Aging parents and their pets

[Catherine]

The article is about aging parents, but it applies to anyone who is getting older and has pets. At a certain point a person may not be able to look after their pets.
The article talks about the signs you should look for when you visit someone older who has pets.
If it is a family member it may be possible to bring up the subject of getting help to care for a pet. If it is a friend with a pet it may be harder to bring up the subject. The subject does need to be approached. At a certain point the pet may not be getting the care they need. 

https://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/opi...733c2.html

It would be good to evaluate the situation of your own pets as you get older. It is okay to need help with some things.
Younger working people have no problem hiring a dog walker. Older people with mobility issues should be able to hire a dog walker too.
It means admitting you can't walk your own dog, but that is better than neglecting the dog.

I do home care and I admit I have cleaned a few liter pans and bathed a few dogs over the years. I wanted people to be able to keep their pets. I have also helped people to choose to rehome their pets for the pets safety and wellbeing. Sometimes it is the right thing to do.

The saddest thing I encountered was helping an older lady keep her little dog and then the daughter got involved. She picked up the dog and took him to the vet and had him put down put down.
She never gave us a chance to rehome the dog. She just got rid of him.

Planning for aging and caring for a pet is something we should all do for ourselves and those we care about. Our pets deserve that much from us.