This picture was taken the day we got her. She wasn't panting because she was anxious (although I'm sure she did have some anxiety). She was panting because she had an extremely heavy case of heart worms. It's those heart worms that kept her from being adopted (many people don't know you can successfully treat heartworms) and made her stay in that shelter for three months. Much longer than most shelters keep animals...but Rosie grew on them and fast became the workers favorite.
After many months of medical treatment, Rosie became a very healthy and happy boxer girl.
Last week, it broke our hearts to let her be adopted. But finances in our home being the way they are presently, stand in the way of us having our own dog. You see, when we have a 'pet' we treat it like family and you just never know when an animal is going to need medical care. The rescue group I volunteer with takes care of all bills for the foster you take care of. Medical, food, you name it.
Rosie obviously grew on us quickly. She never once became agitated. She only wanted to be loved and over the months she grew to trust us. Which made it even more difficult letting her go as we couldn't help but think she must've felt we left her. I had to keep reminding the kids (and myself) that dogs don't think they way humans do. Yes...I'm sure she wondered where we went for awhile. But a week later, I'm sure she's very much settling in to her new family. She won't ever forget us, nor will we forget her.
Something I hear a LOT is, "I could never do what you do. I couldn't give them up." It is difficult, but as Shelby put it on the way home from dropping Rosie off at her new home, "But if we wouldn't have saved her, who would have?" I confirmed what she already knew, "No one would have baby. We pulled her an hour or so before she was scheduled to be put down."
"Then we did the right thing. It's hard letting her go, but it would have been worse that a dog like Rosie died just because someone was afraid to cry. I'm not afraid to cry if we get to save them, mom."
And cry we did!
I told myself I'd need a litte break after Rosie. Some time to heal. Some time for the kids to heal the loss of not having her around all the time.
But the next morning they woke up with the question, "So when are we saving another one?"
I can't figure out if I'm creating empathetic souls or future adults who will drive their future spouses crazy with a house full of animals!
Either way, what's done is done and they are 110% animal lovers and not afraid to love and let go when it's time to do so.
And that's a very good lesson to learn for a lifetime.
When you love...give it all you've got. Don't hold back. Don't have any regrets you could have done more. And if the time ever comes that it's time to let go...release with the same love and know you did what you were supposed to do.
And maybe, just maybe...a little piece of the world is a better place because of your love.
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| Rosie would always "hugged" us by burying her head in our chests. This was our hug "Goodbye". You were worth every single goodbye tear, Rosie. |
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