One Family Outing Turned Awkward When A Woman Confronted An Uncle And His Nephew, Saying The Dog Park Was Only For Actual Dog Owners
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Public spaces can develop unwritten rules that newcomers only discover after someone decides to enforce them.
Can a dog-loving child enjoy a dog park when allergies prevent his family from owning a pet?
Instead of causing trouble, the careful ten-year-old played gently with several eager dogs until one owner objected.
Let’s see how this one played out.
AITA for bringing my nephew to a dog park (when we don’t own a dog)?
“My nephew (10m) loves dogs, but because his older sister is allergic to dogs he is not allowed to own one.
I took him to visit a dog park in our city, there were no rules posted that said you must have a dog to enter.
They had a good time.
The dogs loved my nephew, they ran around with him and we’re constantly bringing him balls to throw etc.
I also want to point out that my nephew never did anything to harm or scare a dog.
He didn’t pull their tails or jump on them and he always approached them carefully with his fingers underneath his fist for them to sniff.
After about 10 minutes, a woman asked me which dog was mine. I joked and said the one in the red jacket (which my nephew was wearing).
Really?
She then told me that we were not allowed in the park.
I was confused thinking it was a joke or she was worried I was going to steal a dog or something.
So I tried to reassure her that my nephew loves dogs but can’t have one etc.
She then told me that “this park is for our children, not yours “ and that “there is a playground over there for him.”
That’s a bummer…
I looked around, but other people in the park were not coming to my defense (or her side) so I called for my nephew and we reluctantly left.
My nephew has asked when we can return to the dog park and I’m not sure what to tell him.
Can dog owners chime in on this please?
AITA for visiting a dog park without a dog?”
Check out what folks had to say on Reddit.
This person said they’re NTA.
Another reader disagreed and said they acted like an *******.
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This individual shared their thoughts.
Another person weighed in.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about neighborhood kids who built a master forest fort, only to find it looted by the bigger kids on the block.
And this Reddit user spoke up.
This relative brought a dog-loving nephew to a park with no posted ownership restriction, where he behaved gently and the dogs eagerly included him.
Although checking with owners first would have been considerate, the woman had no authority to invent an ownership requirement and order them out.
She guarded that dog park like the bouncer at Club Canine.
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