Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 11:01     Subject: Re:Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Disagree, i think now is the time to let them know that if they get another pug-a-poo or whatever horror the puppy mills are selling, you will not be able to petsit, nor adopt it. Be very clear that they will be boarding the little mutant, and make sure they accept that.


This. "When the queen was your age she stopped getting new corgis because they would outlive her and that's so stressful and sad for the dog. If you really have to get one, who is going to take it if "the worst" happens? We cannot."


The queen died with four dogs?

I’m not the one who brought up the queen, but I thought I remembered that too, so I looked it up. She had stopped breeding her dogs in 2015. She would have only had 2 dogs left (and no puppies) when she died in 2022, except that Andrew gave her dogs in 2021 to cheer her up because of Covid and Prince Philip’s decline and death.


She had plans for all her pets. The dogs went back to Andrew and his family and the horses went to Camilla who loves horses.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 10:55     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
I would never adopt a dog at 80. When you adopt a dog you adopt it for life and obvioiusly the dog will likely outlive them. How unfair to the dog.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 10:43     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It is absolutely your right to speak up and be blunt about it!

This happened to my friend with her in-laws. Her MIL got a lab puppy in her 80s! Nothing her kids could say dissuaded her. And then MIL couldn't walk her. MIL went into a nursing home, dog ended up at my friend's house. Luckily the dog is healthy and pleasant.

I wonder if some elderly people are still mostly with it mentally, but have just enough cognitive decline to overestimate their capabilities and underestimate the likelihood of a significant decline in the near future.


It's not necessarily "cognitive decline" just optimism and denial. Look at all the former high school beauties in their 50s with saggy batwings and armpit fat and midriff bulge wearing tank tops snd spandex.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 07:31     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
I had to re-home 2 old little fluff balls when my sister died following an illness. This board gave me a lot of guilt, but I just couldn’t keep them. I returned them to the rescue from where she had adopted. Save the paperwork!
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 01:34     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:It is absolutely your right to speak up and be blunt about it!

This happened to my friend with her in-laws. Her MIL got a lab puppy in her 80s! Nothing her kids could say dissuaded her. And then MIL couldn't walk her. MIL went into a nursing home, dog ended up at my friend's house. Luckily the dog is healthy and pleasant.


My grandfather in law went to the shelter in his 80s and left with a pit bull. He asked for a small dog but the staff guilted him into taking a dog who had been at the shelter for ages. He couldn't walk the dog at all either. I couldn't believe the shelter would send him home with that big, strong dog. To top it all off it was a monster and broke through his fence to attack other dogs.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 01:26     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Let them adopt a senior or become a foster only family.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 19:00     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:It is absolutely your right to speak up and be blunt about it!

This happened to my friend with her in-laws. Her MIL got a lab puppy in her 80s! Nothing her kids could say dissuaded her. And then MIL couldn't walk her. MIL went into a nursing home, dog ended up at my friend's house. Luckily the dog is healthy and pleasant.

I wonder if some elderly people are still mostly with it mentally, but have just enough cognitive decline to overestimate their capabilities and underestimate the likelihood of a significant decline in the near future.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:55     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
It is absolutely your right to speak up and be blunt about it!

This happened to my friend with her in-laws. Her MIL got a lab puppy in her 80s! Nothing her kids could say dissuaded her. And then MIL couldn't walk her. MIL went into a nursing home, dog ended up at my friend's house. Luckily the dog is healthy and pleasant.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:54     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All you have control over is that you say "these breeds tend to have behavioral problems, as you have seen with your last two dogs of this breed. Obviously you are free to get whatever you want, but know we will not watch this dog when you're away traveling - you will have to board it or find alternate arrangements. It will not be welcome in our home."

Then they can make whatever decision they want with that information.


Learn to read, a$$hole. She said she's "fine" watching the dog when they go away. She's worried about what to do with the dog if it outlives them.

If they rescue a dog, return it to the rescue per their contract when they pass or are unable to care for it. Problem solved.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:52     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised a rescue is willing to let them have a dog. I would at least raise the issue: "Did the rescue ask what your backup plans are? Because we're willing to take care of a dog for a week or two, but if you were out of commission for longer than that, we'd have to say no. We don't want the responsibility of dog ownership."


Yeah, the rescue I have fostered for is really picky about adopting out to seniors. They only place senior dogs with them, not young dogs, and even then there are other requirements in place so dogs don’t end up needing to be rehomed yet again.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:52     Subject: Re:Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Disagree, i think now is the time to let them know that if they get another pug-a-poo or whatever horror the puppy mills are selling, you will not be able to petsit, nor adopt it. Be very clear that they will be boarding the little mutant, and make sure they accept that.


This. "When the queen was your age she stopped getting new corgis because they would outlive her and that's so stressful and sad for the dog. If you really have to get one, who is going to take it if "the worst" happens? We cannot."


The queen died with four dogs?

I’m not the one who brought up the queen, but I thought I remembered that too, so I looked it up. She had stopped breeding her dogs in 2015. She would have only had 2 dogs left (and no puppies) when she died in 2022, except that Andrew gave her dogs in 2021 to cheer her up because of Covid and Prince Philip’s decline and death.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:50     Subject: Re:Obligations toward extended family pets
Old couple + old dog is a match, they don't need a you g dog or puppy. Rescue will probably match them with an older dog, and what is your issue with it being a rescue dog anyway. A puppy from a breeder would be a far worse idea.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 18:48     Subject: Obligations toward extended family pets
Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised a rescue is willing to let them have a dog. I would at least raise the issue: "Did the rescue ask what your backup plans are? Because we're willing to take care of a dog for a week or two, but if you were out of commission for longer than that, we'd have to say no. We don't want the responsibility of dog ownership."


+1 Most rescues will not adopt to people over a certain age. So if they're young enough that a rescue will give them a dog, you probably don't need to be worrying about this.