It is hard to fathom to think of ever having to let a dog go that you loved—or perhaps realized you didn’t love- or was not a good fit.
I think of that from time to time with Joie’s owner before me. The courage it took for her to say, “I can’t do this. I need to find her a new home.”
I do believe that Joie’s owner before me loved Joie very, very much. But raising four kids, along with many other responsibilities, and the fact that Joie has special needs, was just too much.
I realize not everyone will agree with me on this, that maybe Joie’s owner before me should have done all she could to take care of Joie. But I think it took courage for her to say, “I can’t do this. Joie deserves better.”
Part of this was sparked for me because of a question author Jon Katz posted on his Facebook wall today: “Have you ever had a dog you didn’t love? I’ve had one, maybe two. Can you explain? Is it okay to acknowledge that you don’t love a dog and seek a better home for him or her?”
There are some interesting comments around this. I can’t imagine having to say that I didn’t love a dog, or they aren’t the right one for me, as I think I’d be heart broken, but it does happen.
I think more importantly the fact that these people were honest and said they didn’t love the dog or realized they weren’t a good fit together- the dog would be better off in a new home. I do give people credit for doing this—to give the dog a better life. While yes, we have so many who are just left abandoned or given up without a care or a thought, and that is heartbreaking. But I’d rather see someone take the high road of responsibility and do all that they could to find that dog the right home.
Maybe this is hard to all understand because we would never think of doing this with our kids (though sadly that is done too). But I do believe dogs are different in this sense. I’ve witnessed that with Joie. I was so worried she would miss her family before me, especially the kids. She was used to that. Now she was coming to a home with no kids. Would that be hard for her?
But Joie seamlessly fit into our lives as if she was meant to be here. I’m still so amazed at how well she adjusted. And how could I be nothing than extremely thankful for the gift of her? Every day I am so grateful for the courage it took for Joie’s family before me to let her go.
So I do realize this is a sensitive issue and not everyone may agree, but I do welcome your thoughtful comments.