Some of you may be gasping in surprise as most of the people we have told have done. It has been a long time coming and something that Jason and I have been contemplating for quite some time now. They weren't bad dogs, they didn't bite, they didn't drive us crazy (most of the time). Actually it was probably the hardest decision we've had to make. We just aren't home enough... we felt like terrible dog owners leaving our poor pups at home all day long by themselves and not having the energy to pay attention to them when we got home. It's something we've gone back and forth on for a couple of months, ever since I started working away from home really.
Finally we came to the decision that it just had to be done and we should get it over with before we changed our minds again. So we talked to a couple of the pastors of our church who adore Delilah and Romeo and to our surprise they jumped at the chance to call them their own. It was a sad weekend as we prepared to hand over our puppies. We felt silly as we were balling our eyes out over a couple of pets. But they were our pets. Our puppies. Our kids really. They brought us so much laughter and joy and some headaches too but we loved them.
Delilah became ours as just a puppy as it was Jason's dream to own a dog. Not being able to have a pet as a child due to his mom's allergies had taken a toll on his childhood. I was excited to be able to give him this gift. Excited that we would have a puppy together. She was playful and crazy and amazed us at how much she could chew and destroy; things like drywall, the corner of our bed, and even a decorative ceramic bulldog. She shook her butt instead of her tail and galloped as she ran. She drooled and shed and thought she was the queen of the house. She loved to play with plastic bottles and often emptied her entire toy bin, playing with everything. She insisted on being a lap dog even though over the years she grew to be almost sixty pounds of pure muscle. She loved us unconditionally and we loved her.
Romeo was given to me in college as a christmas present from my parents. He quickly got his name from his cuddly and lovey nature. He loved to sit in your lap and snuggle. Not long after owning him we took him on a camping trip that would change him forever. Not being the smartest dog you've ever met Romeo got himself into some poisonous mushrooms. After a weekend trip to the emergency vet he seemed to be doing just fine. A few weeks later after moving to Salt Lake for my internship I got a call that Romeo wasn't doing well and was suddenly paralyzed from the neck down. My mom didn't have the heart to put him down and with hope that he would get well again began to hand feed and diaper him. After a few weeks he began to regain his movement and even started to walk again. He was a miracle puppy that the vet just couldn't explain. He regained all functions but was left with a "spaz" quality when he walked. It became rather comical over the years as he ran sideways and followed the edges of the walls instead of walking across the living room. He became submissive to Delilah and they quickly created a very strange and loving relationship. He had the worst gas you've ever smelled from a dog and he grunted randomly but he was a lover. We loved him.
It's been a strange transition but we know it's for the best. They will be loved and spoiled in their new home more than I think could have been possible with us. We will miss them soo much but we are so happy they will be well taken care of. And on the plus side we'll have the opportunity to visit them every once and a while. So it's not goodbye it's see you later.
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