Dear LexiDee:

I didn’t quite understand the problem until I read your most recent post:  the pet shop owner thought that you bought the dog for yourself because you wanted to have a dog in your home. He later found out that you bought it because you were afraid that he, the shop owner, will put the dog down. You didn’t have evidence that he put aging dogs down, but you were suspicious that he might.

If you told the shop owner that you were buying the dog for yourself, if that was the clearly stated understanding with him, then I can see why he would understandably get angry when he found out… basically, that you lied to him.  If this was the case, maybe you should apologize to him specifically for lying and tell him your reason (you suspected he puts dogs down without evidence, simply because you know of the practice, and you wanted to save the dog).

If there was no clear understanding between the two of you that you were going to keep the dog, it is none of his business if you give the dog to a third party after the purchase.

In either case, if he loves dogs, I can see why he would get angry at the suggestion that he is in the practice of putting dogs down. Assuming we are talking basically about three good people, with good intentions, it is a shame that feelings got hurt. But it happens. No one is perfect. No one acts perfectly all of the time: considering all the angles of every situation, anticipating all potential problems, etc. So, please give yourself a break for being imperfect, aka human. Those knots in your stomach need to untangle, and you should sleep well at night because good people deserve to have a pleasant, restful, conscience clear night!

anita