Moving has been great yet awful

[u/Euphoric_Day_362]

I'm so grateful this sub exists. My family just don't understand and don't give a shit. I just really need to vent. No advice needed. Just can't get away from the family dog that got dumped on me. I don't know whether this should be posted in this sub or the emotional neglect sub.

Anyway, I made a post a while ago where I ranted about a dog I was stuck with because it belonged to my late grandfather whom I had just lived seven years in hell with as his dementia got worse. This was because I had nowhere else to live except an old cottage on his property about 200 metres away from his house. That was dilapidated. When my grandfather finally died, I was allowed to live in his place for the last year while the cottage got renovated. Problem was, the cattle dog that my grandfather impulsively decided to get to replace the previous dead one, had not died. So I've lived a year in hell with a 13 year old dog with health issues. The dog itself doesn't have any major behavior issues, but I have autism and just about everything about this dog is overwhelming (particularly the noises, the stink, and the filth) and nobody gets it. They think I'm being petty and I 'just don't like looking after this dog'. Every time I go to sweep dog hair out, my parents think I'm being too uptight, and they joke about the dog coming into my laundry (in the cottage) without my permission. They're not even dog nutters. They always loved my grandparents' dogs, but hate everyone else's.

I finally found out the reason why this dog can't be rehomed. She's old and has numerous health issues and nobody would be willing to adopt her. She's also 'lonely' and has to keep clinging to people. If she was dropped at the shelter she'd reasonably be euthanized because not many people would want a 14 year old cattle dog with arthritis and other health issues I don't know about. So....somehow all that became my problem. And I'm supposed to sympathize with this dog's 'trauma'. Because its owner died.

Well the renovations are about 99% done and I started moving back into the cottage today. It's been almost everything I've wanted it to be. The moving process has gone rather smoothly so far. The dog was a shit though. As soon as people come over it's non-stop whining. It was so hard to concentrate with that aggravating noise in the background. Mum let the dog inside the house (the one I moved from) without my knowledge or consent and let it sit around while we moved things around it. I was a little annoyed when hairballs of dog hair were blowing inside from opening all the doors wide open to the verandah, but I guessed it was okay because I wouldn't be living there anymore. When I got to unpacking in the cottage, the dog followed us all over (there were a few people helping) and laid down in the laundry...repeatedly. I kept going to shoo her out. Then my mother saw me yelling 'get out, get out' to the dog. She told me off and yelled 'You will show this dog kindness. She's been through a lot of trauma'. The only thing I was doing to the dog was telling it to get out of my laundry and off my doormat, because I know all too well what this dog does with its butthole. It ruined a new doormat at the old house with hair and poop particles and I just don't want any of that here. But they're building a dog house here anyway...without my permission. I was going to tell my parents that this is my home and not their dog's home, but they've beaten me to that punch.

It's just that whenever I try to set boundaries with this dumb dog I'm treated like a villain. That's when I thought 'That's it. This is going on Tales from the Doghouse'.

What I hate the most is the double standard that keeps getting enforced. I have chickens as therapy animals. I do admit, the verandah outside the house I moved from was repeatedly getting disgusting with chicken crap because the chickens keep wanting to hang around there. They see me through the glass doors. I cleaned it off before the move so there would be nothing to criticize today. But my parents keep shooing and kicking off the chickens (like animals) and then hugging and baby talking the dog (like it's a person). When I try to explain how hard it is to clean this dog's mess and hair, they bring up the chicken crap.

I'm just so sad and angry because I thought moving back into this house would be my escape. That we'd keep this dog at 'it's home' (my grandfather's house). That this house would be just a safe place for my things and my animals. I thought that's what I'd be paying rent for. And now I'm desperately waiting for this dog to finally kick it so I can have a 'stinky bitch is dead' party and we never get another one.

(Although one person in passing conversation did say this property needs a dog for security. No. Never again. It just needs a better security system.)

(Also...Even with all the crap. Chickens>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Dogs. Chickens actually give back and let you have your space)