Dogs have feelings too!

Now that Sandy and Abby are in their new Forever Home, we can tell a little more about them. They were the product of a broken home. A family went through a divorce, they all hurt and they all had to start a new life. When the husband brought in Sandy and Abby to voluntarily surrender them, tears flowed. Losing Sandy and Abby was bad, the feeling that they were being abandoned was devastating. Both to the family and to the two dogs. Sandy was 11 and one family was all she had ever known. They asked that Sandy and Abby remain together and be adopted as a pair, at least they would still have each other.

It is so much better if the family says goodbye at home and the dogs are surrendered in a friendly atmosphere. Mary recounts surrenders where the crying became so bad that the dogs were frightened of these new people that took them away.

Dogs have feelings too! Our feelings are very real, we sense emotions better than humans do, we understand what is unspoken, we feel what is hidden. Many people forget, their thoughts are on their own loss, they focus on their own feelings. The dogs are torn from their family and go to a new place filled with fear and apprehension, frightened of these new people that tore them away from their happy home. Frightened because of the emotions they feel, frightened from the tears and sorrow they see in their family.

Today when we arrived at the rescue to turn over Sandy and Abby we let them lose to run and greet these new people, two Golden's making friends with two humans, on their own terms, joyfully greeting new people and looking for a new future. Sandy and Abby went as friends going on to a new adventure in life, with no fear and no apprehension. Willingly and joyfully entering a new world and a new life.

Giving up a dog that has been a loved member of your family is never easy, but you can make the best of it, for both yourselves and for your dogs.

Remember this before you drive me down to the city pound and drop me. Remember this before you push me out along some country road. Remember this before you take me to the vet to be put to sleep.

Remember this, Dogs have feelings too!

Mogley G. Retriever