🐱 Man takes own life after alligator kills support dog

Man takes own life after alligator kills support dog

Drew Epp was never without Java. His mother says he suffered from bipolar disorder and paranoid delusions, but Java was his constant companion -- until an alligator took the dog's life.

www.fox5ny.com

“Man's best friend” was almost an understatement for the relationship between Drew Epp and his emotional support dog, Java.

"That was his life,” Drew's mother, Donna Epp said. “The dog was his life.”

The 36-year old Parrish man was never without Java. His mother says he suffered from bipolar disorder and paranoid delusions, but Java was his confidant and constant companion.

"He could take care of her, it was very therapeutic for him," she continued.

But a horrific accident changed everything last Friday, when Java was killed by an alligator at Palmetto's Dog Leg Park.

"While he was there, she apparently bolted and found another hole another dog had dug," she said.

The chocolate lab made it to the other side of the fence, where there was a pond.

"He was running after her, and she must have stopped to take a drink of water in the pond when the gator hit her," Epp said. "Gone. Just ripped out her throat. He finally found her and slung her over his back, and ran back through the dog park."

Java died on the way to the animal hospital.

It was too much for Drew, who took his own life the next day.

His mother found him in the garage, where he spent countless hours with Java.

"I ran to go get my neighbor and said, ‘We have to revive him.’ And he said, ‘He didn't just die; it's been a while,’" she said through tears.

The family says Drew wanted to check in to a mental health facility recently, somewhere he'd been in the past. But the facility couldn't see him until August.

"No one can ever, ever be turned away who is seeking help for a mental illness issue," Epp said. "I don't care if you're 90 or 9. If you're asking for mental health [help], you need to get it."

 

[Exigent Circumcisions]

That's fucking sad.

RIP Drew, RIP Java.

 

[KimCoppolaAficionado]

Man takes own life after alligator kills support dog

Drew Epp was never without Java. His mother says he suffered from bipolar disorder and paranoid delusions, but Java was his constant companion -- until an alligator took the dog's life.

www.fox5ny.com

“Man's best friend” was almost an understatement for the relationship between Drew Epp and his emotional support dog, Java.

"That was his life,” Drew's mother, Donna Epp said. “The dog was his life.”

The 36-year old Parrish man was never without Java. His mother says he suffered from bipolar disorder and paranoid delusions, but Java was his confidant and constant companion.

"He could take care of her, it was very therapeutic for him," she continued.

But a horrific accident changed everything last Friday, when Java was killed by an alligator at Palmetto's Dog Leg Park.

"While he was there, she apparently bolted and found another hole another dog had dug," she said.

The chocolate lab made it to the other side of the fence, where there was a pond.

"He was running after her, and she must have stopped to take a drink of water in the pond when the gator hit her," Epp said. "Gone. Just ripped out her throat. He finally found her and slung her over his back, and ran back through the dog park."

Java died on the way to the animal hospital.

It was too much for Drew, who took his own life the next day.

His mother found him in the garage, where he spent countless hours with Java.

"I ran to go get my neighbor and said, ‘We have to revive him.’ And he said, ‘He didn't just die; it's been a while,’" she said through tears.

The family says Drew wanted to check in to a mental health facility recently, somewhere he'd been in the past. But the facility couldn't see him until August.

"No one can ever, ever be turned away who is seeking help for a mental illness issue," Epp said. "I don't care if you're 90 or 9. If you're asking for mental health [help], you need to get it."

Absolutely tragic, I hope both of them rest in peace.

 

[SiccDicc]

I hope somebody made alligator boots.

 

[ColtWalker1847]

emotional support dog

"While he was there, she apparently bolted and found another hole another dog had dug," she said.

So it was a poorly trained pet with a fancy title. Gotcha.

Also, it seems like the guy was having problems before doggo bought it.

Point is, don't put this one on the gator. It was just doing it's thing.

 

[Mr. Bowel Cancer]

Why didn't that târd keep her on a leash?

 

[Midlife Sperglord]

Suddenly, I feel like poaching a gator and serving its flesh to my friends at a BBQ.

 

[MuuMuu Bunnylips]

He missed out on an opportunity: support alligators. I mean, who would fuck with one of those?

"Hey mister, is it okay if I pet him?"

*HSSSSSSS*

"Never mind!"

 

[Marissa Moira]

Wasn't a pitbull, which means this is a high crime.

Gator deserves death for killing a lab.

 

[Chin of Campbell]

Maybe make sure your dog park doesn't have any gators in it, armored water dinosaur vs. happy tail wagger ain't a good match-up.

RIP Dog and Dog's friend, but that gator didn't do anything wrong. It was just living its life like the dog was.

(That said if somebody cooks it I'll take some.)

 

[CatParty]

He missed out on an opportunity: support alligators. I mean, who would fuck with one of those?

"Hey mister, is it okay if I pet him?"

*HSSSSSSS*

"Never mind!"

Man says emotional support alligator helps his depression

YORK HAVEN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man says his emotional support alligator helps him deal with his depression. Joie Henney, 65, said his registered emotional support animal named Wally likes to snuggle and give hugs, despite being a 5-foot-long alligator. The York Haven man said he received...

www.apnews.com

 

[FaceOfTrueHorror]

"The family says Drew wanted to check in to a mental health facility recently, somewhere he'd been in the past. But the facility couldn't see him until August. "

Really can be hard to get the mental support you need sadly.

 

[Rabidcolombian]

What the hell kind of dog park has an alligator infested pond on the other side of the fence? You're telling me no one saw a bad scenario like this coming a mile away? A fence doesn't even keep out the illegal immigrants and they're almost as smart as dogs.

 

[PL 001]

I'm sorry his dog died, nobody should ever lose a pet like that, but killing yourself over it? That's some grade-a autism.

Said it before and I'll say it again, people seem to have a VERY unhealthy relationship with dogs.

 

[Marissa Moira]

I'm sorry his dog died, nobody should ever lose a pet like that, but killing yourself over it? That's some grade-a autism.

Said it before and I'll say it again, people seem to have a VERY unhealthy relationship with dogs.

Dogs can't hurt you like people can.

 

[RG 448]

When mental illness casts you adrift, it’s much easier to deal with if you have an anchor to keep you weighed down in rational thought and objective clarity, ironically to keep your head above water; to hang onto the fact that these things usually come in cycles and that if you stick it out, you’ll usually come out the other side. Dogs are empaths, I imagine they make pretty fucking great anchors. I’ve lost a couple of my own anchors over the years, and what comes next is downright gnarly. Being crazy ain’t for pussies, and even the toughest of us still get beat down.

 

[EasyPeasy]

If you need an emotional support pet at least get something cool. There was a woman here in the UK news who has an emotional support Skunk called Pongo.

Nurse uses emotional support SKUNK to battle anxiety and depression

Paula Bavill, 46, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, suffered anxiety and depression for years but now treats them with her panic pet - a skunk called Pongo.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[crocodilian]

So it was a poorly trained pet with a fancy title. Gotcha.

Also, it seems like the guy was having problems before doggo bought it.

Point is, don't put this one on the gator. It was just doing it's thing.

I agree fellow human, the alligator wasn't at fault here. If you go near the water's edge of course an alligator's instincts will kick in. This was just an unfortunate accident. Personally I think the best way to handle this would to be to bring the dog and human back to the sight of the accident, leave both carcasses on the shore and then never return. It's like a funeral only much cheaper.

 

[PL 001]

Dogs can't hurt you like people can.

But this is what I'm talking about. This doesn't seem like a loving companion, people who hold this mentality seem to want a subservient "doll" to play with, that can never question them, disagree with them or be distant with them. That's not healthy. It seems to go hand in hand with dog people thinking that cats are absolute evil because you actually have to work at forging a relationship with a cat, instead of automatically getting undying love from a dog for doing practically nothing. That strikes me as someone insecure who needs that constant attention and validation. Again, not a very healthy outlook. I'm not specifically directing this at you, just a general sense of what I've noticed.

 

[Marissa Moira]

If you need an emotional support pet at least get something cool. There was a woman here in the UK news who has an emotional support Skunk called Pongo.

Nurse uses emotional support SKUNK to battle anxiety and depression

Paula Bavill, 46, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, suffered anxiety and depression for years but now treats them with her panic pet - a skunk called Pongo.

www.dailymail.co.uk

all the cool animals are extinct or illegal.