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Are you folks actually believing that an 85 year old should be handed a 2 year old dog so they have companionship?
Yes, quite frankly. If they are in sound mind when they visit the shelter who are YOU to judge the future outcome?
Dogs get placed in crappy homes regardless of age, race or ethnicity. When do you want to draw the line? Keep pushing it back because it suits your ideal? That's the problem I see- people tend to project the worst case and not place dogs. Trust me- I had a rescue in my old neighborhood and the woman became a hoarder and was eventually shut down because 'no one was good enough to care for the animals like she was'. Look it up- Inwood WV about 10 years ago. Sad story. She was still at it a decade later. Here- I'll help http://articles.herald-mail.com/2007...lty-dog-rescue
If an older person is physically and mentally capable at the time to adopt a pet- don't project a misguided assumption upon them.
How hard is that? Why assume they have no plan? Why assume all dogs will be given human medication? Why assume the pet will outlive the owner? Stop...assuming! As far as I am concerned the animal rescue horror stories are WORSE than the tales of elderly people adopting dogs.
Yes, quite frankly. If they are in sound mind when they visit the shelter who are YOU to judge the future outcome?
Dogs get placed in crappy homes regardless of age, race or ethnicity. When do you want to draw the line? Keep pushing it back because it suits your ideal? That's the problem I see- people tend to project the worst case and not place dogs. Trust me- I had a rescue in my old neighborhood and the woman became a hoarder and was eventually shut down because 'no one was good enough to care for the animals like she was'. Look it up- Inwood WV about 10 years ago. Sad story. She was still at it a decade later. Here- I'll help Owner of W.Va. dog shelter found in violation of bail - schurz-herald-mail
If an older person is physically and mentally capable at the time to adopt a pet- don't project a misguided assumption upon them.
How hard is that? Why assume they have no plan? Why assume all dogs will be given human medication? Why assume the pet will outlive the owner? Stop...assuming! As far as I am concerned the animal rescue horror stories are WORSE than the tales of elderly people adopting dogs.
That's a fact.
You stated no facts other than you know of a bad rescue and then you assume others are as bad as the one in your neighborhood. You are assuming that I make the adoption guidelines. You are assuming that I am assuming all elderly will give their dogs human medication when all I did was give a recent example.
You assume that you know better than experienced rescuers that have been at it for over 30 years and who have created such an organized and well run operation that they place 5-10 dogs a week and have a network throughout the state. These dogs are not languishing for lack of adopters. The second dog I took in for them was sent to us from 400 miles away because this 11# dog had a cancer the size of a tennis ball on her side and she had been left with it until it was errupting. The morning after she arrived she was in surgery for it. I have seen this group save so many dogs, giving them expensive surgeries to restore their eyesight or repair broken legs, etc. I can assure you, the board of directors of this group is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of rescue, including matching dogs to the right homes. Your post is pure emotion with zero experience to back up your assumptions.
Your post is pure emotion with zero experience to back up your assumptions.
Yeah- and wasn't your's too? All an assumption? Based on what- one or two experiences? That was the entire point. Misguided assumptions "in the name of protecting the dog".
The dog 'freak' lived about 500 yards from my house. Zero experience my rear end. She had over 150 ill treated, 'non placed' dogs on her 10 acres at one point. Would you like me to point out the other documented horror stories? I think there is more than one to show it's not unheard of.
Assuming 'elderly can't care for a dog" is wrong. Good luck with the rescue, may you find rainbows and unicorns for all the dogs.
Threerun - read the article. We must have adopted when this rescue first started out. We adopted at an event held at the Winchester PetSmart. The puppy we adopted turned out to be one of the BEST dogs we ever had. If we had not already had one beforehand then I'm sure we would have adopted the pair of them. My deepest regret.
That's not the crux of what I see posted here. It is an underlying unwillingness to allow an elderly person to adopt due to some issue with their mortality. It has nothing to do with a loving home. No one wants to see any animal go into an abusive home- that has no age, gender or race boundary.
In my opinion, if an elderly person really wants a companion to be by their side even until their end, maybe comforting that human in their darkest days- that is a WONDERFUL thing to have happen.
All this "well that dog could wind up in a shelter, or bounced from home to home, or..or.."
When does one simply stop and look at the human aspect of the equation?
The vast majority of the posts clearly agree that the elderly should be able to adopt. There is discussion about the various parameters of such adoptions, which I think is a good discussion to have.
I am not clear on what you mean by "When does one simply stop and look at the human aspect of the equation?
The human aspect is always in play, as in any other adoption proceeding. BUT- to ignore an adopter's age as one of many factors (including the ability to take proper care of the dog and provide a lifelong home) would be foolish.
"IF" you are saying that we should bypass standard adoption considerations in order to freely allow the elderly to adopt a dog simply because of their age and because they might derive benefit from the dog's company, then I completely disagree.
On the other hand, "IF" you are saying that we should treat the elderly the same as any other potential adopter with the same adoption guidelines applied, then I would agree, with certain caveats which relate directly to whether the elderly person would be a good fit for a particular dog, which is ALWAYS a consideration for a responsible rescue.
For instance, are there any red flags- does the (elderly) person appear confused or forget what they are saying in mid-sentence multiple times during the conversation with the rescue or ask the same question multiple times, do they mention that they need to have a home health aid come in to take care of their personal needs, or do they mention that they live with their son but he doesn't like dogs and would be responsible for walking the dog, or does an 85 year old frail woman want to adopt a lab puppy which would clearly be a disaster in the making, or ???
Age is a legitimate factor in the adoption process- it shouldn't be the only factor- but it does relate directly to the quality of life the dog will have and whether it will be kept in that home for the remainder of its life- both of which are always ongoing and valid concerns for rescues. A rescue would be negligent in placing a dog in a home just so the person- elderly or not- would have a companion.
I see no problem with a properly screened senior adopting a dog appropriate for the senior's lifestyle and activity level- which again are always concerns for a reputable rescue regardless of age.
Should a rescue adopt a puppy to an 85 year old adopter- that is a judgment call based on the individual situation. IF the senior has a solid support system in place, then yes, but if not, then no, again because the intention of a rescue is to place the dog in a suitable home where it will live for the remainder of its life. So if you believe we should sidestep established rescue guidelines then again I would disagree.
Certainly many many seniors of all ages are able and DO provide loving homes to their dogs- absolutely no argument there. That isn't the issue.
I will personalize this situation: I am 63, so fall into the category of senior. I will be buying a puppy next year (from a highly regarded reputable breeder); I expect that will be the last puppy I will have in my life as I do not want my dogs to outlive me- and yes, I do understand that I could drop dead tomorrow, but each new year brings the increasing risk of various incapacitating ailments and/or death. My canine companions are a huge part of my quality of life, such that I have often said that I do not wish to live past the time that I am able to have dogs. But it would be selfish of me to adopt a puppy when I am 80, so my intention when I become frail or infirm is to do foster care only once my dogs have passed. MY part of the equation- the human component and my desire to have dogs- is far outweighed by the need for a dog to have a loving forever home, and at 80 the odds that I could provide a forever home for anything other than a 14 year old dog are unlikely. I would not expect a rescue to allow me to adopt a puppy, a senior dog or a foster dog, yes, but not a puppy.
Those of you who have mentioned that you will buy a dog if you can't adopt- a reputable breeder would not place a puppy in an inappropriate home no matter how much money you wave in their face. So, if you are saying that you would buy a dog, then consider that the breeder you would be adopting from would be less than stellar.
The canine component - the welfare of the dog- needs to be the priority. The human component absolutely must be considered, but as harsh and unreasonable as it seems, as in any screening process the rescue does, the dog must come first.
Last edited by twelvepaw; 08-14-2015 at 05:57 AM..
It seems the biggest concern about the elderly is their health and how long it will last. At what point do you decide that HEALTH is the ultimate issue and start asking for medical information on all adopters to ensure they live a healthy lifestyle to support the dog for it's entire life? I think when you start picking on seniors and claim their longevity is an issue...it's a slippery slope to start asking for health information to adopt a dog. Which is ridiculous.
Some posters didn't read the OP. Adoption of a pet by seniors wasn't the question asked. The OP asked if the "elderly" should be allowed to adopt kittens and puppies. Some posters are denying a potential adopter's age has much to do with their ability to keep a pet for the pet's entire lifetime. Of course it does.
And for those who deny senior pets, which are young usually at age 5+ years old, are turned in to the shelter due to the owner's death or moving to a nursing home, and no family member takes the pet, haven't spent time at their local shelter. It happens almost every day.
Pets are wonderful for seniors. Seniors are wonderful for older pets who are often overlooked at shelters and need loving homes. Adoption fulfills the needs for both.
Last edited by texan2yankee; 08-14-2015 at 07:58 AM..
I have seen too many pets abandoned at the shelter by the family because mom or dad died or went into a nursing home. I've adopted one myself, a 10 year old German Shepherd no family member would take into their home.
A loving senior adopter wouldn't request to adopt a puppy who lives 10-15 years or a kitten who can live 20 years and would consider the pet's fate if they were no longer able to care for them.
I solved that issue since when my mom died I took her dog and then made a decision to set up a pet trust.
That way if anything did happen to me the dog would be taken care of. Many states do allow this cause people don't want dogs left in a shelter.
The responsible thing for anyone of any age to do is arrange for care of their pets should they die.
We have our dogs in our will. Which we did in our mid-30s.
The argument that if the animal's owner dies sooner than their companion, the pet will be orphaned does not appear to me to have much merit. The same argument could be to suggest that single men or women in their 20s and 30s should not be allowed to have pets unless they have family living same city with them who would be willing to take over the pet should they die or become incapacitated. Furthermore, the argument that seniors are too fragile and disorganized to care for a pet seems no worse than saying that adults in mid-career, striving to advance and caring for a growing family would be too distracted and disorganized to care for a dog. The truth of the matter is that because of the bond that seniors tend to form with their pets, they will usually go out of their way to make sure that their pet is well looked after and there is someone who is willing to take care of the animal should they die before their animal companion. In addition, the definition of who is to be considered as too senior to adopt an animal is ambiguous. For example, an individual who is 65 years of age, statistically, still has about 20 years of life expectancy according to North American statistics which suggest that we now can expect to live to an age of 84, on average.
Speaking, not only as a psychologist, but as a human being, it seems to me that to deny seniors the companionship of a pet is simply an act of cruelty. To my mind it is analogous to denying seniors access to the company of friends, children, or other relatives. I have seen the effects that the arrival of a pet in the house of a senior has had. The pet brings, not only joy and comfort to the elderly individual, but the fact that the animal needs to be cared for, fed, walked, brushed and so forth, gives order and structure to the senior's life. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning, to dress, to move about, and go outside. Why should we take that opportunity away from them? I can only believe that the people who are suggesting that seniors be barred from adopting pets feel that the elderly are no longer of real use to society, and are not even worthy of having an animal companion with them in their sunset years. Such people do not appear to have much empathy. They do not seem to understand the psychological pain of sitting alone in a room with nothing but bare walls and furniture, with nothing alive to interact with, and no living thing to take comfort from, and to do this for months and years while waiting for the end to come.
I agree with this 100%. I would always, always defer to the health benefit of the PERSON. I don't care how you explain it- if you consciously choose to withhold an animal, through adoption or other means, to a person simply because you 'may not feel it is best for the animal' in part to age or longevity of the person or based on some other bias- you are discriminating to say the least.
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