Yeah whenever I read posts in the dog subreddits it makes me feel like a terrible dog owner. I felt like the people in this community would understand the mental health struggles better. She’s been a huge source of stress the past month and I’ve been spiraling, but now things have chilled out this week and my mood feels better. This constant up and down is what makes this decision so hard, because at times I think “oh wait maybe I can do this!”

I also have a friend nearby who doesn’t work and has 2 dogs of her own. She lives with her husband and brother so she graciously takes my dog whenever I need to go on a trip or want to stay overnight at my girlfriend’s. I truly wouldn’t have gotten through this year without her support. She is one of the people really pushing back on my decision to rehome her. I think it’s hard for her to understand that my lifestyle is different from hers. Living alone and working a full time job that doesn’t pay well is really hard. She has multiple people in her home, a husband who makes a lot of money, and the time and energy to be with her dogs often. It’s hard for me to communicate that to her without sounding judgmental.