Just one day after his service dog was mauled to death by an alligator, 36-year-old Andrew Epp took his own life, New York Post reported.
The bond between a dog and its owner is not something to be taken lightly. They’re more than just pets to us — they’re family. And that bond is even closer when it’s between a person and their service dog.
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Emotional support dogs provide invaluable benefits to someone struggling with mental health problems.
Studies have shown that these furry animals offer a comforting presence to their owners, leading to a decrease in symptoms of their diagnosed illness and an overall better lease on their mental/emotional health.
Andrew Epp, who struggled with his own mental health, had a chocolate lab service dog named Java.
According to a GoFundMe page established by his sister-in-law Ashley Epp in his memory, he struggled with mental health problems his whole life.
On May 17, Andrew was walking Java at Dog Leg Park in Palmetto, Florida.
Witnesses to the event say it was just after dusk when the dog somehow got loose while outside a fence. Moments later, Andrew was seen with the lifeless dog slumped over his shoulder, covered in blood.
“Most people, if they knew they were that close to marsh and gators, they wouldn’t walk back there,” Sharil Dowling told WFLA . “I can’t imagine the anguish that guy was in.”
The dog park is located near wetlands which are obscured by a line of trees.
This poses a dangerous threat to people and animals walking nearby of being potentially attacked by snakes or alligators.
A frequent visitor to the park told WFLA he knows of at least three dogs who have been killed by alligators there.
Andrew was reportedly inconsolable after the death of his dog, Java.
“It was just such a sad situation, he couldn’t deal with it,” Kayla Weston, one of Epp’s neighbors and family friends, told WFLA.
His GoFundMe page reveals Andrew’s relatives had been pleading local facilities to admit him the night before he took his own life.
However, the family was turned away and told that since Andrew wasn’t vocalizing that he had intentions to hurt himself, the earliest they could see a doctor would be August 2019.
“The thing is, often those considering suicide don’t vocalize their plans.”
The fundraising page was looking to raise $5,000 to cover the cost of moving Andrew’s mother to live with her other children, as his death left her alone.
As of writing, the page has currently raised $6,349.
Any money raised beyond the expected goal will be donated to mental health charities.
The page explains this is an effort to “fix the broken system.”
“Andrew’s family’s hope is that no one with mental health issues would ever be turned away when they or their families are seeking care.”
