so, i (22f) have a dog, benny, who’s a fluffy golden retriever mix, and he’s my best friend. he’s super chill, loves cuddles, and does tricks for treats. he’s also kind of my emotional support pup and has been with me through a lot.

my friend lily (23f) is really into alternative art and always comes up with these eccentric ideas for her "projects." recently, she told me she was working on something called "personal branding" and wanted to use benny’s fur as the canvas. she wanted to shave her initials into his coat so it could be a part of her “expression of ownership and connection” with the animals she loves.

at first, i thought she was joking. but no, she was serious. she said it would be “really special” and would “help benny establish his own identity through art.” she even brought over special grooming clippers, claiming they were for “fine details” to keep it safe.

i just couldn’t. i told her no. benny’s fur is not for her to “mark,” and he’s a living being, not a canvas for some bizarre performance. lily got really defensive, saying i was “disrespecting her artistic journey” and that i was too attached to my dog as an individual and not as an art piece. she also claimed it would be a “new way to celebrate my bond with him.”

now she’s upset and has posted on her socials about how “the world is too conservative” and that people can’t handle new forms of art. she’s been ignoring me ever since, and some mutual friends think I should have just let her do it because it’s “art.”

AITAH for refusing to let my friend shave her initials into my dog’s fur for her “artistic project”?