Pregnant Woman Praised for Being 'So Heartless' When Fiancé Lost His Dog

The internet has dragged a man who screamed at his pregnant girlfriend for refusing to help him search for his dog, which runs off at least once a week.

In a post shared on Reddit on Sunday under the username u/West-Lavishness7428, he explained that while taking his dog out, he got distracted by his phone ringing in another room, and as he went inside just long enough to grab his phone, his dog ran off as usual.

According to Pets Web MD, dogs can run off for many reasons, including most commonly, frustration, separation anxiety, fear, and sex drive. To keep your dog safe, you should make sure they're microchipped, wear a collar ID, keep your gates closed, and hold on to their collar when people come to the door.

Additionally, they suggest never running after them when they've run off, because they may think you're playing a game, and encourage the behavior. Instead, they say, always reward them when they come back to you.

The poster said his heeler/corgi mix runs off once a week at least, and his girlfriend, who is five months pregnant and suffers from severe nausea and exhaustion, usually helps him look for her, but "it's not without protest."

This time his girlfriend, who was curled up on the sofa at the time the dog ran off, refused to help him out, saying she was tired of chasing the dog, and that she wasn't dealing with it any more, but after he couldn't find the dog for half an hour he tried again to convince her to help.

"She snapped 'I said no! I am so tired of chasing that dog around multiple times a week when I'm already exhausted and throwing up constantly.' I was panicked and unleashed some yelling, which involved me telling her she was a b**** who lacked empathy and that I was thoroughly disappointed with my decision to be with someone so heartless.

"It was out of pure fear and panic on my part and I did apologize later after I found my dog, but she said 'Go f*** yourself' and won't talk to me. Everyone is on my side except my sister," the poster wrote.

Lisa Pion-Berlin, Ph.D., CEO of Parents Anonymous, told Newsweek that relationships are often challenged by stress and communication which is not always perfect, and while the boyfriend's frustration with his missing dog is understandable, he needs to think about the importance of his girlfriend's pregnancy.

Pion-Berlin, a psychologist and licensed hypnotherapist, said: "Pregnancy lasts nine months with many physical changes and emotional challenges. Being supportive and loving towards his girlfriend is vital while her body and emotions are raging on. Communicating their feelings in a positive way is key to feeling support from one another.

"While the stress of this situation is overwhelming, it is crucial for him to understand how pregnancy is affecting his girlfriend. Getting up and running after a dog who got loose may be physically too much for her."

According to Pion-Berlin, using humor and cuddling is important during stressful times: "Doing this will release positive hormones for both of them and help to bring them together by increasing oxytocin 'the connection hormone' and reducing cortisol 'the stress hormone' which is essential to our wellbeing."

She added that apologizing for cussing at her is a good place to start, but sealing that with a laugh, cuddle, and smile would benefit them both.

"Give her time to think about his apology and then ask her what she needs to mend this situation. There are no easy answers, but compassion and trust need to be reaffirmed and constantly nurtured for a long-term loving relationship. Let's not forget both of you are becoming parents, maybe for the first time.

"Fear, confusion, and joy could be impacting each of them. Focus on coming together as a couple, hearing each other out, setting realistic expectations, and cementing the relationship since you both will soon have a child to raise together."

The post, originally shared on the r/AmItheA****** subreddit, has quickly gone viral across the platform, receiving over 19,500 upvotes and 3,000 comments so far.

One user, Motor_Business483 commented: "[You're The A******]. 'My dog (6yo Heeler/Corgi mix) runs off at least once a week' .. at that point. YOU are the [A******] for not training him better. Rehome him, he deserves a better owner. She is right, that is not an emergency, that is a habit."

And nyellincm said: "[You're The A******]. she is pregnant. As a man, you'll never understand. This is YOUR dog. YOU got distracted by a phone call. This is how accidents happen. YOU got distracted. Then when you didn't get help for finding your dog YET AGAIN you unleashed your anger on your pregnant wife. OP you are so in the wrong here. Either train your dog better or give it a better home. What happens when the baby is born and the dog gets out?

"Are you going to leave your baby alone to chase after your dog? No. You are the [A******] here. Rehome the dog and focus on your wife and baby. [A******] move. Also, Fiance if you read this pack a back and leave this guy. Imagine how he'll be without sleep and a screaming baby. This guy isn't worth your time."

Another user, baffled_soap, wrote: "This actually makes me worried for the baby. OP knows that bad things happen (the dog escapes) when he doesn't supervise the dog outside. Yet OP still chose to leave the dog outside unattended because his phone was ringing inside. This doesn't bode well for things like bath time, where choosing to leave a baby unattended 'really quickly' can have devastating consequences."

And ImStealingTheTowels added: "Then you need to better train your dog to not run off instead of expecting your pregnant fiancée to bear the responsibility for your mistakes.

"I'd leave you over this, 100%. This is abusive behavior that is not excused by the fact you were panicking. You clearly have no idea how to keep your dog from running away, but that is NOT your fiancée's problem, and if I were her I'd be utterly sick of you too. [You're The A******]."

Newsweek reached out to u/West-Lavishness7428 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.