He saved his friend’s dog with a $1,400 emergency surgery. But her response wasn’t what he hoped for

"Alma is now ignoring me and told everyone we know that I 'forced her into debt,'" the man shared.

PUBLISHED FEB 14, 2025

(L)Vet treating a sick dog(Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Tima Miroshnichenko (R) A couple fighting ((Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Vera Arsic)

While the joy of raising pets is undeniably overwhelming, it's no secret that the financial responsibility, particularly when it comes to veterinary services can be often expensive. With their budget and other factors in mind, most pet parents opt for facilities that are affordable and ensure their four-legged babies' well-being. However, a man—who goes by—u/blackdynamite_7 on Reddit, shared how he supposedly annoyed his friend, Alma, for taking her sick dog, Cherry, to an expensive vet without her consent.

A man playing with a dog while a woman is standing beside them (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Pavel Danilyuk)

Before leaving for a week-long visit to her parents, Alma, his 22-year-old friend, asked the author to look after her dog, Cherry. Things were completely fine until Cherry suddenly began vomiting and refused to eat. At first, the man tried reaching out to Alma over a call, but she did not respond. "I panicked and took Cherry to the emergency vet, where they diagnosed her with a blockage and did a $1,400 surgery. Cherry is fine now," he revealed in his Reddit post. When her friend Alma came back and the man handed her the medical bill, explaining to her that it was the only option he had, she did not take it well. "She completely blew up, saying she’d never have approved such an expensive option and would’ve waited to see if Cherry improved. She says she’s broke and can’t pay me back," the man wrote.

A sick dog undergoing treatment (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Pranidchakan Boonrom)

Further, when he reached out to their mutual friends, some supported him and praised him for saving Cherry's life while others said he "overstepped by not waiting longer." After this incident, his friendship with Alma took a turn for the worse as she began ignoring him. "Alma is now ignoring me and told everyone we know that I 'forced her into debt,'" the man shared. The Reddit post received an amazing response on the platform with several people supporting him for doing what was necessary for Alma's dog in her absence.

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For instance, u/notfunny3458 commented, "Your friend probably wouldn't like me because I would have been very mean and said, 'It's either the surgery or euthanasia, your choice.' I will ALWAYS advocate and do what's best for the animal. If she can't afford an emergency, then maybe she needs to reconsider owning a pet." u/13lilacs commented, "NTA. I was going to say this. $1400 at an emergency vet for this sort of surgery is literally a bargain. They likely did you a favor and lowered the rates or something. You actually inadvertently saved your friend probably thousands of dollars. Also, you're a good person. I would have you watch my dog any day."

Image Source: Reddit | u/soggy_tangerine9340

u/hello_justsayin commented, "You did what you had to do, and it was the right call if there was a blockage. Your friend should absolutely pay you back...with her gratitude that you saved her dog's life. I have left my cats for friends/family to watch. I let them know that they could call/text; however, I also left them with information for our regular vet and an emergency vet. I let them know to do what they think is right, and that I would pay them back for any expenses." u/spaceacecase wrote, "NTA, this is why pet insurance and emergency funds exist. I legit have a savings account dedicated to putting money aside for emergencies involving my pets. Your friend should be happy you took the dog before it got bad. If money is tight she could have worked out paying you in installments or something."