XPost from Pets: I need DU help. My heart is breaking. My partner passed the 28th of last month [View all]

[HillWilliam]

Between us we have seven rescued dogs. With two of us, they had time, 24-hour supervision, abundant love, and care. My job is a 55-mile each way hike. That keeps me from home 12 hours a day. The eldest was his service dog to whom I give great credit for keeping my beloved alive so long. I owe her a loving and dignified retirement. The next, close in age to her (they're both just over 12) is a senior we took in when her original parents lost their home due to foreclosure. The middle child, Emmaline, is extremely devoted to me. These three I must keep.

The weight of grief and the responsibility of holding a job that's far away, trying to keep house, AND give them the love and devotion they're used to is proving to be too much. My first responsibility is to them.

It seems now the right thing to do for THEM is to find the right homes for the rest of them.

The youngest, Roxie, a BC/ACD mix, is a super-bright, super-sweet pup we had designs of training up to be his next service dog. She's extremely fun and funny, but needs more attention than I can give to bring her to her full potential. She has a super-bright future ahead in the right hands. She would have been the perfect new assistant for Rob. She has become buddies with her next-older "sib", Julie, a purebred BC we hoped would be Rob's new assistant. Julie is extremely bright, friendly, affectionate, and socialized, but her interests lie in companionship, not in assistance. These two need to stay together.

I've posted about Callalily before. She was extremely abused, malnourished, untrusting, scared, had little fur, and had many emotional problems when we rescued her. She has become loving, trusting, adores showing off and being petted, lives for the camera and praise. She has healed and needs little more than steady love and approval. She is SUCH a lady. I'm so proud of her accomplishments.

Ashley-Marie is my darling. She's a GSD/Lab/Collie? mix. She's extremely sensitive, loving, and tender. It would be ideal if she and Callalily can stay together. They're very close.

It has taken forever to write this. I'm sobbing profusely. Dear DU, I don't know where else to turn or what to do. My heart is broken. I've lost my beloved partner and in order to do right for our children it looks as if I'll have to lose most of them too.

BUT the ones I can bear to part with can ONLY go to well-qualified, homes on some conditions. They can't be passed again except back to me. They must continue to be "mostly indoor" dogs. They're used to sleeping inside and having continuous guidance. The yard must be fence or they can only be walked on a lead -- not just "turned out" to do their business. And I want updates on their health, lives, progress.

They're still my kids.

I always said I'd rather give up both kidneys and an eye than a dog. There comes a point when one person trying to do a job two people used to and can't, it's called "hoarding" and that's immoral. These kids deserve ever so much more than I alone can give them.

Please help if you can.



Update: I just got a call from Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue. They might be able to help with the border collie and border collie mix.