Giving up my dog

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Hi! I am in need of some encouragement and hopefully someone else who has been in my shoes. My husband and I have no kids and have wanted a dog for so long. I have finished my first year of nursing school and have one more year left. With free time in my summer, I got so excited about a dog and we both jumped and brought one home from the shelter. I wish I could say she was a handful, but she really wasn't. She was sweet spirited, easy, fun. However, her very presence in our lives meant one more responsibility on top of an already stressful nursing school life. We both knew we had acted prematurely and, even though we were both in love with her, decided to take her to a rescue yesterday, after having her one week. I have literally not stopped crying. I feel like I've made a mistake taking her back and am just so sad. Has anyone else been in a similar situation...trying to protect your time that nursing school demands while also making the better decision for your sweet dog? I would so take comfort in hearing from anyone. Thank you in advance!

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Absolutely pathetic. Your definition of "mistreatment" is hilarious. It would have been mistreatment had the owners waited too long. Or kept it and not even bothered to take care of it due to being too busy. At least they had the gall to find him/her a new home quickly.

How is it not mistreatment? Their motives were selfish & they didn't care about the dog at all. People look at pets as nothing, but they have feelings too. How would you feel if you got a home & then kicked out from it?

Should she get kudos for her actions? No. She wanted a dog, got one, then realized it was "too stressful" after a week. A week!!!!

Yes nursing school is stressful but it's not so stressful to not be able to take care of a dog! What about people who have kids, work & go to nursing school?

OP, what you did was wrong to say the least. Is this how you always handle stress? Anything worth having takes work, so it seems like sending her back was laziness on your part.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Absolutely pathetic. Your definition of "mistreatment" is hilarious. It would have been mistreatment had the owners waited too long. Or kept it and not even bothered to take care of it due to being too busy. At least they had the gall to find him/her a new home quickly.

I wanted to add that her ill thought out plan & then her readiness to get rid of a stressor shows a lot about the type of person she is. She obviously can't handle stress well, which isn't a good sign because she is in nursing school. What will happen when she's working & she gets more than she feels she can handle? You can't exactly say no or turn work away.

Having a dog is like a kid. Kids are stressful but you don't essentially give them away after one week because you "can't handle it". And no this has never happened to me before, nor will it ever because I would've done everything in my power to keep my dog, stress or no.

And of course, you have the nurses who do nothing but judge. OP: Sorry you had to go through this. I had to give up my puppy during my psych rotation as I had to protect her from my partner's two dogs who just wouldn't have it. So, I definitely understand what it's like to give up a dog and while I do miss the dog as she was perfect, I can't regret it as I had to put school over an animal.

OP was looking for an out and a pat on the back for something rashly as this. I have more compassion and sympathy for the dog than the OP who clearly just abandoned her own thread. It may be mean but it's the truth and she has to hear it from somewhere.

Absolutely pathetic. Your definition of "mistreatment" is hilarious. It would have been mistreatment had the owners waited too long. Or kept it and not even bothered to take care of it due to being too busy. At least they had the gall to find him/her a new home quickly.

The OP took it back to shelter and did not "find it a home quickly". No, if no one else chooses to adopt that dog again it will be euthanized then cremated to acquire more space. Something that could've been avoided.

I'm entering my second year of school and have a 3 years old and a husband. Oh and a cat and just recently a puppy. Yup it's doable. That poor dog- finally thought it had a home. Maybe it would be better off in another home with people who know they can handle it

I have 4 dogs, 2 cats, 7 cows, 2 pigs..... We live on a small farm. Oh and I also have two little crazy boys at home. I think it's all just time management and priority. When we aren't home as much we pay someone to walk the dogs and take care of the animals. Two of our dogs are working dogs, so they keep busy that way. The other two I go for a run in the am and at night and for me they are a stress relief. A time to be alone and just run. I'm also 28, so a little older and I'm used to juggling everything. Wait until you can fully commit before taking in another pet. You are capable of juggling as many things as you want, there's just not always a lot of time for unplanned extras.

Nursing school is not that stressful. I was working nearly full time while I went to school and still kept my GPA at a 3.4 which is considered excellent for my program (you have to perform miracles to get an A in any nursing course). Working 32 hours a week at Walmart was way more stressful than school would ever be able to be. Some people shouldn't be allowed to adopt pets or have children if they can't figure out they need to take care of them after that.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Me thinks the OP won't be back. [emoji5]️

**Deleted** A repeat of my other comment.

I went homeless for year, was taken in by a generous friend, and still managed to find arrangements for my pets so they would stay with me. In that period of time, one of them was diagnosed with a few health issues (but very treatable), including diabetes. It was horrible. His needs came before mine at times. There were instances where both of us needed to be seen by a doctor, but only enough money for one visit. I sucked my illness up and took him in instead. I bought him special food, special litter, and felt so horrible that this was happening to him that of course I had to throw in the occasional special toy. All of my disposable income went to him, because he was dying and I didn't think he would make it. There were nights at the beginning of his diagnosis that I sat in the middle of the bedroom floor at 11pm on a school night, sobbing, trying to syringe feed my cat who had refused food for 20 hours and couldn't safely go without for any longer. He has been MY baby for 13 years and I'll be damned if I give him up or put him down just because of my busy life. I maintained my GPA that semester and went on to be accepted into nursing school. Can't say I can empathize. My cats are my family, my children. Nobody can take care of them better than me. You can pry them from my cold dead hands. My diabetic is healthy and happy today. Because I fought for him. You fight for who you love, OP. At least that sweet dog didn't even have enough time to develop a bond with you before you got rid of him.

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