So we talked to my parents. DF thinks it went well, I... am not so sure.
On the bright side, they had to listen and now can't pretend they don't know there's a problem.
On the downside, my father and DF had to grab some things from the garage, so as soon as they left I got ambushed by my mother and I wasn't very good at keeping calm.
Apparently, we are being "selfish" - please note: I offered to come and stay with the cats and dogs during the day, feed them and then go to sleep back home, but that's not good enough. We cannot possibly leave the house unattended by night because "somebody could break in and if they don't find anything to steal, they'll break our furniture". So I'm supposed to get my bones broken to protect their furniture. Nice to know that.
At this point I pointed out that if they want to treat me like a pet-sitter (i.e. tell me what to do, when to do it and expect me to do everything their way), they'll have to pay me. Cue: "Why we must always pay, nobody ever paid us for everything we did." Not my finest moment, I know.
There's absolutely no problem with the dogs, they're fine being confined in our garden and they don't need more attention. Leash training them and walking them a bit would not tire them. My parents can't possibly take the dogs with them on vacation because they (the dogs) are too delicate (that might be true, they did have a lot of health problems as puppies - about two years ago. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure they haven't seen a vet in about a year...)
They thought taking in all the cats and dogs was a "shared decision" and "sacrifices must be made" - plus a couple of digs about "not abandoning our pets" (We never suggested that!!!).
When I tried to point out I didn't appreciate those digs, my mother said it's their problem and they'll deal with as they see fit. I'm afraid that means I won't get a say in any future decision concerning the pets.
In short, I am back to being a bad daughter and a terrible person. I'm getting sick and tired of being the designated scapegoat.