Woman divides viewers after appearing to sneak dog into ‘no dogs allowed’ vacation rental

A woman has sparked a debate about travel etiquette after claiming she brought her “large dog” to a vacation rental that prohibited pets.

Olivia Young, who goes by the username @oliviayoung79 onTikTok, posted about her attempts to “sneak” her dog into the holiday apartment in a video shared to the platform.

“Mission: sneak large dog into your strictly no dogs holiday apartment,” the video’s caption read. The clip began with Young taking her border collie out of the car before a stroller could be seen moving across the parking lot with an orange blanket or towel draped over the front of it, covering up whatever was inside.

After getting off the elevator and strolling down a hallway, the blanket was lifted, revealing that Young had apparently used the stroller to sneak in her dog. As she and the canine entered a room that appeared to be a rental apartment, another woman could be seen standing there with her hand over her mouth looking stunned that they were able to pull off the stunt.

The TikTok ends with the border collie happily sitting on the orange blanket, which was now laid out on a couch in the apartment, as Young gave it a big hug. The TikTok was set to the viral sound: “Nobody’s gonna know.”

Since the video was posted on 11 August, the clip has received almost 200,000 views. However, viewers have been divided over whether or not sneaking the dog in was the best decision, as some pointed out that her scheme could quickly fall apart if anyone on Young’s floor were to hear the dog bark.

“My collie would ruin it and bark,” one commenter wrote. “One bark and it’s over,” another agreed.

Individuals also commented to suggest that, no matter how hard she’ll try to hide it, there’s a very good chance the owners or cleaners will know a dog was in the room. “The cleaner would definitely know,” someone commented.

“As someone who’s been a housekeeper cleaner - I can say... they are gonna know but the extra cleaning fee will be sooo worth it,” another person agreed.

Other commenters said they thought it was selfish of Young to go against the vacation rental’s policy.

“I have one dog and two cats. They are like children to me but I will never do that! Every place has rules and I think everybody should respect it…” one person commented.  

“You could have just found a dog-friendly place instead,” a second person agreed, while someone else said: “You could be a responsible pet owner and find accommodations that allow dogs. Rather than disrespecting someone else’s property.”

Another person wrote: “Maybe take your own pet bed next time and not let the dog lie on the furniture. If you’re going to break the rules, at least be respectful.”

Although the majority of comments were critical, not everyone thought the idea was bad. “I would do the exact same thing with my collie,” one comment reads, while another viewer admitted: “I would do this too.”

The Independent has contacted Young for comment.