Marvie's Crochet Corner

Advice needed....

Ok so here's the deal....

My son took on a responsibility, to feed and care for our neighbor's pets while they went back to the states. They are paying him $100 to do this. The job entails:

Taking the two (small but hyper) dogs out first thing in the morning (by 9am)
Feeding breakfast to dogs and cats (two cats) and filling/changing water dishes
Scooping litter once a day
Clean up any messes the dogs make
Sweep up any litter that is around the box
Take dogs out at noon
Again at 3PM
At dinner time (usually 6PM) he feeds the dogs dinner, then waits 20 mins or so and takes them out.
At 8:30 or 9PM he takes them out one last time and crates the puppy for the night

Walking the dogs takes 5-10 minutes, less than ten when it's cold (and it's been in the 30's for a week) bc they do their thing pretty quickly. The other "chores" take a total of maybe 15 minutes each day. He generally spends a little while playing with the dogs after walking them, petting the cats and generally making sure everyone gets attention and lovin's.

Well, I had been suspecting that he wasn't actually walking the dogs each time he leaves the house to do so, but I had no real proof. Just suspicion based on seeing poop on the floor on more than a few occasions and the fact that he went through an entire roll of paper towels in like 5 days. And the house smells like pee, which it never has before.

Now, the puppy is house trained, and she will use Pee Pads if she can't wait. She has an occasional accident if she gets really excited, if you have small dogs you know what I mean.... that "I'm so excited and happy it just flows right out" kinda thing.

So last night, I went outside to smoke about an hour or so after he went over to put the dogs to bed. I hear the puppy going absolutely nutso. This is unusual, as usually she is quiet after being crated. So, I get the key and go over. She is blocked in the kitchen with chairs, barking her little head off. There's pee on the floor in there and there's two (distinctly different sized) poop piles in the other room.

I lost it. It was obvious he hadn't taken them out at all when he went over at 9. So I leashed them and took them out, rang my bell and made hubby get the kid out of bed and come out to walk them. By this time they'd already done their thing on the grass, but I made him walk them anyway just to be sure. Then I made him come with me to the house, mop the kitchen, clean the poop, and do the rest of his "chores" before letting im come home and go back to bed.

I was livid. Shaking mad. Now, granted, I go over there every day to check on things and water plants, give the critters some attention etc. And I know that he's been doing some of his job.... but after last night I am wondering just how many times has he lied about walking the poor dogs.

He did a great job at first, but when it got cold is when I think he started skipping a walk now and then. He swears last night is the only time he hasn't crated the puppy, and I believe him because I'd have heard her if he hadn't. I have had to ride him about scooping the box and once had to talk to him about the water bc the dogs bowl was dry a few times I went over. It's a small bowl so has to be filled pretty much every time he goes over. I ask him each time he comes back from there if everything went all right etc. I've made it clear to him that though it is his job, if he needs some help I will help him out. I've taken care of them a few times when he spent the night at a friend's house and such. I've cleaned up the floors and such, picked up things the puppy might chew, things he wouldn't think to do.

I expected I'd have to remind him to do things etc. since after all, he is only 11. Which is why I go over daily to check things out, and why I ask him if all went well etc. No one expected perfection from him.... yet, I did expect him to do a decent job of it. I also expected there would be occasional doggie accidents, the puppy isn't perect yet. But the sheer volume of accidents, combined with last night....

He admits there have been times he didn't take them out, or that he only walked one but not the other. He figured since they have a pee pad and will use it, he could get away with it.

What the heck should I do here? I feel like I should not allow him to accept the pay for doing a shoddy job. I also think he should confess his performance issues to the neighbor, she has a right to know since she is the one who is paying him, and let her decide if he should be paid and how much if she does pay him. Hubby thinks he should not accept pay either. Yet, on the other hand, he has done some of the work. Maybe not all that well, but the animals are alive and healthy. So maybe allow him half the money? Ugh, I just don't know. There definately has to be consequences for his lack of responsibility though. The neighbor's will be home Saturday morning, so I have to decide before then.

In the meantime, I will be escorting him each time he goes over to make sure he is doing what he is supposed to be doing.

I rather feel this is my own fault, I believed him when he said things were fine, he'd taken them out, etc. I ignored my suspicions in favor of trusting him. *sigh*

Any thoughts? I value your opinions, most of ya'll have been here through all the other stuff I've gone through with the kiddo over the past nine months or so. Did I let him take on too much responsibility? What would you do in my shoes?

posted by Marvie at 5:02 AM