Man kicks sister out of the house for refusing to follow 'one simple rule.' AITA? 'She laughed it off.'

"AITA for kicking my sister out after she refused to follow one simple rule?"

So a few weeks ago, my younger sister, Emily (26F), asked if she could stay at my house for a while. She was going through a rough patch - bad breakup, lost her job, the usual. I (30M) live alone in a nice house with my dog, Baxter, a big, friendly Labrador who’s basically my kid.

I told Emily she could stay as long as she needed, but I had one rule: Do not leave doors open. Ever. Baxter is well-trained, but he’s an escape artist. If he sees an open door, he’s gone. He doesn’t run away permanently, but he’ll sprint out into the neighborhood, and I have to chase him down. It’s a hassle, and I’ve had to get him from random backyards more times than I can count.

I made it clear to Emily: Close the door. Every time. No exceptions. She laughed it off, said, “Yeah, yeah, I got it,” and moved in. Fast forward TWO DAYS later, I come home from work, and - yep - front door is wide open. No Emily in sight. No Baxter.

I freak out, grab his leash, and spend over an hour running around the neighborhood like a lunatic, calling his name. Turns out some random guy a few streets over had grabbed him before he could run into traffic. Thankfully, Baxter was fine, but I was furious.

I get home, and Emily is just chilling on the couch. I ask her what happened, and she shrugs and says, “Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to close it.” I lost it. I reminded her that I had one rule and that she put my dog in danger. She rolled her eyes and said, “Relax, he’s fine. It’s not that serious.”

I told her if she couldn’t respect something this basic, she needed to find somewhere else to stay. She got all defensive, saying I was being dramatic over a dog, and that she had nowhere else to go. I stood my ground.

Now, she’s staying with a friend, and our parents are pissed at me, saying I overreacted and “chose a dog over family.” Some friends agree, saying it was a simple mistake. But I don’t think forgetting once is an excuse when I made it so clear how important it was. AITA?

Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:

joemc225 said:

It wasn't about the mistake. It was about her attitude, starting with her carelessness in leaving the door open, to discounting the seriousness of what happened and value of OP's dog.

Big_lt said:

NTA. Who the f leaves the front/back door just open?! Like I would assume it goes without saying to close any door that directly has access to the house from the outside.

tastyxcutie said:

NTA. You’re a responsible dog dad. Baxter ain’t just a pet, he’s family, and you gave Emily one simple rule to keep him safe. She ignored it immediately and then had the nerve to act like it was no big deal? Nah. If she can’t respect your house or your dog, she can find a new couch to crash on. Baxter > careless guests.

WhiteKnightPrimal said:

NTA. And you DID choose family - Baxter is your family. It's not your fault your sister decided her desire to leave a door wide open, knowing it was against the ONLY rule you had, was more important to her than your dogs safety, or respecting you as both her brother and the one doing her a massive favor by letting her stay.

Being kicked out is the consequence of her choice to ignore the only rule you had. She knew the rule, knew it was important, and chose to ignore it anyway. She doesn't respect you, your home, or your dog. That means she doesn't get to stay any longer.

Safe_Day_5243 said:

NTA. I'd choose my dog every time too.