For fifteen years, Oli was more than a pet dog—he was family. The golden-haired mutt, adopted at six months old, lived through moves, heartbreaks, and late-night kitchen snacks while growing up alongside two sisters. Yet, as he begins his senior years, Oli’s life has taken an unthinkable turn that has torn apart his human family.
According to People Magazine, the drama unfolded when one of the sisters, a Reddit user, revealed that her mother (Oli’s long-time caretaker) abruptly decided to “rehome” him after allegedly receiving complaints from her apartment manager about “barking and howling.” The mother also claimed neighbors accused her of shouting “I hope you die” at the dog and neglecting him. The daughters, blindsided by the accusations, say this behavior was completely out of character. “We got Oli as a puppy at six months old, and he lived with my sister, mom, and me until we moved out,” the Redditor wrote.
“Then he continued living with our mom and has had no issues for (…) 12 years. He is 15 years old now.”
The mother and Oli coexisted peacefully in their apartment complex for over a decade. Then, out of the blue, she texted her daughters: either they take Oli “ASAP” or she would have to rehome him. The problem? One daughter lives across the country with three kids, three dogs, and a recently unemployed husband; the other juggles young children and an elderly dog who has previously fought with Oli. Things escalated when their mother listed Oli on Craigslist, and of course, that was a gut punch no child expects to see.
“Our mom is mad we can’t accommodate Oli and is blaming us,” the daughter shared. “Not only am I furious with her for rehoming her poor 15-year-old dog, who has only known her and us, but I feel like this is my fault.” Since then, that one Craigslist ad has been the center of virtual discussions about aging, responsibility, and love, whether in humans or dogs.
My sister is looking to rehome her dog. She got a new job and works too many shifts.
Heart is 5 years old. Shes a real sweetheart that likes being outdoors and around people she’s house trained and knows a few commands she’s good w/other small-medium dogs, cats, and kids pic.twitter.com/oKzfHwLU27
— 🤌🏾🇵🇸🇨🇩🇭🇹🇸🇩 (@ComplexBlackBoi) February 19, 2024
The story moved both dog lovers and ethicists. The Whole Dog Journal‘s Nancy Kerns once wrote that rehoming a dog can be justified in financial loss, eviction, or safety concerns between animals. However, rehoming a loyal companion in their senior years simply because they’ve become inconvenient crosses a moral line. Kerns recalled “[seeing] red” after seeing a grey-faced elderly dog at a shelter whose family had given him up after years of loyalty. Given that elderly dogs often get overlooked in shelters, her warning seems fitting. Such shelters frequently put them down because no one wants to adopt them.
Reddit commenters shared this anxiety and told the daughters to find out about their mother’s physical and/or mental health rather than dwelling only on her choice. “Something doesn’t sound right,” one user wrote, suggesting possible cognitive decline or mental health struggles. Another added, “Is your mom [okay]?” It’s important to remember that this kind of rash decision is sometimes not cruel but rather a cry for help from someone who can no longer care for themselves or their pets.
Oli’s fate is still unknown. His owner’s daughters are searching for alternatives, such as grocery pickups or dog daycare, to help ease their mother’s stress, but she is said to have “ignored all (…) suggestions.” In an ideal scenario, no pet dog who has been loved and faithful for fifteen years should end up in a stranger’s vehicle or behind a shelter gate. However, love can sometimes fall apart.
