Does Your Dog Want a New Home?

What if your dog gained access to the computer and saw their story and face on Craigslist in the pet section under the caption “looking for a new home.”  What if they saw you were re-homing because you were busy or you thought they needed more room?  I wonder what they would say.

This may seem a tad dramatic because many of us have fostered dogs or got them out of shelters and re-homed them or were in situations where we felt a new home was in the best interest of a dog.  However, it is worth considering if you are re-homing a dog because you think it could do better.  Remember where it came from. . .

If a dog has been in a shelter confined to a 5X5 space, being confined to a cozy home with random access to the outside is living in the lap of luxury.  If you are considering re-homing because you are busy and don’t think you are spending enough time with your dog, consider where they came from.  Chances are, if they are a rescue dog, they had minimal attention and definitely not anything compared to what it’s like in the security of a home.

I used to work 12 hour days, 7 days a week.  I would feel tremendous guilt until I returned home to my amazing dog who was so happy to see me and never scolded me for working long hours.  She had been saved!  The life she knew in a shelter for nearly a year before my finding her was good, but now she was loved and cared for in ways she had never known.

I don’t write this to contribute to guilt, as we all do what we feel is best. I just want to point out that guilt is a human experience.  So, if you are able to provide a loving home for a dog even if it’s not “perfect,” it could be much better than where they were or where they’ll be.  If only you could ask them!