dog in this story.
blueduck57 − YTA: cat has been there longest and is stressed by your dog. Keep the dog and cat completely separate until either of you find a new place to live with no other animals. You shouldn’t rehome your dog but you SHOULD move out or let your roommate move out. INFO: was the dog already trained to do all the behaviours you listed or are you currently teaching them?
KeenObserver_OT − You need to rehome yourself.
Logical_Read9153 − This was the cats home first. You should not have brought a dog into without making sure that they could get along, service dog or not. What is happening is not ok to the cat and you seem to just be brushing that aside. Again this was the cats home first and therefor the cats comfort comes first.
If they cant get along and you want to keep your “service dog” (I put it in quotes because is it a real service dog trained to assist you or just some emotional support bs) you shoudl move out. YTA
DANADIABOLIC − YTA— The cat was there first. You and your roommate should have thought that out a little better. Also, your pet doesn’t have housing rights if it isn’t an actual service animal with paperwork that actually preforms tasks it was trained to do for anxiety. It’s just a pet at this point without the documents.
Who should compromise in this situation? Share your perspective below!
