There was a post in moderation Thursday night when I checked this blog, from someone who said, “Please contact me about Pink, there’s an urgent health issue.” I freaked of course and then I googled for the e-mail and found out it was from the woman who had bought Veronica from a breeder in North Carolina. Which meant it had to be Pink’s owner, too, and I knew health issues had forced her to give up the dogs, so I e-mailed and said, “What’s wrong with Pink?” Turns out, nothing, Pink is as healthy as a horse; both Pink and Veronica had clearly been well taken care of (unlike poor Milton who had to be nursed back to health and socialized by Kathleen at Dachshund Rescue). What was wrong? Pink had been her kids’ dog, and she’d given her away with Veronica and the kids were distraught. She wanted Pink back. After that it got complicated because I didn’t like the idea of Pink being in a revolving door, and because I’d signed a paper promising not to give the dog away to anybody but Dachshund Rescue (which shows you how much Dachshund Rescue watches out for the dogs it takes into its care) and because I thought she’d been forced to give up Pink so how could she take her back?, so there were many phone calls and much discussion but in the end, for me, it was about Pink. Veronica settled in here fine, but Pink just wanted to go home. She’d curl up with me at night, but she just was not happy. And at six, she’d been with the family a lot longer than Veronica, so I had figured it would take her longer to fit in, but then the woman called and her kids wanted the dog back and . . .
I gave Pink back. I’m still not sure it was the right thing to do, but it was the best solution I could think of.
After I handed Pink over, I came home and ate an entire pint of Dove ice cream. Then I passed out from sugar shock with the four dogs draped over me. When I woke up, Milton had eaten the ice cream carton. So we’re all fine. Veronica seems more settled now; I was afraid she’d miss Pink but she wrestles with Milton and curls up with Wolfie to sleep and she’s getting gutsier every day. In fact, all the dogs seem more settled. I think maybe Pink’s tension was getting to all of them. Annie has even returned to sacking out on the bed, although Milton still has issues. So I’m sure it was the right thing to do. Kind of.
Argh. I can’t even adopt dogs without drama.
But here’s Pink, right before I took her back to her family:
Really, it was the right thing to do.
Oh, Jenny, that must have been hell to go through. I’m glad we could all share Pink while she was one of your marvellous dogs. Sounds like she was pining for her ‘kids’ too, though. Here’s hoping everyone is eventually as happy as they can be. At least you didn’t have an “Ellen” type disaster with Pink which would have made everything a thousand times worse. And, FWIW, Wolfie and Veronica make a perfect silver-screen couple, IMESHO.
Don’t you hate it when the right thing and the yucky thing are the same thing?
It might have been the right thing to do, but still so damn hard. Especially if the woman was willing to put her up for adoption in the first place. Not cool, particularly if it was her kids’ dog. You don’t give up family. Glad to hear you’re all adjusting fine, though.
Right thing to do, no question.
Your post had me tearing up. It sounds like the right thing to do for Pink. Any way for you to get an update from the woman that Pink settled back in with her family?
Oh Gods! What hell. Poor Pink, going from pillar to post. I hope he’s happy now. Poor you, too, investing all that love in the little mite.
Oh Jenny. I’m so sorry. You did the right thing, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Big hugs.
Lynda
Agony in A major for everyone but Annie. I hope you made a deal with the woman and with Dachshund Rescue that if she decides to give Pink up again, you get first refusal. Or rather, first acceptance.
It sounds like that woman is playing the old shell game only with dachshunds instead of peas.
I’m sorry for all you and Pink had to go through. I hope everyone will be happy with the turn of events.
Can I just also say how much it totally irks me that she contacted you under false pretenses first? “Urgent health issue”, my ass! That woman has some nerve!
So very sorry. 🙁
I’m very sorry. I know how you feel today. It will be OK.
Yeah, Jamie H, how weird about the “urgent health issue” on the woman’s message! That’s misleading, unless I’m misinterpreting somehow?? Maybe she meant that the kids were totally psychologically traumatized, missing their dog.
Meanwhile, I agree you did the right thing, Jenny. I’m sure it was hard, but Pink probably really appreciates being back with her original family.
I love these dog posts more than any other posts you have ever done, which says a lot because I love all your posts.
I seriously think you should be a dog writer. I mean, an essayist or something. Heck, MARLEY AND ME did incredibly well–you could write a non-fiction dog book, a novel-length memoir of sorts, like James Herriott did. At the very least, do a dog children’s book.
I could read about Milton and Veronica all day.
The right thing is rarely the easy thing to do, that’s why it takes courage, self-awareness, bravery, and introspection. You did the best thing for all with the information you were given.
Bravo.
Nicely, done.
Aw, I am sorry to hear about this. I know that you already loved her, but if she were happier….. Hugs to you.
Awwww…poor you, poor Pink, but, really, poor kids! I’m sure that they’re very glad to have their dog back, and I’m sure that Pink is glad to be back with them…But, still, that sucks for you. You DID do the right thing. It’s just no fun when the right thing hurts.
That is so sad for you, but I’m sure it was the right choice for Pink. I hope that woman never does anything like this to her kids again, she’s just lucky you were understanding about the feelings of kids and dogs.
It seems like in all the pictures, Pink is looking off into the distance. I guess she was thinking about her old home, missing the kids, who are how old BTS? What a crazy way to deal with this, though, like dogs are old clothes or something, to get rid of when you’re tired of them.
I know you’re missing Pink, but it sounds like you made the best decision you could under the circs. Let’s just hope Pink is as much happier and more settled back home as Veronica is with you and the gang. (((hugs)))
🙁
This has to go under the “life sucks” category. Right doesn’t necessarily equal easy. Right can be so damn hard.
The kids are in college here in town and noticed Pink was gone right away, so they’re still close to her. And it was the right thing. And let’s face it, I have plenty of furpeople as it is. I think she was still looking for them, so that makes me feel good, that she’ll see them again. Poor baby.
I’m good with it, really. Another week and it would have been really tough, but we were just starting to get to know each other, so I’m glad it happened fast.
And now I must go see what Milton is chewing on. With any luck, it is not an electrical cord.
Ouch. Poor baby!
It stinks to give up an animal you welcomed into your home and loved. But it sounds like the house dynamic is coping nicely.
I hope the woman has agreed to give you Pink updates. And explained the circumstances behind the “adoption”. Maybe it was a false alarm?
Although I think it’s fishy that she didn’t contact the rescue first…
Aww. You did good (though it’s sad). I hope Pink and her family are happy.
I remain totally baffled by the behaviour of the woman who first gave up Pink and Veronica to a dog rescue organisation, and then demanded one of them back – contacting you, as has been pointed out, under false pretences. Her conduct seems to me wholly irresponsible and irrational. She must have known that her children would be distressed, so why did she take the huge step of handing the dogs over in the first place? And why does she want only one of them back?
Dogs and cats are members of the family. A responsible adult does not make the major decision of handing them over to a re-homing organisation without proper thought and consultation with all members of the family: and having done so, the die is cast. Insecurity is no better for animals than it is for people, and consistent, rational behaviour is one of the hallmarks of maturity.
Obviously there must be factors that we do not know, but on the face of it, I should say that this person is not a responsible dog-owner in the first place, and I would be prepared to take a bet that poor Pink will find herself back in limbo in the not-too-distant future – maybe the next time there is a family quarrel? The whole story reeks of someone who has psychological problems, and who is using the dog(s) as bargaining counters. Not good.
You and Kathleen at Dachshund Rescue would get along fine, Ag.
If Pink had relaxed the way Milton and Veronica had after the first week, I’d have said no. But she was so clearly waiting for her people to come back that I was torn. And since she’s been gone, everybody here has relaxed completely. They’ve really bonded as a pack now, and it happened the day Pink left. So I think she really was unhappy and anxious. I’m just hoping the kids in the family keep coming home to pay attention to her because she obviously really missed them. And if the woman does give Pink up again, that she gives her up to Kathleen, who will make sure everything goes well. Kathleen is a Dachshund Goddess.
It’s good that the Dachshund Rescue people are so conscientious, and will keep an eye on things. I can see what you mean about Pink’s attitude – even in the pictures you posted, she always seemed to be preoccupied and alert, whereas Veronica and Milton have clearly wedged themselves firmly into the woodwork. Or rather, into the upholstery (and the laptop).
It really annoys me, though, to think of someone going as far as to give an animal up for re-homing, which is a huge step to take, and then going back on it. It is playing with people’s, and animals’, emotions in a way that I find wholly unacceptable.
I just found this post, it had already been followed by Annie when I got here this morning.
In your November 30th post you said that Veronica and Pink belonged to a woman who was dying. So has she had a miraculous recovery? Or was that just an excuse she gave to the Dachshund people?
I find myself in total agreement with Agtigress, though I keep trying to think of excuses for the woman. Some psychiatric disorder maybe? Manic depressives do weird things sometimes, and can’t really help doing them.
I can understand the children wanting their dog back, but is it wise to leave a beloved dog in the care of a woman who has already got rid of her once? Poor Tinkerbell.
Veronica and Pink were both in excellent health when I got them, so she takes very good care of her dogs, which is all I care about. And Pink is evidently ecstatic to be home again.
Veronica, meanwhile, plays with Wolfie and Milton and seems happier now that Pink is gone, which Dachshund Rescue tells me is probably because Pink was an alpha female and repressed our poor baby. So Pink is happy and Veronica is happy and pretty much everything is good.
Really.
ah Pink. We hardly knew ya. Bark free and happy Pink.
Sorry Jenny, I did not mean to imply that you did wrong to give Pink up. After all, you only took her because the Dachshund people didn’t want to separate her from Veronica.
No, I was thinking about those children. It seems wrong to me to force a woman who has already got rid of the dog once, to get her back. And if you’re not there to look after the dog yourself, well…
Doing the right thing for Pink took great strength and fairness, Jenny. High fives and hugs to you for knowing the dogs so well that you so beautifully assessed their behavior before and after Pink’s return home.
Here’s something to think about: If the woman is dying, I can see her giving up the dogs. The other part of it is that these kids are also losing their mother, and I can see how they’d be traumatized by losing their dog, too. Hopefully, they’ll step up and take good care of Pink, and she’ll take care of them in return. My dog, Beau (who I found on petfinder.com, btw) literally saved me when my mom died.
It certainly sounds like you made the right decision for all involved. Still, it must have been difficult. Good for you for seeing past this woman’s erratic behavior to the choice that would be best for everyone. Sometimes it’s easier just to lock your wheels and refuse to turn. It takes wisdom and, in this case, compassion to help fix a bad situation.
You made me cry and I don’t even have–or ever plan to have–pets.