I think I made a big mistake.........

14 years ago

I had posted on here about a year and a half ago that I had lost my 12 y/o Lab mix to cancer. The grief was just horrible but after a few months we became involved in raising a puppy for a guide dog school instead of getting our own dog.

Fast forward to July 2nd. It was a wonderful experience. He had to go back to the school for his formal training. And we decided to wait till Sept. to get another puppy because we have a trip planned at the end of the month.

Well, He did not make the program due to his hips (they have to be perfect) so they were going to "career change" him to drug dog or search & rescue, but then decided to release him totally and, of course, we got first option to adopt him. But we were unsure whether we wanted to have a "forever dog" yet and there was also a local family where they have 2 kids, 3 other dogs and the mom has early stages of MS and they were wanting a dog like this so I told them to let that family adopt him. That was Tuesday.........and my heart is just breaking. I can't stop crying. I cry myself to sleep every night. I was okay with him going off to be a guide dog or S&R but now he will be here locally............but with a different family.

I know he will be good for the woman with MS and my grief is selfish...........and I can get another puppy in Sept. But I want to call and say I made a mistake and I want him here. My poor husband doesn't know what to do with me. He says we made our decision and need to now just move on.............. makes sense....right?

Comments (8)

annzgw
14 years ago
I think it depends on whether the dog will be a therapy dog for the woman or are they just adopting another dog. Is he trained to help someone with MS?

If you're sure you really want him.......I'd call and see if he's still available.
mrs_tlc
Original Author
14 years ago
They are primarily adopting him to be a therapy dog for her. He is not trained for MS but she is in early stages and that's why they wanted a dog now that could be trained and be her dog. We only have us and a cat. He will love all the activity of a family.
Related Professionals
Ann Arbor Architects & Building Designers · Charleston Architects & Building Designers · Fort Lewis Architects & Building Designers · Rocky Point Architects & Building Designers · Bronx Furniture & Accessories · North Bergen Furniture & Accessories · Carlsbad Furniture & Accessories · Davidson Furniture & Accessories · Billings Cabinets & Cabinetry · Riverbank Cabinets & Cabinetry · Harwich Flooring Contractors · Hubert Flooring Contractors · Lewis Center Flooring Contractors · Maltby Flooring Contractors · Topeka Flooring Contractors
lisa11310
14 years ago
Can you offer to help further train him to her spesific needs? This way you can keep an eye in him and know that hes ok. Offer to pet sit or take him on vet appointments as her condition worsens. I fostered dogs for several years and the heartache of giving them away was always comforted when I was able to see them thriving in their new forever home.
Ninapearl
14 years ago
i'm so sorry for the loss of your dog to cancer. just 2 weeks ago, i lost my little corgi girl to nasal cancer. the grief has been almost unbearable, i miss her so much and i always will.

to help my heart on the road to healing, i contacted great dane rescue where i adopted a senior dane girl last summer. they matched me up with another senior girl, a lovely 9 year old who i have given a forever home to.

this is just a thought but, wouldn't it be nice for all concerned if you could find it in your heart to open your home and give some much needed love to a shelter dog? it would be a way of honoring both your lost dog and this lovely dog whose mission, it seems to me, is to bring joy and love and THERAPY to someone who needs him.

i completely understand your pain and your mixed emotions but just think of all the joy this dog will bring to this lady and at the same time, YOU could bring so much joy to another dog in need. :)
Meghane
14 years ago
Any dog will be happy to have you. It was very unselfish to let the family have him. Now you are free to save another dog in September. I can't help with the grief, but know you gave him a great start in life and because of that, he will make that family VERY happy.
mrs_tlc
Original Author
14 years ago
I have thought about going to a shelter to adopt a dog. They are so full from people being foreclosed on and abandoning their pets. DH doesn't want to do that right now though. He wants us to focus on what we started and that is raising the guide dog puppies for the guide dog school.

There is a woman in our group who is in her 70's and has raised 27 dogs for the school. She told me last week that the right one will come along for us to keep and we'll be sure when it does. Nick's sister was booted out because of hips too and she was only half his size (about 40 lbs.). That size dog would be much better for me because I have a bad back. She was too high strung for us though.

I cried all night again last night but doing much better today. DH was going to call them this morning to see if he was still at the school being neutered or if he had already been placed at their hosue. If he wasn't at their house yet he was going to tell them we changed our minds. But we went for a long walk and talked and talked and decided to stick with our decision.So we will wait until Sept or Oct. and get another puppy to raise and love.

And we will be hopeful that he will be happy there and be a good therapy dog for her. I hope she will realize what a gift he truly is.
mazer415
14 years ago
Good for you for thinking it through. Wow - you went through alot. Hope your next pup will graduate okay.
and KUDOS to you for being a puppy raiser!!
Shannon01
14 years ago
The first is always the hardest to let go. But that is because you loved him, as you should have. Knowing that you have done such a wonderful thing to help someone is what will help you get past all the grief. Everyone handles gried differently. Cry, sob, do whatever it takes. In Sept you will take another pup into your heart. I imagine the lady you know has cried many times in the past 27 years. But they are truly tears of love. Focus on the love and you will be just fine.

Also, sorry for your loss. Our shephard passed two year ago yesterday. We have a 9 mo old now and still cry. It is called love.