Help! I’m Not Going to My Family’s Christmas If My Brother Brings His Awful “Rescue” Dog.

Dear Prudence,

I have an annual holiday dilemma involving my brother’s dog. My brother and sister-in-law adopted a rescue dog who had a history of being abused. While I admire that they were willing to take on the dog, she has a history of trauma and can be unpredictable. My brother often brings the dog to my parents’ home for the holidays. The dog doesn’t always react very well to new people and environments, and has behaved aggressively at times. She bit me a few years ago. Then, yesterday, at Thanksgiving, the dog bit my 9-year-old niece twice. She was distraught. They usually keep the dog in one of the guest rooms while people are over, but with all the kids, she inevitably gets let out at some point. I have the youngest child, an 18-month-old, and I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable having her around the dog. Should I tell my brother (and my parents) that I won’t come to holiday celebrations if the dog is present? They can’t board the dog, because she’s aggressive towards other dogs, so I think it will create some drama. However, I’m unwilling to risk my daughter’s safety.

—Terrified Toddler Mom

https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/12/dear-prudence-rescue-dog.html