Folks...I would suggest you go easy here. It is all too easy to discount these people as whack jobs with their priorities mixed up, but there are many elderly people to whom thier pets are nearly the sole source of companionship in their lives. Sure, they may have children, but they may not see them for lengthy periods of time. Religion should give them comfort if they believe, but even to them the actual physical interaction with a pet has a lot of value.
Sorry to disagree with the sentiment I see here, but there are a lot of elderly folks who develop a very strong emotional attachment to their pets. These people are obviously outside the average, but I wouldn't condemn pets in principle as I see some doing on here.
"Sorry to disagree with the sentiment I see here, but there are a lot of elderly folks who develop a very strong emotional attachment to their pets. These people are obviously outside the average, but I wouldn't condemn pets in principle as I see some doing on here."
What a terrible attitude!! Where are your sick jokes and sharp putdowns? Let's ridicule these dead folks. Isn't that the purpose of the Internet?
rest of post......
My wife won't rub my belly no matter how much I lay on my back and wiggle..........
Quick question...Did you used to get beat up in school alot?
"Folks...I would suggest you go easy here. It is all too easy to discount these people as whack jobs with their priorities mixed up, but there are many elderly people to whom thier pets are nearly the sole source of companionship in their lives."
Well stated.
elderly folks
I'd like to think of them as middle aged. leadpennies are 64 this year.
Your sentiments are good but let's look at this situation.
"there are many elderly people to whom thier pets are nearly the sole source of companionship in their lives."
1st off, while technically these were "elderly", they were not SERIOUSLY elderly! I don't know how poorly off they were in physical terms, but if as I suspect, they weren't bad (after all, they held a banquet for friends). The people you're thinking of are often severely constrained by advanced age, to the point of being "shut-ins" who indeed would be lonely.
2nd, this was a COUPLE, not 1 person. They had EACH OTHER. If not the friends and neighbors they had at their funeral banquet.
I don't think anyone was "condemning PETS". Many are "condemning" the people for going overboard, killing themselves. I feel sorry for them, but the truth is, it IS overboard.
Back to the elderly thing - for truly elderly - I don't think many deliberately kill themselves. But they do go downhill from depression. My grandmother after her husband died (+ he had Alzheimer's and had mostly been in "homes" for the last few years) still had her beloved Tinkerbell cat. She wasn't that old at that point (maybe 10?) but 1 day Tinkerbell disappeared and never came back. It wasn't too long after that gramma had some accident by herself in her home (my cousin found her with a gash in her leg; my aunt and uncle - RN and MD - lived next door), and went into coma. My uncle and aunt personally took care of her in their house but she died within 3 mos.
Even my mother - her daughter - thinks Tinkerbell disappearing was the last straw for her.
I also say slow down. There may have been other factors at work here. Yes, people say they loved their pet but we only know what the news outlet is telling us. After all, they're dead, the news can say anything about them. For those of you who don't think they are elderly .. If the word "elderly" is misused in this story why assume everything else is correct?
Agreed.
Different people deal with grief in different ways.
Prayers for this poor couple.