Woman in Tears After Home Depot Employees Build Her Casket for Dog for Free
People choose to honor the lives of their pets in different ways. Some put together memorials, some have their pets cremated and display a photo or drawing of their beloved pet, and some bury their four-legged family members.
While there are some restrictions in suburban areas, the way a family chooses to commemorate the life of their furry friend is a personal choice and one that people often have to make during an already emotionally turbulent time.
Scott J. Poznanski, who works at the Home Depot in Racine, Wisconsin, recently had a run-in with a woman who’d had to make that decision and was looking for some sort of help.
When the woman wandered into the store early on June 8, it was unclear what the matter was, but she was clearly distraught. He posted about the encounter on Facebook shortly following the incident.
“About 7:30 this morning a woman came into Home Depot absolutely bawling her eyes out,” his post began. “One of my co-workers brought her back to where a few of us were having a small conversation.”
“The woman explained that she was looking for some form of crate or box. Confused, we asked what for. She went on to explain that her thirteen year old golden lab had been suffering all weekend and her and her husband finally made the decision to take the pup in to be put down.”
As with many families, this dog was not simply a dog — Poznanski wrote that she said the dog had been “a son” to her and her husband, and he had even been the best man at the wedding.
While Home Depot doesn’t sell anything that could easily be used as a casket for man’s best friend, they did have the supplies. The lumber supervisor proposed a plan.
“The Lumber supervisor spoke up and said that while we didn’t necessarily have anything worthy enough to bury a dog in, she would be willing to donate the materials and labor to build a casket for her dog,” Poznanski’s post continued. “Almost immediately the woman broke down even more in gratitude.”
Poznanski and three others immediately started working on designing an appropriate box for the dog’s final resting place, getting the go-ahead from the store managers. Between them and a few other employees, it took around two hours to craft a wooden casket.
This isn’t the first time Home Depot has gone the extra mile for people in need. They’ve also built lemonade stands, therapy boards and walkers in the past, thanks to the kindness and concern of employees who see ways they can help solve other people’s problems.
“There is absolutely no way that I could’ve expected this when I woke up this morning,” Poznanski wrote. “However, my parents also taught me that people often need uplifting the most when they are down.”
“All of us realized this wasn’t about the price of the materials or the lost on-the-clock productivity. This is simply about doing the right thing and helping somebody get through an extremely difficult time. I’m so happy with how this project turned out. Seeing the tears of closure on the face of the woman after showing her this puppy casket made the whole thing worth it and then some.”
Many have commented to commend the employees and Home Depot for their willingness to foot the bill and provide the means for this grieving family to bury their beloved dog. What initially brightened one woman’s day has now given many hope that there are still kind-hearted people out there.
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