Unfiltered Story #163235

(I’m a kennel tech at a veterinary hospital, meaning that I do most of the mundane animal-handling, cleaning, and feeding. On this occasion, a woman has brought her dog in for boarding, so I’m weighing the dog on our big floor scale while the owner and receptionist fill out the paperwork.)

Owner: How much is your grooming? He just needs a bath and brushing.

Receptionist: Well, it depends on how much time it takes, and how big the dog is. *peers over the counter* He’s got pretty short hair, so probably [price] if he’s under 30 pounds, [slightly higher price] over that.

Owner: Oh, no, he’s never been over 30 pounds! I take good care of my little [Dog’s name]!

(I have finally managed to coax the dog onto the scale and sit down. He’s a nervous, medium-sized shepherd mix, with ribs that are slightly visible as he breathes; I’m not sure if he’s too skinny or if it’s just youthful lankiness.)

Receptionist: *to me* You have that weight?

Me: 31.9 pounds!

Owner: WHAT!? Oh no no no!

(The receptionist and I share a look, and I hurry the dog and his bags back into the kennels while she tries to pry the last few bits of information out of the now ranting owner. Fast forward to the evening dog-walking, where I’m walking the dog and another coworker catches up to me.)

Coworker: Did Mrs. [Dog Rescue] come by today? Who is that?

Me: This is [Dog’s name], he got brought in by his owner a few hours ago.

Coworker: That dog is too f***ing skinny.

(The dog has been back to be boarded since, and while he looks pretty skinny, his health seems to be good and he’s fairly well-behaved.)