Teenager punched mom's boyfriend for hurting his dog — and the internet's on his side
A young man, who goes by u/soggy_biscuit07 on Reddit, went obnoxiously mad when his mother's boyfriend shoved his dog off the couch so aggressively that they landed on the floor, hurting their leg. Seeing his dog in pain, the 19-year-old went all out, not only punching his mom's boyfriend right in the face but also refusing to apologize after.
His mother's boyfriend wasn't very fond of dogs; in fact, "He just does not like them and said so himself," the man shared in the now-viral post. Once, the careless man had come over to their house and was watching television, while the boy was a little farther on the other couch, playing on his phone. "He got up to go to the bathroom, and my dog jumped on the couch and sat where he was sitting," the teenager explained. When the man, his mom's partner, came back from the bathroom and noticed the dog sitting on the couch, he shoved it so badly that the poor pup fell on the floor, breaking their leg.
"It was a very hard shove, and it all happened so fast, but when I registered what just happened, I stood up, quickly walked up to him, and punched him as hard as I could, and then gently picked up my dog," the author recalled. His mom yelled at him, and her boyfriend threatened to beat him up, but the young boy ignored it all and rushed the dog to the vet. There, the doctor confirmed that the pup had a broken leg and needed immediate surgery. The young man used all his savings for the surgery, and surprisingly, his mom didn't even contribute to the vet bills. "Despite all this, she is still mad at me for punching her boyfriend and doesn't understand why I acted that way over a dog. She wanted me to apologize to him, but this is the hill I will die on," he wrote.
While some may say that the teen boy was right in standing up for his pet, others might argue that he shouldn't have gone physical with his mother's boyfriend. However, amidst the chaos, his love for his beloved dog proves that true companionship knows no bounds. Just like him, when Scientific Reports assessed 717 owners, they found that pet parents rate their relationship with their dogs as good or even better than any human relationship. Further, the report claims that the relationship between a dog and their owner is a lot like that between a parent and a child.
The Reddit post received an overwhelming response on social media. For instance, a user, u/stargatemedjai, commented, "NTA. Pets are family. I would sue him and call the cops. I don’t play with animal abuse. She needs to apologize to you, or ties will be cut off." Similarly, u/hill0981 said, "NTA. If someone did that to my dog, I doubt I'd be able to stop at just one punch. I actually think you showed remarkable restraint. Also, move out as soon as you can. Your mother does not have your back at all. If someone had done that to my dog, my mom would have thrown them out herself."
Echoing the sentiments, u/creative-mouse-5994 shared, "NTA. I'm a very peaceful person, but if someone hurt my dog, I'd go absolutely feral on them. There is a special corner in hell dedicated to anyone who can hurt an innocent animal like that, and such people are scum of the earth, sorry not sorry!" u/nypinta suggested, "NTA. But I would suggest finding some place for your dog to stay until you can move out because I would not trust him or your mother with your dog if he's ever at home alone with them." Another user, u/64ca, wrote, "Your mom and her boyfriend are cruel freaks. Keep your dog away from both of them. Good for you for being so kind to a defenseless animal. I’m so happy you punched that f****** creep. Your mom is an a****** too if she doesn’t get ‘why’ you punched that piece of shit. They’re even lower than low for not paying for the surgery that your dog needed. I’m honestly furious on your behalf."