Hard choices

 

This week, we have had to make some hard decisions.  Not ones that we took lightly or hadn't put a lot of our energy into.  We took Maude in to get fixed.  I was on the fence.  I would actually love to let her have a litter of puppies.  But then I would have to part with them, and I don't know if I would want to.  And I doubt that we need any more Bassett hounds around here.  I am going to tell you that this is a hilarious dog!  She is also incredibly sweet.  I love her!  Common sense won out over my heart, and she is currently at the vet awaiting her surgery time tomorrow.  

And then there is this dog.  My brother's dog, Zoey.  She is a really nice dog.  She is potty and kennel trained and minds really well.  She is sweet and a good dog.  She was put into a pretty crappy situation, of no fault of her own.  When I brought her home, I had the best intentions.  And if I was being honest, it felt a little bit like I was bringing home a little part of Eric's life, and I was desperate to cling onto anything that I could.  So desperate, that despite what I could see going on before my very eyes, I ignored everything that I know, and everything that I have been taught.  Zoey has not been getting along with the other dogs.  She tried to kill Carlos a few weeks ago.  I ignored that until she did it again, and this time, in the process, Jim got bit trying to save Carlos' life.  We talked about it, and decided to keep them separated.  Which was working somewhat.  And then Zoey attacked Mallory's dog.  Again, I made excuses and told Mallory when she was bringing the dogs out, let me know and I would kennel Zoey.  And then yesterday, Jim had to break up a large dog fight between Zoey and Blitz.  One in which Blitz was hurt (thankfully not fatally) and Jim could have been hurt.  Though I had a few moments of tears, we made arrangements for Zoey to live with Uncle Harold.  It was good timing, as Uncle Harold's dog had just passed away a few weeks ago.  I didn't want to do it.  I wanted her to adapt and get along.  I wanted to hold on to some piece of my brother.  I wanted Clayton to not lose the dog too, after having lost so much already.  I cried a few tears.  Bottom line though, I don't need anyone getting hurt.  Not the other dogs, not Jim trying to break things up, and luckily, it has not been one of the girls or the grandkids.  And I know what Eric would say about it.  I know.  If the circumstances were different, we would not have waited this long.  I know.   But my functioning brain on these type of situations left me back in September.  

I hope Zoey will be very happy with Uncle Harold and Aunt Mary.  She has a good home there.  I hope that my brother would understand that we tried hard.  And I hope that Jim knows how much I appreciate him being the one who got stuck in the middle of dog wars, and his patience for my emotional lack of good judgement, or at least the length of time it took me to get back to thinking normally on this situation.