Why We Surrendered Our Dog After Almost 4 Years

I was really hesitant about writing this post, I didn’t know if I wanted to let the world know what we did or what lead to the decision. And then I saw an article on Yahoo! and it made me feel like it was okay in a way – we weren’t the only ones. And then I read this one and my insides were ripped out! But that article was written to make you feel bad, when sometimes the situation isn't what is best for the dog. 

Coco was my 2^nd wedding anniversary present. I had always talked about getting another dog. But since Lola had your typical bulldog problems (ear infections, skin issues and a heart condition) my husband thought an Olde English Bulldogg would be a good idea; she would look sort of like a bulldog but not have as many health issues. And maybe it was our mistake for getting a dog that wasn't as lazy a regular English Bulldog. 

Something we had to think about and consider when we had a baby was that Coco's personality is that of a 55lbs puppy. She is always going FULL steam ahead! She runs around the house, running into things and sometimes running into us. All I can imagine is our daughter walking around and being trampled by Coco – it’s not something I want to imagine but I have to be honest with myself; that scenario is 99.9% going to happen.

I am not going to get into all the details of it all but with Lola's heart condition and with Alana staring to crawl Coco was spending 12+ hours a day in her kennel and that is not fair to her. Since Alana started to crawl and the weather is cool I have been taking Coco on long walks to get her out of the house and out of her kennel.

We thought the best thing for her was to find her a new home through a bulldog rescue group. This was something I never thought I, a dog and animal lover, would EVER do. I feel like I am giving up on a child and I have been having such a hard time with it. But it is what it is and we need to do what is best for her. 

Now I am not saying what we are doing isn’t hard but life without her will become increasingly easier. We’ll have our dining room back (we’ll just move Lola in the laundry room. Coco had to see Lola to feel comfortable). We won’t be embarrassed to have company come over (Coco would always bark very loudly whenever anyone entered the house). And we can repaint the walls to get rid of all the droll markings (Lola doesn’t really droll). 

We found Coco a VERY loving home in Dallas (probably a better home for her than what we could have ever provided for her) and I made the difficult drop off on 12/20. I cried for about 30 minutes after it happened and I still cry when I think about. My heart literally ached when I dropped her off. I have seen pictures of her new home, family and playmate. She seems happy and loved which is all I want for her. I hope that if I am ever in Dallas I can stop by and see her. 

Insert Dolly Parton's I will Always Love You here...Coco-Mo-Jojo (my nickname for her) I miss you!