Aside from all of the dogs that end up on borrowed time at the dog pounds around here, and the non-stop requests from people hoping someone will take their dog, responsible rescue always takes their adopted dogs back, for any reason.
There are legitimate reasons for having to give up a beloved pet. Most of those reasons are also used by people who just want to get rid of their dog but are hoping to seem like better people than they are. Take allergies, for example. I had one foster dog years ago whose family tried everything for over a year after one of the children developed allergies. They were heartbroken when they finally had to accept nothing was working, and he had to be returned. Their dog was exceptionally nice, obviously much loved and well cared for. Contrast that to one application I received from a family who answered the question: Have you ever given a dog away? with: Yes we had to give our last dog to the Humane Society because of my wife's allergies. We would like to adopt this dog because we realized she wasn't allergic to the dog after all. Um, what?! That's the story. She started having allergy symptoms so the FIRST thing they did was to get rid of their dog! But it's OK now! After the dog left and she was still sneezing she went to a doctor and found out she wasn't really allergic to him at all! And they couldn't understand why I wouldn't adopt to them.
Foreclosure and the economy are taking a toll on pets, too. It's understandable that if you're losing your home, sadly enough you might have to give up your dog, too. Still would you wait until say, 48 hours before you're out the door to look around and realize the dog needs somewhere to go? OK! We have all the dishes and knick knacks packed away and friends are coming with a truck on Monday. Cousin Mary is taking the couch and the dining room table, and OH NO! What are we going to do with Buddy?! Because those last minute calls happen all the time.
Death or serious illness are oftentimes genuine reasons for having to give up a dog. Those situations can be so sad, as if there weren't enough loss for everyone to deal with, the dog needs to go to a new home as well. Still, my all-time favorite dog return story was a woman who needed to return her dog because she was battling a life-threatening round of cancer. In those situations of course our hearts go out to the owners and the dog. Her dog was an older mixed breed, uneasy in new situations and with strangers, and so she was in foster care for a long time. Many months later we got an email from her owner. It explained who she was, and that she had finished up treatments and was doing much better. She'd been keeping an eye on the website and was sad to see Sadie was still not adopted. She was sure though we would be able to find a good home for her soon, because she's such a great dog. THEN she asked if it would be OK if she adopted one of the puppies we had available at that time. Her husband had never really bonded with Sadie but they really miss having a dog and so they think it would be better to just start over with someone new. Just imagine the look on my face when I read that one. So, your dog is still without a forever home and you know how much she has been struggling with the change but you come to us again to get a new dog?
It's sometimes a real struggle to avoid becoming jaded about the people we deal with to help the dogs we love.
Still I've found one happy ending or a thanks so much for our wonderful dog email makes up for a whole lot. More on those stories soon.
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