Grieving couple commits suicide after dog dies

[Twisterdog]

I'm so sad they made this choice. When I think of all the other lives these 2 could have made better.... If their love and devotion could have been passed on to another pet who just wanted someone to love.

I agree.

And very sad also that simply having each other was not enough.

I have to wonder if they weren't depressed almost to the point of suicide before the dog died, and perhaps they were just holding on and waiting until the old dog died. Maybe they wanted to commit suicide, but did not want to leave their dog alone.

Who knows.

[pitc9]

How horrible.....

[Zippy]

That's horriable.

[Husky15]

How sad.

I agree that suicide is wrong, and I think committing it because their dog died is taking it a little bit far. And no, I'm not saying that it was just a dog, it was their baby, but I still think committing suicide was taking it too far.

You would do the same if one of your own beloved pets died. It's not at all stupid.

Not many people would do the same. I've had family members die (and even pets), but I never committed suicide. Yes, it is a devastating time, but suicide is never the answer.

I mean, think of what people do to their family when they commit suicide.

It's just horrible.

[IRescue452]

Sometimes its not the grief. Sometimes people are just waiting. I've had plenty of suicidal days, but who would take care of Autumn. If she died, it wouldn't be grief that killed me, it'd be the fact that there's nothing depending on me anymore, like I can go now without worrying about anybody who needs me to live. Right now I'd be fine leaving her in the hands of my mother, but not my fish, nobody but me in my family knows how to properly take care of them.

[DJFyrewolf36]

Having almost succeeded at commiting suicide, I can honestly say there are a LOT of things going on inside the mind of a seriously suicidal person, things that are extremely hard to communicate to other people. Most of the time, people close to a suicidal person get confused and frustrated as they just can't understand what is inside their mind.

Maybe the dogs death was just a trigger to a bigger problem, maybe it WAS the problem who knows? Unfortuneatly no one will know Suicide is sad, and painful for EVERYONE no matter what the reason behind it is.

[dukedogsmom]

That is so very sad. I can certainly understand their grief. I've still got mine after almost five months. Everyone handles it in a different way. Some people can't cope. I'm kind of saddened by some of the callous remarks I've seen here. This, of all places, should be a place where some of those things weren't said.

[Whisk_Luva]

Look the person who said it was stupid: They were old, they have had this dog for 13 years, maybe they didnt want another dog because they might die when owning this dog and it would have to go to a shelter. People who lose children often go into depression, the dog was like a child to them. They maybe didnt know how to handle their dogs death, maybe they have seen to many friends die (they are old), maybe it wasnt just the dog, maybe the dog was just the last straw.

So it is not stupid. I admit it is not clever but it was their way of handling their grief.

[popcornbird]

That is very sad.

I can understand their grief and sorrow, however, I too, feel their reaction was not the way to go. Its heartbreaking. Suicide is never right. We're all going to die someday. People lose family members. They lose their spouses, parents, children. There are people in this world who lose entire families at once, due to war or earthquakes, or some other disaster. Still, there is never a reason to commit suicide.

Yes I understand that people do get hopeless. They get depressed. Sometimes depressed people cannot think straight...however, there is no reason strong enough to lose hope to the point that you just kill yourself. Anyone who has a pet knows they will die someday. Everyone who gets married knows their spouse will pass on one day, or they will pass on before the spouse. Everyone knows their parents will pass on one day. Their children, their brothers, sisters, grandparents...everyone. We're all going to die someday, and just because a loved one dies, doesn't mean we have to end our lives too.

Life goes on. If everyone committed suicide just because they lost a loved one, the whole world would be wiped out by now. We've all lost loved ones before...and I strongly believe that the love for a spouse or child/parent is generally much deeper than the love for a pet. It just doesn't compare. Until a person has a wonderful spouse or child, they cannot imagine. Even if someone loses a dear family member, one should not resort to committing suicide.

I know that we can never know how these people felt, but once again, suicide is never an answer. There is always hope in life...always light at the end of a tunnel, even though at the time of grief, we cannot see it. God pulls us out of hard times, if only we are patient.

[dukedogsmom]

Popcornbird, those are good points but just because we know we're going to lose our loved ones, be they humans or pets, does not make it easier. And how can you know how we feel about our lost pets? The loss of Duke has hurt me more than losing my dad. So, what does that make me? Some people will probably think me a horrible person for that statement. Yes, I loved my dad dearly and would have done anything for him. Duke was my furry soulmate. I'm really upset that you think that people like me don't know true grief because I don't have kids or a spouse. I never wanted kids. And no, my animals aren't a replacement for them. I had plenty of opportunities to have a kid if I wanted one. Now, I would never do suicide like this couple did but I can surely understand their despair because I'm living it right now. As a side note, I do know what it's like to lose an almost spouse. He's very ill and doesn't want to talk to anyone. Another reason my heart is breaking. So please, don't question someone else's grief.