this afternoon i got an email from cammy, the woman who helped us find peter pan's new home with the big back yard. from time to time she'll send us updates on peter pan, and from time to time they include photos, vet's office details (those darn bladder stones), and other tidbits. it's such a lovely gesture, but i have to admit: i have never been able to open any of those emails. i always forward them to brandon and ask him all sorts of questions later.
but this afternoon i got an email from cammy and i was feeling brave.
as soon as those pictures loaded and i saw those petey ears flopping in mid air, i knew he was happy. i could just see it in his sweet, weird little face. i know we made the right decision for him, and that makes me so happy. though now i know what he looks like not mine. and well, he looks just like peter pan, of course. and then i cried all over my computer.
there's a part of me that wishes we'd never let him go, though i know we did the right thing for him. our yard in idaho ruined him for the city, and his new yard is perfect! there's an even smaller part of me that sometimes wonders if we should never have adopted him in the first place. but that part is so small it's barely worth noticing. peter pan gave me six years of pure love. he made me the mother i am today. i would have given him everything.
and so, i did.
a peter pan shaped part of me will be empty for the rest of my life. a part of me will always belong to peter, and i am happy to let him keep it. i am so happy that he is happy.
here are a few photos cammy shared that i knew i had to post, since i know so many of you have cared for peter pan over the years.
here are a few photos cammy shared that i knew i had to post, since i know so many of you have cared for peter pan over the years.
doesn't he look great?
a little note on peter's new family: he has three siblings. a twelve-year-old sister, a ten-year-old brother, and a seven-year-old airedale that he is said to get along with like gangbusters. in cammy's words, when she dropped him off "he was very happy, and didn't look back."
a little note on peter's new family: he has three siblings. a twelve-year-old sister, a ten-year-old brother, and a seven-year-old airedale that he is said to get along with like gangbusters. in cammy's words, when she dropped him off "he was very happy, and didn't look back."
thank you, new family, for the photos. thank you for loving him for me. thank you for that big, lovely yard! and thank you, sweet peter pan, for everything. i miss you pretty bad.
if you are looking to adopt a pet, or if you find yourself in the situation where you can no longer give your puppies the quality of life they deserve, please, please consider a breed rescue group. i have been so moved and impressed by all of the wonderful work they do, both for the animals they are rehoming as well as the humans who miss them dearly.
Oh this is pure happiness! I'm thrilled to bits that Peter Pan has landed his second fantastic home - that's one lucky dog!
ReplyDeleteThis made me cry. I can tell how much you love your dogs and because I love my dog so much, it really struck a chord with me. I'm glad your dog is happy in his new home. Thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteOH that picture of him in the wagon is fantastic. He does look happy, Natalie! :)
ReplyDeleteOo, this made me a little teary! My heart aches for you, but I am so glad for Peter Pan at the same time--he looks so happy! His sweet little face in the wagon just kills me! Dogs are such special animals.
ReplyDeleteThat last picture is adorable. What a tough decision. I can't imagine.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing. You are SO strong for giving him the life he deserves. Look how happy he is! He will always be your furbaby, he just someone else's now too.
ReplyDeleteand i'm crying at my desk. sweet peter pan!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you said - I wanted to give him everything, so I did. I think that's a great way to explain it to people who don't understand having to give up a pet. also, isn't petey in Virginia? I grew up there and Im sure he loves it, since it's awesome :)
ReplyDeleteOh but this post made me happy! He looks like a well loved, content dog.
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine how tough it must have been to let him go. I am glad that my dog is as tiny as she is. As much as I love big dogs, her size is perfect for a student like me, frequent moves around Europe, small apartments, city life... Let's just hope she gets along with a baby in the house. Sometime in the future...
ReplyDeletePeter Pan looks very happy indeed. You sure have a special place in his heart as well.
All the best from Berlin,
Laura
http://laurakraemer.blogspot.com
I just want to give you a huge virtual hug. You express so well the combination of pain and joy that has been the saga of Peter Pan. I am ecstatic, for all of you in your family, that he is happy.
ReplyDeleteI love that you have a soft spot in your heart for dogs. I think it's one of the things that made me love your blog so much. I definitely shed a tear in Peter's honor. You'll forever be a fur mom.
ReplyDeleteyou have such a kind heart! you could have been selfish and kept peter but you weren't and he looks so happy!
ReplyDeletethis definitely made me cry, he looks so happy in the pictures. and the frisbee pic? love. kudos to you for selflessly giving him what he needed! it's not an easy thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy he's happy. It seems like this was the right descision for you and your family right now. But please think very carefully before you decide to get another pet. Pets should be a forever commitment, not a "until we have the opportunity to live on the Upper West Side" commitment. Yes, things happen and circumstances change but pets are family members and therefore should rank higher in importance than not wanting to move into a larger apartment in the outer boroughs.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to be cruel, I know rehoming is a serious decision and can be the right one. It's just that I've seen this happen too many times. And multiple times in the same family.
@jack and cassie--i assure you that future pets was something we considered very strongly when we discussed giving them up. and, weirdness of a perfect stranger telling me what i should and shouldn't do and judging my decisions aside, i'll say i completely agree with you. i'd feel like i was cheating on them if we were to adopt another pet, and until our lives are fully settled (which, will that ever happen??) it wouldn't be wise for us to bring any animals into our family for a long, long while. but really, your complete right to say it aside, i found your comment a little insulting. we live here for a lot of reasons, very few of which have to do with excitement or feeling "cool."
DeleteAmen, Natalie!!
DeleteAs I read this blog, my thoughts turned to the birth mothers of our two adopted sons. It took great courage to place their infants in a home that could give them more than they were able to give. I know they suffered greatly in their difficult decision making, but both have told me that they know they did the right thing. I do not judge the birth mothers. I hold only love, appreciation, and eternal gratitude for their courage and their gift.
DeleteOnce when one of my sons was wanting to locate his birth parents and I felt a bit anxious, I had a friend who told me, "They can never have too many people to love them." Your Peter Pan has many who love him. Good for you, Natalie, you did the right thing. Do not look back in regret. Look ahead in peaceful joy. That's what his now family is feeling too.
thank for your writing this. it touched me and made me so sad and I never thought I could love a dog as much as I love my very own now (:
ReplyDeleteYou are so brave. Reading about others that our in our situation helps. Currently, we are going through one of these patches. We have very painfully decided to leave our almost 2 year old German Shepherd behind (hello...she's on the restricted breed list for every apartment complex statewide) while we attend grad school across the country. I think it may kill my husband. Love your sweet post and...i feel yah!
ReplyDeleteI love this. My family got one of our dogs from a rescue like this and we are so lucky to have her. I know it was hard for the person who gave her up but she is now part of our family and is not going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteNot even kidding you, that last picture made me cry! I remember that blog post so well, about your decision to give them up. That was when I really started to follow your blog, I was so moved by your honesty, and I couldn't imagine how hard it was to give yours dogs up! So glad he looks so happy!
ReplyDeleteI often fantasize about moving to NYC, but I know that would be the hardest thing to give up. My dog is so used to our big fenced in back yard, I couldn't imagine her in a cramped apartment. You made the right decision.
Shannon
www.11thandshannon.com
This is my first time on your blog, and boy, you pulled me in with that sweet story. I also had to give up a pet once - a cat, to a loving family that could give her the home that she needed with other pets, since she was so lonely after my ex and I split up, depriving her of her pet siblings. I wasn't in a position to get more pets, and she became very depressed. 4 years later, I still think about her and still cry sometimes. They get into our hearts for sure.
ReplyDeleteThis update makes my heart smile! I've been curious as to how Peter was doing! He looks so healthy, happy, and free! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so happy Peter Pan is happy! I absolutely love the last photo. I grew up with Airedales and the last two that my parents have had have both come from the Airedale resuce group-the groups definitely do a lot of good. Thanks for updating us on Peter P.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to see this update!! I've often wondered how he was doing but didn't want to ask you in case you managed, for one split second not to be sad about your furbaby.
ReplyDeletethis is so adorable! what a cutie little dog.
ReplyDeletewww.modernsuburbanites.blogspot.com
Awww, shucks. You've gone and made me tear up.
ReplyDeleteI (literally) cried for you when you posted about the turmoil you felt in deciding what was best for the dogs. I didn't comment at the time, but every fiber of my being was screaming 'KEEP THEM!' Because that's exactly what I would have done. Without question, I know I would have done the selfish thing in your situation and kept my beloved Percy (a toy fox terrier, so he's sort of a cousin of Peter Pan's) in an environment that wasn't beneficial to him just so I wouldn't have to endure a separation.
I applaud you for making the decision that was best for them even though it's been hard on you. Natalie, you're a stronger woman than I am. I'm so thrilled to see Peter Pan nicely settled in the yard of his dreams, though I'm sure he still misses you. Dogs don't forget. You'll always be his mama.
And *now* I'm crying.
Too bad my 2 cats are no particular breed. For the past year and a half, I've been trying to rehome them the best I can!
ReplyDeleteThat is so incredibly sweet. He does look happy! I'm glad you opened the email and made peace with it. He's still your furbaby in your hearts; he's just enjoying time with his new family, that's all.
ReplyDeleteYou did the right thing, Natalie. If you ever doubt it, look at the happiness on the little girl's and that little dog's faces.
ReplyDeletethis post made me tear up. i am glad you were brave enough to open the email and see these happy petey photos. that last one of him in the wagon is precious! it must be so bittersweet to see him with his new family. it's obvious you made the right decision and he is so loved and happy, but i'm sorry he is not with you. i love the heartfelt way you write about love for pets. they truly are family.
ReplyDeletePeter Pan! Thank you so much for the update. You know we all love him and miss him too. He does look like a happy pup.
ReplyDeleteWe got our dog from a breed rescue too. It's an option, other than the humane society, that more people should look into.
Seriously, what an adorable dog. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAhhh this made me tear up! I remember all of your funny, adorable posts about Barnaby McDuff and Peter Pan! You did a good thing Natalie.
ReplyDeletewhat a great thing you did. and peter pan definitely looks SOO happy!!
ReplyDeletexo TJ
I've never commented on any blog before, even though I'm a daily reader of yours. I honestly had to stop myself from tearing up at my desk reading this entry. Which is odd, given that I have never been a dog (ok, animal..) person. So congrats nat, you may have converted me. My future children will be very grateful to you that I may now consider owning a dog one day :)
ReplyDeleteNatalie, thanks for posting the update on Peter Pan! I hope seeing him so happy and well cared for brings you comfort. I got teary eyed reading this post. I'm glad you mentioned rescue organizations. I got my dog at Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue and they do an amazing job matching dogs with families. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on what was a heartbreaking decision for you.
ReplyDeleteI was BEYOND excited when I saw the title for this post on my feed. Oh I cried, I CRIED!, looking at those pictures of Peter Pan.
ReplyDeleteBeing a mom to a dog is something very special.
I'm so happy for you that you get to see him being so happy. Does that make sense?
Do you ever get to hear how that ridiculous Barney is doing?
This is so great, I am so happy you got an update and he is doing so well.
ReplyDeleteWe also had a doggy that was my first baby. We had to adopt her out when we had kids...she wasn't a kids - type of dog we discovered.
Still to this day I think of her often, wonder how she is doing hope with all my heart she is happy. She too forever will hold a spot in my heart.
Tears flooded my eyes when I read this beautiful post. It is wonderful to see your Petey so happy! I love all of your posts, but I have a soft spot for the ones that include thoughts on your fur babies and/or photos of sweet pups you see day-to-day in NYC. I'm glad that you opened this email, and I'm glad this heartbreaking decision hasn't prevented you from taking joy in the sight of a wagging tail.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you mention rescue groups for anyone looking to bring a pet into their life. Both of my beloved dogs came from rescue organizations (although neither was fortunate enough to come from a loving home like your boys did).
I know you occasionally receive grief from people for the decision you made, but please know that true dog lovers (like moi) can see just how special those puppies are to you.
Oh gosh, i got happy tears when i looked at those pictures! He IS happy! You did do the RIGHT thing! Letting someone go so that they can become their best self is a gift. And PP is his best self in a yard with room to run (and catch frisbees!). Oh what a gift you gave him. To be his Loving Momma for six years and then to let him enjoy the next ten (may it be so) with another loving family. Well done! xo.
ReplyDeleteI am SO happy to here about Petey! Happy that he's happy and that you know it now. He is such a cutie pie!
ReplyDeleteLidia Lavonna
How sweet. I love what you wrote here. It is important to see where our love goes and to connect with that, because our love is so important.
ReplyDeleteHe looks great! I blubbered through this whole post. How I miss my Phoebe! Hardest. Thing. Ever. We do what we must and you know what? No matter what anyone thinks or says its a very unselfish decision. I'm proud of you for reading the email and so glad you shared. It meant a great big something to me.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Linds
mama to one awesome fur baby
You say that maybe you never should have "adopted" Peter in the first place. However, you bought him from a breeder, right? Not to nitpick, but it sort of seems like you are trying to disguise that part of the story with your choice of words.
ReplyDeleteI really hope that when you do decide to get another dog, you will take your own advice and adopt next time around.
End of dog lecture.
@jennyschu thanks for the dog lecture. we did adopt peter from a responsible breeder and proudly so. we researched the breeder thoroughly, and we were in contact with them long before and long after we took peter pan home. i wasn't aware it is only considered "adoption" if you go through a rescue or humane society? i'm sure that doesn't seem correct. i mean, you pay money to the society or rescue group to cover fees, just as you pay money to a breeder to cover fees. i was never trying to disguise that fact, i don't feel i have anything to be ashamed of. an adoption is an adoption is how i figure. i mean, you can't give birth to your own dogs now can you? ;)
DeleteI see what you are saying and I didn’t mean to be accusatory. It’s a sensitive topic for me I admit, especially after just watching the documentary “Earthlings” – seriously watch it if you haven’t already, it’s free online. The section about pets had me sobbing.
DeletePaying a small amount to a rescue group when you adopt really is to cover their fees – these are non-profit organizations. When you pay breeders, a portion of that is to cover their expenses, yes, but the rest is profit. It’s a business.
It just upsets me to see wonderful dogs out there that are passed over by people who choose to buy from breeders (even responsible ones!) I know some people want specific breeds, but it is entirely possible to find whatever you’re looking for with the different rescue groups, shelters, Petfinder, whatever. It might take a little time and research, but it also takes time waiting for the right breeder to have puppies available anyway. I got my little guy, a welsh terrier, through a welsh group and I feel SO lucky to have him! And getting an older dog came with the added bonus of him already being housetrained. :)
Anyway, I’m glad you are bringing more awareness to the breed-specific rescue groups.
And sometimes adopting is not possible. When my husband and I decided to look at adopting a small dog we found adoption fees in our (urban) area >$400, required home inspections and income statements and a professionally installed fenced yard. We live in a rental house, no fenced yard and we didn't feel comfortable being required to disclose our income. We ended up buying our puppy from a breeder even though there were adorable long-haired chihuahuas we would have loved to rescue.
DeleteThis was hard for me to read as I DID choose to be a 'responsible' person and adopt through a rescue. I went through my local humane society and got an adorable mini lemon beagle. She was my world at the time as I had no kids. However, soon after we got her she started having seizures. I was pregnant and had a baby all the while care for an epileptic dog who kept getting worse and worse. My son got old enough to understand and we ultimately had to put her down. I have had 3 experiences from rescues as such. we finally paid the good money and went through a reputable breeder and had the BEST healthy dog. No problems. for me it's not worth it. I want to know the history. A pet is a member of your family and when they suffer you suffer.
DeleteWow, girl...I empathize. After we gave up a viszla puppy, our breeder offered to send us email updates about her new owners. The Bfbf gets those, because I just can't. And we only had her for 8 weeks. I cannot imagine what you suffered...and I really hate to hear people using your openness about your (painful) experience as a platform for their opinions. It's obvious you didn't make your decisions lightly.
ReplyDeleteFrom one overthinker to another, you did the right thing (which you know), and don't let anyone make you feel guilty or tell you otherwise.
Just FYI, there are many NON-breed rescues out there who take in the mutts and has-been "designer" breeds of the streets. I don't mean that to be snarky in ANY way, but there are tons and tons of dogs in the world that can't be matched with a breed-specific rescue because they aren't a specific breed. Rescues are wonderful organizations - breed-specific or not! :)
ReplyDeletethat's a great point, thanks @kate!
DeleteI am new to your blog and oh, this post just made me choke up! Then I went and hugged my dog. Tight.
ReplyDeleteaww, this post makes me happy! :D Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGiving a dog up must be difficult. I'm glad you feel like you did the right thing. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMaria @ Orchard Bloom
YAY! I am so glad that Peter Pan is doing well. He looks HAPPY!
ReplyDeleteIf you get a pet from a breeder, that is called buying. If you get a pet from a rescue organization, that is called adopting. The two terms are used to distinguish one from the other.
ReplyDeleteI am appalled that you are comparing the "fees" you pay to a breeder with the fees you pay to a rescue. What you call this "fee" you paid the breeder, is payment for a "product" that you purchased from him. Something that he "produced" because there is a market, and because he hopes to make a profit from it (yes, even if he loves animals).
For every puppy someone buys from a breeder, a shelter dog that would have needed a home is being euthanized.
Rescues are requesting a small fee to cover at least a small portion of their expenses; they are essentially cleaning up the mess for people who make short-sighted and uninformed decisions, in order to keep the animals out of harm's way.
See the difference?
@allie c -- thank you for clarifying. i'm afraid i don't know the lingo. i'm sorry you find me so disgusting. thank you for your comment.
DeleteThe adoption vs. Buying debate isn't even relevant. Who the eff cares what term is used? And as someone who runs a dog rescue with her mother and who has a collection of shelter mutts and a soft spot for the little dogs with birth defects and health issues (and I work at a vet clinic who serves to most of the dog breeders within 200 miles of me AND my bosses dog won Westminster last year) I can say that there is nothing wrong with buying from a dog breeder. Yes, I would prefer if everyone would run to the shelter and adopt the little unwanted mutts, but if that isn't for you, then responsible breeder is the way to go. I can attest that most of these breeders don't make much, if any of a profit from breeding. And most of the breeders I do know rescue their breed as well. And the point of breeding for most of these people is to create the ideal form of their breed and to represent their breed to their best. Every breed has a purpose, whether its duck hunting or just being a professional cuddler, and if you want a dog with certain standards, then it probably is best to go for a certain breed you have researched and thought about rather than adopting something that may be too wild, too lazy, whatever, that may not be a good match and lead to a bad situation for you and for the dog. I used to be one of those people that thought breeders were all just crazy money hungry jerks and they needed to be stopped, but once I started working with them I realized that's not true at all. Besides, its not all the breeders faults that animals are in shelters, its the irresponsible owners who dump the dogs at the shelters, and the people that are too ignorant to get their pets spayed and neutered so they just keep reproducing unwanted dogs. And pure-breds are going to continue to be born, they need loving homes too :)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNatalie, it seems it took more bravery to publish this post than it probably took to open the email. Some people need to keep their agendas to themselves!! So glad to see your fur baby happy, and to see you living a beautiful life with with your chunky little Huck-man. Don't let the crazy people get you down!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post!
@Gabriella - yes, some people really need to keep their evil agendas to themselves! All they do is care about animals, these crazy people, how dare they? Don't let these crazy animal lovers get you down!
Deleteyou're kind of nuts, eh?
DeleteI am so happy he found a good home. He looks very happy. Those rescue groups are really amazing. My sister and her fiance want a puppy from a breeder and I have been nagging them to go through a rescue group. Don't let others get you down. Making the desicion to give up your pet must be an impossibly hard choice. You made it and made sure your pup found a good home. A lot of people out there would not be so caring.
ReplyDeleteevery time i've read a post about peter pan since you had to re-home him i have sobbed. but i'm so glad you shared this with us!
ReplyDeletei am a mama to two wonderful furbabies. i love that you say petey made you the mother you are now, because i do feel like my dogs are training me for that magical day when i become a mother!
i so appreciate your honesty and i know that no one could come to a decision like this lightly and you clearly found a wonderful place for him. so so happy to see what a wonderful life he has! and i'm glad you are able to see how happy he is.
If you had been a teen-aged mom and put your child up for adoption so he'd have a better life, people would be applauding your bravery. You'd still have a great hole in your heart where that child belonged, but you'd know he was going to be happy and safe in his new home. This is so much like the circumstances that you're in with your sweet dog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us this part of your life despite the occasional crushing commentary.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful. So happy to see Peter Pan happy. And especially that YOU got to see...what a lovely life you have given him. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteYou were and still are an amazing fur mommy to your furbabies. You did what was best for you and your family AND the dogs. I can't believe people get so upset at you on your own blog leaving angry comments.
ReplyDelete::START RANT:: Personally, I don't see why they are getting mad at YOU for buying or adopting from a breeder that these people know nothing about. I understand that they are angry at all the irresponsible dog owners/inexperienced breeders that let their dogs reproduce like rabbits and never get them fixed/and or sell these dogs to OTHER irresponsible owners, therefore causing what I believe is the vast majority of shelter dogs here in the US. Because in the end, if we were some how able to get rid of ALL breeders (keep dreaming), there would still be a problem, and there still wouldn't be enough demand by people for the incredibly high volume of animals that need homes. I highly doubt that the real problems within the shelter system is due to people like Natalie. She did not drop her dog off at a shelter. She cared for her dogs for 6 years, loved them to pieces, and had to make the very hard decision to leave them in the hands of a responsible breed rescue, where in turn the dog gets an awesome life riding on the back of a little girls wagon (awesome picture btw). Don't get me wrong, the idea of a dog being euthanized makes me really upset, I love animals. But is writing a mean comment on HER blog really going to stop it? Go volunteer for your cause or something, go picket outside of a puppy mill. How is leaving a negative comment on her blog and putting her down for the decision that she made helping anyone? If anything I feel more educated about becoming a dog owner from her posts, and no, none of that knowledge came from the negative comments. Leave Natalie alone.::END RANT::
I don't even like dogs, and this made me teary eyed. So sweet!
ReplyDeleteHey Nat, I am so happy that he looks so happy. And that in turn makes you happy. Sorry some people seem to be giving you a hard time. I know how hard it was to give them up. It's great he went to such a good home. He's now had two great homes. Some dogs don't even get one. In the end this was your family's decision. I'm glad you decided to share this with the rest of us. I know it's changed my perspective with our two cats and two dogs.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, Nat, this made me cry... happy tears and sad. I can only imagine watching my furbaby belong to someone else, but the new family sounds and looks wonderful. He seems very happy and I know part of that is because of all the love you gave him.
ReplyDeleteyou know about your puppy lovin' and my tear ducts, lady. every time!
ReplyDeleteNow I know I'm not the only one feeling the exact same way for doing the exact same thing. Really tears me up inside.. but you're right a yard to roam free in is where it's at.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest love a parent can show is to put the good of their child above their own wants/needs/hopes/plans. And that's what you did for Peter Pan, Natalie.
ReplyDeleteDo the above debates remind you of people who criticize adoptive parents for selecting a girl or boy from China when there are perfectly good kids here at home (especially minority kids) that need a family? "They just want to raise themselves an Asian prodigy who plays the violin and gets a perfect SAT score. Why can't they adopt an African American kid? Are they too good to raise a black kid?" And then, oh joy!, parents who DO adopt black kids are criticized because they're "removing those kids from their culture and raising them to fit into neither." Hey, guess what? These people are providing loving homes for little boys and girls whose own parents can't. Who cares why they select their kids? Who cares why you selected Peter Pan? They and you are doing the best to find optimal love and care for little ones (furry or not) that need it.
ReplyDeleteHaters: mind your own effing business.
I wish there was a like button on here. LIKE!!
DeleteI'm truly baffled that respectful debate makes people so uncomfortable that they must label all dissent as "haters". I cannot imagine having such an aversion to any confrontation/disagreement that someone expressing an opinion different from my own would lead me to flip out and brand them all "haters".
DeleteThere is a lot of appalling internet bullying going on, and nothing on this thread is even close to it. I wish women were more comfortable with respectful disagreement, instead of just wanting everyone to "shut it!" or "mind their own business" or "keep it to yourself, haters!" Overblowing every little dissent into some kind of jealousy fueled hater fest is demeaning.
I am so glad that Peter is doing well with his new family. He looks resplendent running around that yard. What a great decision you made for him and for Barney. Hard though. Crushingly hard. I know what you mean about your emptiness. My dogs died 4 years ago and now I am left with a poodle shaped hole in my heart that still aches and causes me to weep heavy salty tears. You are so talented at expressing exactly and succinctly what I also feel.
ReplyDeleteNatalie,
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet. My husband and I too had to rehome our beloved first pet Albert a sweet mini long hair doxie. I can't picture him without tearing up but I know he went to a very loving home where he has acres to rome!!!! I actually thought of you the night we rehomed him, I remembered your post about when they left and felt even more empathy for you. You did the right thing for him and sometimes that hurts but just know you helped me when i went through it!!!
Oh he looks so happy! That picture of him in mid-air is pure joy!
ReplyDeleteAww, this made me tear up! He looks happy :)
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU for that last note. We work with dogs for a living, that is our family business. It is so heart breaking when people move or have their first kid and decide to give up their dog. People need to consider what it does to the poor dog and that with some training and help they can make it work! Even with kids!
ReplyDeleteSometimes like in your case it was the right thing to do to give him up in your move...but you took him to a breed rescue, you made sure he went to a BEAUTIFUL family. That is being very very responsible. That is how it should always go.
When people take their poor dogs to the pound or just lazily give them away to anyone who will say yes on craigslist....it just is really mean.
So thank you for that last part.
i'm just catching up on your blog today. i was curious about the comments since i remember the ones when you were considering giving up the pups for adoption... i'm glad you decided to let us in on the update even though it would spur on a lot of personal opinions.
ReplyDeletemy persoal opinion is that i really enjoy your writing and your pictures. i think you seem like a really nice gal. i don't share the same religious beliefs as you and maybe sometimes we would make different decisions...but i don't really think it's my place to criticize you on your blog for those differences.
i think as readers we are guests here. if you would like to promote a particular agenda, write it on your own blog.
ugh, I just started in on your blog and I am sure it was for me to read this this morning. My husband and I are packing up to move overseas (Israel) and we don't know how long we will be gone. My heart is breaking breaking breaking thinking of my sweet dog, Lucy, not being mine. I can not imagine her belonging to someone else? I have thought it would be better to have never had her, but then I can't imagine these past years without her either? We have a family that loves her, but I am sure they can't love her as much as I do. It was so good to read this and know I'm not crazy for loving my dog as much as I do, we don't have kids yet but I know that she has made me all the better for them.
ReplyDeleteOh Peter Pan! He looks good but I feel so sad for you....it must come with a tear and a sigh, those emails! I just know he still loves & remembers his mommy Natalie.
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