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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

It’s irresponsible to buy 2 puppies at 94

137 replies

Onedropbeat · 20/03/2021 07:43

I don’t think it’s at all responsible at 94 to be buying puppies

I also don’t think it’s responsible buying through the pets4home website

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 20/03/2021 08:59

Just jumping on to say that ops view on age is def clouded, my mum has just turned 70 and is one of the fittest people I know! She walked the Camino (740 km) the year before lockdown!!

dontdisturbmenow · 20/03/2021 09:03

Good question - 50?
Nowadays, you can have a 70 year old, even 80 and exceptionally 80yo fitter than a 50yo. Basing it in age only is silly.

As for buying from that website, many reputable breeders do use it. The issue is that so do dodgy people and not everyone is able and willing to take the steps to identify who is who.

Mummyoflittledragon · 20/03/2021 09:12

Puzzled
I expect the dog will have given your dm pleasure. However, not planning for what happens after your death is irresponsible.

Lockdownbear · 20/03/2021 09:13

The report I read said they were a gift. I'll guess the person who gave them will have them back if they outlive her.

This is a fairly fit 94yo, who still rides. She cares for her dogs personally as much as she can. And has plenty of carers (staff) to help out.
I have had a giggle at the thought of her picking up the poops.

Sorry I can't get worked up about it. Animals can be a great source of comfort to older people, as long as they have a plan for becoming infirm or no longer being able to care for the animal then why not?

crosspelican · 20/03/2021 09:14

It seems a bit far-fetched.

Didn't Beatrice or Eugenie give the Queen a corgi puppy as a birthday present a few years ago and the gift was declined because on the grounds that the Queen was afraid of tripping on an excitable puppy?

Or maybe they were just squashing Beatrice (or Eugenie)?

Sh05 · 20/03/2021 09:16

@Onedropbeat

Different articles are saying a mix of things - one says it’s a pedigree corgi, another says it’s a dorgi (cross corgi and dachshund) Hmm
Basically we don't know the full story, they could have landed from Mars for all the different articles saying differing things. I don't think age matters for anyone so long as there are arrangements in place if the owner dies and in this case there most probably is.
sabrinathemiddleagewitch · 20/03/2021 09:23

Yes

Tumbleweed101 · 20/03/2021 09:29

Not a problem so long as plans have been made for the pet before purchase for if the owner dies first or isn’t able to do the full care themselves.

That said, when I got my pup a couple years ago I did think he will likely be my last puppy. If he lives a full life span I will about 60 when he goes. If I get another dog I may decide to get an adult rescue rather than start from scratch.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 20/03/2021 09:32

If it comes to it and she pops her clog before the new dog (which on the balance of probabilities, she will), we her children will have to work out what to do with the dog - find someone to rehome it. But it will have given DM a lot of pleasure, hopefully for a good number of years.

Sorry, but I think it's highly irresponsible of your DM to get a puppy at 85 with no thought as to what will happen to it when she dies. It may give her "great pleasure" for a few years, but what about for the rest of it's life when your DM dies and there's nobody to look after it?

Private re-homing (unless to immediate family) is pretty much always a bad idea, so the likelihood is the dog will end up in rescue centre. And, the sad fact is, not all dogs end up finding new homes.

Mygardenisnotperfect · 20/03/2021 09:37

I honestly find it hard to believe that the Royal Family get their dogs from the pets4home website... if it’s true that is genuinely quite shocking to me!

sunflowersandbuttercups · 20/03/2021 09:40

@Mygardenisnotperfect

I honestly find it hard to believe that the Royal Family get their dogs from the pets4home website... if it’s true that is genuinely quite shocking to me!
Sadly, it doesn't shock me.

Loads of people defend that website to the death. The Royal Family are no different.

BattyPancake · 20/03/2021 09:41

Yabvu... You can get fit and well 94 year old, granted not often, but at that age the dogs would have constant company and attention, assuming a fit 94 year old who is still able to go for walks, the dogs would want for nothing...

BattyPancake · 20/03/2021 09:42

Sorry, but I think it's highly irresponsible of your DM to get a puppy at 85 with no thought as to what will happen to it when she dies... She could well live for another 20+ years! 😂

PlanetPuddle · 20/03/2021 09:43

If there's someone in the family who can look after them or staff then why not.

GoryGilmore · 20/03/2021 09:43

I’m not a dog lover at all, but if my family caused the shit storms that hers does, I think I’d rather surround myself with dogs as well.

ZooKeeper19 · 20/03/2021 09:48

@Onedropbeat it's irresponsible and disgusting to buy animals, especially from puppy mills. I thought the news explained this to pretty much everyone :/

But yes, being 94 makes it a bit more silly, unless the person has a contingency plan.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 20/03/2021 09:51

@BattyPancake

Sorry, but I think it's highly irresponsible of your DM to get a puppy at 85 with no thought as to what will happen to it when she dies... She could well live for another 20+ years! 😂
Absolutely she could. She could also trip over the dog tomorrow, fracture a hip and not be able to care for it anymore. Puppies are hard work, run, jump, pull and get in the way.

But very few people live to 100+ and manage to look after a dog at the same time.

M0rT · 20/03/2021 09:52

I'm in Ireland and one of our animal charities has an add on the radio at the moment about their service for taking care of pets if you predecease them.
Must be something similar in the UK?
I mean for other older people not the Queen obviously 😂

grannyinapram · 20/03/2021 09:54

To be fair, the idea of the Queen looking at cute puppies online is actually quite surreal.

Gladimnotcampinginthisweather · 20/03/2021 09:55

Is this really true?
If HM really has got two puppies they will be well cared for. Plenty of indoor space, and even more outdoors. Are they called Haz and Megz?

oneglassandpuzzled · 20/03/2021 09:55

I'm a 57-year-old who will happily take on most women half my age in terms of fitness. Grin

We had to persuade my FIL not to have his dog bred (again) when he was 84. He said he'd wanted to keep one of the puppies. He already had two dogs. When we asked who'd have the dogs when he wasn't around it was clear he had always assumed his children would take them on. He was completely baffled that we hadn't taken this for granted too.

As it turned out, we took on the two elderly dogs (puppy idea was thankfully quashed). They were both obese, one was blind and very snappy, and they had limited housetraining. One of them had damage to the paws caused by the obesity. We couldn't bear the thought of them going to a rehoming centre as nobody would have wanted them and it would have been traumatic for the poor things. We already had a young dog of our own. I ended up doing about three differently paced walks a day (while working from home and ferrying teenagers around our rural area).

They each lost a third of their body weight with us as we reduced their food and carried out route marches every day.

The Queen has staff and her children have staff so there won't be such a lot asked of those who 'inherit' the dogs.

Sittinonthesand · 20/03/2021 09:57

We took on a dog whose owner had died. He got her as a 3 year old that needed a home and knew that there were plenty of people who would have her if need be. She gave him much happiness and is now very happy with us. Dogs bond with new owners very quickly as long as they are fed, walked and comfortable. I think some owners would be shocked how quickly they settle in to a new home! ILs also took on a dog from a friend who died, all very happy.

CovidCorvid · 20/03/2021 09:57

My mum got a puppy in her 70s but spoke to a close friend beforehand who agreed in the event of mums death the friend would have the dog. My mum did die when the dog was only a few years old but the dog went straight to this pre arranged good home.

BattyPancake · 20/03/2021 10:00

But buying a puppy at 59 means you still need to be fit and healthy in your late 69’s
(I come from a family that don’t seem to have the longevity gene so this probably clouds my view on that)"

Yes for sure... You wait until you're that age.. You'll look back and laugh WinkFlowersXx

Inthevirtualwaitingroom · 20/03/2021 10:00

i voted yanbu but now it is the queen specifically i really ought to change my vote.