Joined
·
2,207 Posts
This is a bit of an odd post but I felt like I should pose the question to other dog people, as opposed to anyone else.
Let me give a little background. Before she was sent to NJ Stella was fostered as a very little puppy in the south with some of her brothers by an older (like 50s/60s) woman I'll call "Sue". Stella was clearly very well socialized from very young and I had wanted to contact her to tell her how grateful I was for that. So I contacted Sue through Facebook rescue networks and occasional contact turned into a sort of casual friendship. I say casual both because we don't talk about much more than dogs because we are like night and day (she's a super conservative, Christian with many social/political beliefs I find offensive and I'm an outspoken lesbian atheist who is regularly involved in civil rights movements.)
Anyway, to the actual point. Sue is a regular foster for many puppies for a shelter down there but she had a dog of her own "Daisy" who she was positively in love with. Daisy was clearly one of those "soulmate dogs" for Sue. Well, sadly about 8 months or so ago, Daisy died. She was elderly and had been suffering for months. Sue actually couldn't even handle putting her down, so Daisy died of her ailments. To put it lightly, Sue was devastated. This is understandable to any dog lover, but it has now...surpassed normal and healthy grieving. It has been at least 8 months and Sue still posts 1-10 posts on facebook a day about the "Rainbow Bride", heaven, or something religious about a loved one dying. Every time she talks to me or anyone else on Facebook or on the phone all she does is talk about Daisy or how torn up she is. She even once said that she was considering suicide because of this grief. I've gently suggested many times to find another dog to keep, to go to counseling, seek out some sort of help but that doesn't happen. Again, I don't know Sue very well but I know she lives alone, is divorced or widowed, and she once mentioned a son in the military, but he's never been mentioned again so I think he might have died. Either way, she doesn't seem to have many people who care about her.
I've been contemplating messaging one or two of the other rescue people I know who know her in person. I just feel bad because clearly this woman is going through more than she can handle. I'm sure it's also hard for her in some situations too because lots of people don't understand how important dogs and pet loss is.
Do you think there's anything I can or should do? :-/ It just pains and honestly, disturbs me every day to see this stuff from er every day.
Let me give a little background. Before she was sent to NJ Stella was fostered as a very little puppy in the south with some of her brothers by an older (like 50s/60s) woman I'll call "Sue". Stella was clearly very well socialized from very young and I had wanted to contact her to tell her how grateful I was for that. So I contacted Sue through Facebook rescue networks and occasional contact turned into a sort of casual friendship. I say casual both because we don't talk about much more than dogs because we are like night and day (she's a super conservative, Christian with many social/political beliefs I find offensive and I'm an outspoken lesbian atheist who is regularly involved in civil rights movements.)
Anyway, to the actual point. Sue is a regular foster for many puppies for a shelter down there but she had a dog of her own "Daisy" who she was positively in love with. Daisy was clearly one of those "soulmate dogs" for Sue. Well, sadly about 8 months or so ago, Daisy died. She was elderly and had been suffering for months. Sue actually couldn't even handle putting her down, so Daisy died of her ailments. To put it lightly, Sue was devastated. This is understandable to any dog lover, but it has now...surpassed normal and healthy grieving. It has been at least 8 months and Sue still posts 1-10 posts on facebook a day about the "Rainbow Bride", heaven, or something religious about a loved one dying. Every time she talks to me or anyone else on Facebook or on the phone all she does is talk about Daisy or how torn up she is. She even once said that she was considering suicide because of this grief. I've gently suggested many times to find another dog to keep, to go to counseling, seek out some sort of help but that doesn't happen. Again, I don't know Sue very well but I know she lives alone, is divorced or widowed, and she once mentioned a son in the military, but he's never been mentioned again so I think he might have died. Either way, she doesn't seem to have many people who care about her.
I've been contemplating messaging one or two of the other rescue people I know who know her in person. I just feel bad because clearly this woman is going through more than she can handle. I'm sure it's also hard for her in some situations too because lots of people don't understand how important dogs and pet loss is.
Do you think there's anything I can or should do? :-/ It just pains and honestly, disturbs me every day to see this stuff from er every day.