Wow. Someone sure is a humbug.

Seriously? The gift her mother gave is dangerous (mean), expensive (an old dog means medical bills), time consuming and messy (untrained, with diapers). And if this is the first Christmas gift she's bothered giving in 15 years, you can't pretend she just made a mistake this year or thought it would be sweet. There are no kind feelings being shown. The mother was just trying to shove off her problems and responsibilities to her daughter. If she'd needed help with the dog and ASKED her daughter to help, that would have been one thing. However just dumping the dog with OP is not a "gift" OP should have to feel grateful for.

I personally don't believe animals should be considered "gifts". Things like clothes and coupons? Yes. But not living things. However you're right kingTaz, I know it wouldn't be much fun if my mother simply ignored me every year either.

Even if she is mixed, if you can identify her primary breed, a rescue could help. The one I foster for just took one in as a perma foster because it was old and had health problems and it's 75 year old owner couldn't take care of it anymore. She gave them a donation for doing so. I'm sorry to hear you got stuck with her especially in your situation but glad to hear it's not a death sentence.

It's great that you and your husband have goals. Don't let this predicament make you give up, you'll be able to go eventually!

Thanks Setareh23! My thoughts exactly. We've come a long way over these past few years and don't plan on giving up now! ^.^

You sound like a nice person Alycion! Pretty sure Peanut is like a foxhound beagle mix, and yes you'll be happy to know Peanut is in good hands with me!

I know that the circumstances were less than favorable, but I find it very noble and generous that you (and your husband) would welcome Peanut into your lives and home, despite how thoughtless your mother was and the level of care this poor animal requires. That you would take responsibility for her instead of seeking an easy way out (even if it means putting your own goals on hold temporarily) speaks wonders about your character. You should be very proud of yourself for being so compassionate, and I hope you're able to attain your goal of moving to Japan soon (I fell in love with Osaka and considered moving there myself, so I can totally understand). :)

Clearly states her mom adopted the dog a year ago so I am sure OP does not have any attachment to it or fond childhood memories.

Thank you SaturnV, I showed your message to my husband (Ryota) and we are both very touched! My mother does have a history of pulling stunts like these, so I do try to be the better person in most scenarios. And yes Osaka is absolutely amazing! That is our first pick however we were thinking Nagoya might be nice too! We do know it would be best to stay in one of the larger cities since it'll be easier on us (mostly Ryota) seeing as though his wife is a chestnut haired, blue eyed gaijin haha!

Hi jannatanelle! As #73 stated my mother did adopt Peanut almost a year ago now. She was bored and looking for someone she could give her attention to, although it sure didn't last very long! Growing up I did have a dog though, one that I loved very much! So I understand what you are trying to say, and hypothetically speaking if my little Baach was still around and something happened to me, then I would definitely want someone to give him plenty of love in his old days. =) Also yes, those diapers might just be the worst part of the situation!

How do you "convert" to agnosticism. Isn't the definition of agnostic "on the fence" about everything religious? That was my one question, but as for the rest I think it's really kind of you OP to take in this dog when most people would just dump her in the pound or put her down, and to risk bein considered too harsh to your mother: some people just shouldn't own dogs, they require a lot of care and attention even when they're perfectly healthy, let alone as ill as Peanut is.

lol well you're nice as hell. I definitely wouldn't allow a dog to **** up my life plans.

I apologize I really do try to read all of the comments prior to commenting its just it was so long I just skimmed through it.

Sorry OP, but I'm thinking maybe YDI, because you don't know how to say 'no.' You knew it was completely impractical for you to take the dog and you clearly don't want to. You should have refused a gift that was obviously an insensitive imposition on her part.

I'm sure you're being a great owner, but are you feeding it meat? I've known several vegans/vegetarians who refused to feed their dog meat, and then were surprised when their dog was malnourished, or in one case it died.

The bad smell on her no matter how often you bathe her is a sign of cancer. But cancer in a dog that old is pretty common.

Perhaps it means in the past she followed a specific religion, but recently she has found she is no longer sure. So she has gone from one belief, to being "on the fence".

As of now we are feeding Peanut food from a brand called Orijen Adult Formula. That is what my mother fed her and I know it would cause trouble for the dog to switch up their food brand, so I'm pretty sure we'll just be feeding her the same stuff (which I read has plenty of meat). Thank you for your concern, but I happen to be the only vegetarian in my family, so I learned not to push my beliefs onto others haha.

jezus, a dog using ******* diapers? put it down already, people have to stop treating animals the way we treat each other.

Religion is a sensitive topic, so I was hesitant to bring it up. But yes, both me and my husband are agnostic as of this moment. Therefore we are not celebrating Christmas. My mother is Christian though while my father is Atheist (lesson learned kids, opposites don't always attract!) so I've never been too religious (hence the whole, not getting a gift in 15 years). However, I didn't understand why my mother used Peanut as a Christmas gift, knowing full well I was not celebrating this year. It would have been a bit more practical if she had just asked me to take Peanut in, instead of trying to guilt me into being grateful. It's a tad bit manipulative, but I do try to be understanding. Also, thank you for the complement! I agree, I do love FML and all of it's users, but perhaps some shouldn't be given an elderly dog for Christmas after reading some of the comments, hmm?

Hi Chosha! You're absolutely right, I'd say I deserved it as well! In the past I have been able to say no to my mother in other scenarios similar to this one, and it really is impractical for me at this time. I mean have any of you ever took care of an elderly dog before? It is EXHAUSTING. However, it was hard to say no to my mother this time. She brought Peanut over to my apartment for a "surprise visit" Christmas eve even though I live over an hour away from her. She had put a ribbon on Peanut and exclaimed she was my Christmas gift, yay! At first I was rather confused, and refused to permanently take in Peanut. My mother tried to convince me that Peanut is a good dog, and won't be living very long anyways so I should be grateful (which I found terrible of her to say). She also explained her wanting to go travel the world before it was too late and actually had a ticket to go to France next week, hence her mid life crisis (and good luck France!) At first my plan was to take Peanut and find her a new home as soon as possible seeing as though my mother was no longer fit. However after my husband came home and we discussed it, we came to the conclusion that finding a new home for Peanut might be impossible, unless we wanted her to end up euthanized. So you can guess what we did after that!

You'll be happy to know that Orijen is one of the best dog food brands on the market, as it is biologically appropriate and the best food for keeping blood sugar levels stable! It is a tad bit pricey and has way too much protein for an animal that old however, so you should look into switching to Acana, which is Orijen's sister company :) -A former high-end dog boutique employee

Did you ever consider that this was a deliberate act to make sure you couldn't move away from her (your mom). It's a form of control, I know you don't want to but the best thing you could do is find someone else to care for the dog so that your plans stay on schedule.

Careful, OP! My thirteen year old dog that passed away two years ago had that smell problem when he got old. His skin even started to crack and produce dandruff. We thought plenty of baths and ointment would help. Turns out, the frequent bathing only made his skin worse. Make sure you moisturize her so this.doesn't happen. It's awful! Try having a professional bathe her and drain her anal glands. Those glands being drained helps significantly. I used to do it myself. Ew. Don't try. Good luck!! PS, you are too kind for caring for this poor dog. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'm really sorry op but I didn't read half of you're posts, I'm sure you provided a lot of insight to your situation and this is a total fml. But I can't be bothered.

Honestly, as much as you love animals, it doesn't sound like now is the best time for you to be taking the best care of Peanut either. Don't get me wrong, you know what you're doing, but it sounds like it might be worth looking up a no-kill shelter that can really help her. 16 is so old, and the bad smell can be a sign of some serious medical issues. Plus it's not healthy at all for her to be in a diaper, the poor girl sounds like she's probably miserable and in need of a lot of vet care. Don't look at it as dumping her though, because you wouldn't be, you'd be giving her a chance to be comfortable before she goes. I've worked with a lot of animals myself, domestic and wild, and I can tell you that even though a shelter isn't a home, the right kind of shelter would be her most comfortable option.

I think 111 is right. she gave you peanut to keep you there! good luck op!

What the hell is wrong with you?

Seriously. How about we have you put down A-hole. The dog is not suffering and obviously you didn't look to see if OP commented before you commented. You never put down an animal if you can help it. Obviously her mother shouldn't have gotten the dog in the first place, but at least it looks like he's in a decent home now. Don't you ever own a pet. Unless it's a rock. Then go for it.

I'm going straight to hell for laughing at that comment.