Wednesday, May 16, 2007 3:26 PM
Q: I hate my spouse's pet. Can I get rid of it or do I have to wait for it to die?
A: Obviously, if you gave your spouse an ultimatum between you or man’s best friend, he would choose you (hopefully). But do you really want to do that?
Getting rid of a pesky animal is a lot different than getting rid of an ugly chair. There might be some detachment issues, and we don’t want your mate blaming you when he misses his old pal. If there are safety or sanitary issues, we understand the concern, and you should raise this with your spouse. New pet clean-up rules might need to be added to your household chore chart or you might want to enroll in extra training to help you feel more comfortable with the animal. However, if the dog, cat, or iguana is just too unsafe to be around and could be a liability, you should discuss other options.