Not the OP, AITA for refusing to let my brother and his family stay at my place for Christmas because they “borrowed” my dog’s toy last year?

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Original Text:

AITA for refusing to let my brother and his family stay at my place for Christmas because they “borrowed” my dog’s toy last year?

Last Christmas, my brother, his wife, and their two kids stayed at my house for the holidays. It was a bit chaotic, but I was happy to host. I have a golden retriever, Max, who is the love of my life and a huge part of my family. He has a favorite stuffed toy—a beat-up duck he’s had since he was a puppy. This toy is his comfort object, and he always carries it around.

Well, during their stay, my niece (6 at the time) got very attached to Max’s duck. I told her it was Max’s favorite toy and even showed her how much he loved it. But when they left, I realized they had taken it home with them. I texted my brother, thinking it was a misunderstanding, and asked for it back. He said my niece cried about leaving it, so they let her keep it. I was pretty upset and explained that it wasn’t just a random toy—it was Max’s favorite. He said, “It’s just a dog toy, go buy another one.”

I told him they needed to send it back, but they refused. I even offered to buy my niece a new duck toy that looked the same, but they still said no because she was “too attached to it now.”

Max was visibly sad for weeks afterward. He looked for his duck every day, and it broke my heart. I ended up scouring the internet to find the exact same duck, but Max never loved it as much as the original.

Fast forward to this year. My brother asked if they could stay again for Christmas, and I told him no. He was shocked and asked why. I reminded him about the duck incident and how disrespectful it was. He said I was being petty and holding a grudge over a dog toy. My parents and other siblings are now calling me the Grinch and saying I’m punishing my niece for something she didn’t understand at the time.

But to me, it’s not about the toy—it’s about the principle and the blatant disregard for my boundaries. If they couldn’t respect something so small, why would I trust them to respect my home again?

AITA?