"You are too old and will likely die before the dog does."
In essence, this is what Angela told me.
This without: talking to me, meeting with me, asking should anything happen what would I do with the dog (I do have a conscience and a daughter with children who would love to look after a pet I have). What is my lifestyle, health, activity level etc.0
Pure discrimination based on age. There was absolutely nothing else. I work out (bootcamp style), three days a week. Vegan. I take no medications and I look 15 years younger.
Who cares if you take care of yourself, right?
These people are shameful. I am probably in better shape than Angela.
I responded to her with detailed account of my health and lifestyle along with a snippet Psychology Today article: (and she what she wrote back):
"The benefits of pets for seniors are not just psychological, but also physical. Seniors who are living with a pet use medical services less frequently, follow recommended health suggestions more closely, and seem to suffer from physical ailments associated with or aggravated by stress to a lesser degree. There is even one study which looked at men aged 55 or more who had suffered from their first heart attack which found in follow-ups of 1 to 4 years, that those individuals living with a dog were much more likely to still be alive.
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."
Angela says:
Your response tells me I made the right decision.
A cruel and heartless person. I'm sure that if she treats humans like this, her dogs are psychologically hurting. read more