Dear Prudie,
Recently, my soon-to-be mother-in-law’s elderly dog passed away. Shortly after his death, she mentioned her desire to get another puppy of the same breed. My fiancé and his sisters decided to surprise her with a dog for Christmas. My fiancé and I are both strong supporters of rescue organizations and do not believe in buying dogs from breeders. He directed his sisters to many local rescue sites, some of which were dedicated to the breed of dog they wanted. Two days later, they contacted him to say they had purchased a dog from a breeder for much more than a rescue would cost—and they expected his share of the money. With my encouragement, he spoke to his sisters about the concerns he had about a breeder and his discomfort with their expecting such a large sum of money from him for something he was not consulted on. He also told them he would pay for care for the dog (e.g., neutering, microchipping) but would not contribute to the payment to the breeder. His sisters have not spoken to him since—last we heard, they had picked up the dog and are keeping it until Christmas to give to their mother. Did we do the right thing in discussing our concerns about the dog? And how do we begin to patch things up with his family, who will also be my family in only eight weeks?
—Concerned Animal Activist