That’s cruel. The old man probably loved dogs and she wanted her dog loved.
May be cruel but it’s true.
My MIL is the same way. If you didn’t know her you’d think she’s fine but her short time memory and reasoning have gotten really bad. She tries to get the oil changed in her car at least one a week - but has stopped driving everywhere except to church which is close to the house.
So no - we would not trust her to watch our critters. Not because we don’t love her - but because we do and don’t want her to be the cause of something bad happening.
The lady in the story was filled with good intentions but it didn’t turn out well at all.