Okay, for everyone who has been waiting to find out what is up with Lady.....Thank you to all those who supported my desision to find her a new home. Thank you to those who offered to either dog sit or adopt her. Thank you LW! I know your heart was in the right place. Thank you to those who wanted to help get Lady to LW's place.
HOWEVER....I know that financially I can't afford to ship her to anyone's place....and no offense, someone who would have her in a yard. I know you have dogs and space and time and love, but..when I decided that she could no longer live happily at my home, I wanted to find her the perfect family.....if for no other reason than to assage my guilt over leaving her. So this family would have to have a perfect fit for her.....
I have been stressing about this because I am leaving tomorrow to visit family (so this is the last post for a while), but my heart is now at peace and I feel okay with my decision because I found a family.
They have a RANCH near Austin; sheep and goats and a cow. They have a 9 year old son who loves dogs. They have three dogs now and have been looking for a border collie for some time now. The husband used to train border collies and has won awards for austrailian cattle dog training. In fact, they have an ACD right now. They are so sweet and know how to care for her because they have had the experience with border collies before. They WANT another dog...they have been looking for one to rescue for a while now. They have land and space and a job for her to do. In short, this is a perfect home for my dog! I don't feel guilty anymore about the overwhelmed feelings that I had before or deciding to get rid of her because I found her the home she really will be happy with.
I am sad to see her go, but it is the sad that parents feel when their kids move out to college and off to bigger and better things. I wish we could keep her for HW and my son's sake, but she is moving on to bigger, better things in a happier place. If I was a dog, I would want this home. She loved the family and the other dogs when they came to meet her. (We met through a rescue shelter.)
I'm sorry HW. I know this is harder on you than on me. I am relieved, whereas you are still hurting and were/are in no position to change the situation. But thank you for allowing me to do this. Thank you.
Thank you again, LW. (sometimes I need to have the harsh truth shoved in my face) Your point of view helped me realize why I had to do this. It wasn't just the selfish reasons I listed....although that was a symptom of the underlying problem. I'm not a dog person. I was overwhelmed with my life right now and was blaming my frustrations on a dog who was just being a dog. You were right when you said that I was not a good owner. I know that. Pretty harsh, but true. I was being cruel. My actions and neglect were only hurting her. I saw the difference in her as soon as she was out with people and being given attention. It was obvious that she had been unhappy with me. My only saving grace is that I think I finally did the right thing.