Daughter ‘Heartbroken’ After Mother Decides to Suddenly ‘Rehome’ 15-Year-Old Family Dog

Families often form deep, lifelong bonds with their pets – especially those brought home as puppies, like Oli. 

For 15 years, Oli has been more than just a dog; he’s been a loyal companion to one Redditor. But now, in his twilight years, he finds himself at the center of a heartbreaking conflict that has left everyone involved feeling “sad and heartbroken.”

“We got Oli as a puppy at 6 months old and he lived with my sister, mom and I until we moved out,” the Reddit user writes in a recent post. “Then he continued living with our mom and has had no issues for the past 12 years. He is 15 years old now.” 

For over a decade, there was no indication that anything was wrong. The Reddit user’s mother and Oli had settled into a stable routine in an apartment complex they had lived in for eight years without incident.

That stability was shattered by a sudden message: “My mom sent my sister and I a text message yesterday saying that her apartment manager called and said people have been complaining about barking and howling, that my mom screams ‘I hope you die’ at him, and that she doesn’t feed him.” 

For the Reddit poster and her sister, the accusations were shocking and completely out of character for their mother, who had always loved Oli and cared for him diligently.

“She texted us that one of us needs to take him asap or she has to rehome him,” the poster explains. However, neither daughter is in a position to take Oli.

One has multiple young children and an elderly dog who had already gotten into physical fights with Oli. The other lives 3,000 miles away, with three kids, three dogs and a husband who was recently laid off.

Nevertheless, their mother was anything but understanding. “Our mom is mad we can’t accommodate Oli and is blaming us,” she writes.

Desperation escalated when the mother listed Oli on Craigslist, telling the girls it is their “fault he will die with people he doesn’t know.”

“Not only am I furious with her for rehoming her poor 15 year old dog who has only known her and us, I feel like this is my fault,” the Reddit user admits.

Commenters, however, were worried for her mother, many of whom suggested she and her sister go check up on her.

“Have you considered that something is amiss with your mother? It seems odd that someone who has always been good about taking care of a dog, loving it, feeding it, caring for it….suddenly she won’t feed the dog, doesn’t want it around, says people are complaining about it,” one user wrote. “It might be worth a trip to check on your mother. Something doesn’t sound right there.”

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Some even questioned whether her mother might be dealing with something more serious. “Is your mom ok?” one user commented. “That sounds like potentially a mental health problem, onset of dementia or something?”

In the end, the original poster revealed she is devastated by the news, adding that their dog “doesn’t deserve this and she has ignored all my sister’s and I suggestions of doggy daycare, ordering groceries for pickup, etc. I am sad and heartbroken.”

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.