The Day I Rescued My Dogs
I have two dogs. I (and hubby, reluctantly) adopted them from the Humane Society when Harry was a teensy tiny puppy and Maddy was a 9 month old badly abused puppy. Maddy is 10 and Harry is 8. My how time flies.
Harry, very patiently wearing a froggy mask
Maddy and my son
This is not about rescuing them from the Humane Society. It is about another time, years later, when I had to rescue them again.
There was a very long very bad year for me and hubby. I quit my job, we up and moved, but we didn’t know what we wanted to do. Hubby had a friend in Maryland who works in the same field and they got talking and the friend invited us to move there and stay with them, look for a job and all of that. The plan was a bad one from the beginning. We were flailing and faltering though and didn’t know where to go next. Hubby didn’t know what he wanted to do and he thought going to this prime area there for jobs in his field might be worth it.
So we moved in with our friends. Hubby, me, our daughter, and our two dogs added to their family of 5 people and two dogs. It. Was. Chaos.
There are gory details from that time and I will spare sharing them with you. I ended up leaving there with my daughter and hubby stayed for about another month before meeting us back in Florida with our stuff. He left the dogs there and the plan was for him to return a couple weeks later to get them by car. No problem. There were many many plans with this family that were made and didn’t happen though and I should’ve known something would go wrong.
We got a call days after hubby left there from his friend’s wife. Pick up the dogs by 5 o’clock tomorrow or I am taking them to the pound.
Neither one of us was willing to make the decision then and there to lose our dogs this way under these circumstances. I bought a round trip ticket to Baltimore, bought two one-way tickets for my dogs, got a hotel room by the airport that took dogs, had to buy two huge crates for them to fly in, vet visits to get them the shots they needed to be allowed to fly, and list of expenses goes on.
I paid about $2000 to save my dogs that day, not to mention the weeks following of kennel costs once they got to Florida because we didn’t have a house yet. It was stressful, it was frustrating and it was not fun. My daughter was young at the time. I had never left her overnight. I always thought my first night away from her would involve warm sandy beaches and cocktails not wrestling two dogs through airport security.
I learned something that day and it was somewhat the beginning of the end of my days of not caring about having money in the bank or not. I had the cash that day to do what I had to do to get my dogs and keep them in our family. It made me realize that any time, something like this but probably even bigger would come along and I didn’t want it to knock me off my feet. I didn’t want to have to decide “Do I go into debt or let my dogs go?”
We all have our limits and I am sure some probably wouldn’t have even done what I did. I am glad I did though, even if they are complete pains and drive me crazy. I don’t regret it. I know I would regret having not done it. And I am grateful I was able to do it. I always want to feel as empowered as I did that day. I like feeling like my good and responsible choices for me and my family matter and will certainly come in handy when the next crisis strikes.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 am
Oh, I’m so glad this worked out for you, as painful and difficult as it must have been at the time. My dogs drive me crazy too, and I love them to death. This is a GREAT example of the value of having choices due to living a fiscally responsible life.
Squeedlefishs last blog post..The term "jerk" comes to mind…
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Emily, we (mainly me) rescued our dog from a shelter 13 years ago. I really appreciate you sharing this story. It inspires me to build our emergency fund for those (like this) unexpected emergencies.
Denises last blog post..note to self: review this in January
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
You are a wonderful parent. Parent of your dogs that is. So many people these days take on pets and really don’t treat them the way they should. Not many people would do what you did or the spend the money that you did. Very inspiring.
- Jack Rugile
Simple Sapien
Simple Sapiens last blog post..Forget Recognition, Always Do Your Best
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I’m with ^^^ jack. Husband and I were talking about this one day– you need to really WANT pets if you’re going to get pets! Emily, Your dedication to your animals demonstrates that this was a choice that you made willingly and responsibly, not the way some people do (cute breed as accessory- drives me CRAZY!) That’s why we ‘ve made the executive decision NOT to have animals- we know we might not bond with them so much and have this kind of do-anything resolve to save them. How awful, what that woman did threatening to take them to the pound. Cruel really. Souns like it was an awful situation, I’m glad you are in a better place now .
neimanmarxists last blog post..September Report & Some Thoughts on Surprise Expenses
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Oh my god, that is awful! I would have done the same thing as you though, no question. We have various savings ‘jars’ and have recently added a ‘Betty’ one to cover any expenses not covered by her pet insurance - like vaccinations, kennel fees etc. If you have even a little spare money, I thoroughly recommend it.
Liz@VioletPosys last blog post..Friend Feed
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
i would have done the exact same thing. animals are such a big part of my life!
tiffanies last blog post..drugstore loot for the week!
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
This reminds me of last year when we had a huge repair bill for the car. I was so mad that we had to spend that much money to fix something that shouldn’t break in the first place (the window), but at the same time I was so relieved that I had the money and didn’t need to go into debt in order to fix our car.
Alison @ This Wasn’t In The Plans last blog post..Pinching Your Pennies Even More - Groceries
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:48 am
heart warming story. I bet its all worth it
The picture portrays joy and happiness :-0)
Shamelle- TheEnhanceLifes last blog post..Over Spending & Impulse Buying: 8 Reasons Why You’re Not To Blame
October 4th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Wow! What a powerful story and testament to your love for your dogs.
Alana @ Gray Matterss last blog post..Thrifty Green Thursday - Craig’s List Find
October 4th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Had I read your story a few years ago, I would have thought you were nuts. But that was before I became a dog owner myself (due to incessant pleading by my children). Now, I get it.
I consider Skipper, our shih-tzu, to be a part of our family, and I can easily see myself doing anything necessary to keep him happy and safe, just as I would for my children.
It’s too bad you had to deal with such a challenging situation, but give yourself a huge pat on the back for coming through for your dogs in a big way.
October 5th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Thanks for sharing your story! I think it’s pretty amazing how strong we can be, and what we will do to protect and try keep our families together under stress. Although I’m a vet, we only have 2 dogs whom we rescued almost 10 years ago now. They were both supposed to be put to sleep as young dogs, for medical reasons that require very expensive lifelong care. When I saw them, I instantly knew we were family, and have never regretted my decision to have fewer animals but know I would be financially able provide everything they need. There have been times over the years when we’ve thought we might lose them, and emergencies have definitely happened, but we’ve been able to help them thrive and have a great life. Sometimes, despite the best care, life can be so fragile, and unfairly short–but it’s a comforting feeling to actually know you did the best you could at the end of the day.
Sincerely,
Amanda
Value For Your Lifes last blog post..Festival of Frugality #145-The Gratitude Edition
October 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I would’ve done the same thing! I remember a time when one of my dogs got sick with a life-threatening ailment and was having seizures. I whisked that pup to the emergency vet in the middle of the night multiple times over a period of a week, just because I was scared for her and afraid to be alone with her if she needed medical attention. I have no idea how many thousands of dollars were spent that day, but I can’t imagine doing it any other way.
You are a good mom, to pets and kids!
Happy Sunday,
Melissa
melissa @ the inspired rooms last blog post..My One-House Drive By (Ok, it was a walk by)
October 6th, 2008 at 9:45 am
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October 7th, 2008 at 2:10 am
First time visiting your blog. Loved your rescue story.
I can’t believe your “friends” would put you in that situation.
Shame on them! Good on you though. So happy you can all be
together as a family again.
Elaines last blog post..Fall for New England
November 7th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Harry looks like he would like to be rescued from wearing the mask. =) We dressed our Puggle as a triceratops for Halloween last year, and he hated it. Sounds like it was a really crappy situation (and the wife was wrong), but I’m glad you made the right decision.