Keep On Dog-Walking Past This Booth

(My family is considered quite big — seven including the dog — and two of my siblings are toddlers. My town holds a dog-walking festival every year. There are booths along the route. These booths usually have items to purchase like dog treats or toys. As we walk along, we notice a neighbor volunteering at an adoption booth “stocked” with pets from a local animal shelter. My parents start chatting with her as my sister — not a toddler — and I start petting one of the cats laying on a table outside of its crate.)

Dad: *notices* “I love cats!” *pets cat*

(The cat purrs and rubs itself on his arm. It seems to have taken a liking to my dad.)

Dad: “She’s up for adoption, right? Could we see if her and the dog get along?”

Neighbor: “Yeah, but I’m not letting you guys adopt any pets. You already have a big enough family!” *laughs*

(Nobody else laughs with her.)

Mom: “Isn’t that for us to decide?”

Neighbor: *still laughing* “I’m doing this for you, [Mom]! You already have enough work with all of these kids and animals!”

(We just walked off and avoided her from then on. She also became known as the nosy neighbor, because she pulled a stunt similar to this where she denied our other neighbors who were a young couple to adopt an older dog since it would “die sooner” and they should get a puppy. Why does the size of someone’s family affect their ability to be able to give an animal a home? Also, isn’t her goal as a volunteer to get more animals homes, not nitpick the little details and get involved in other people’s business?)