Daphne/Bailey

I realized I got so busy and never wrote about our decision to find Daphne a new home.

I was overwhelmed (surprise surprise!)  As much as we wanted to, we just couldn’t afford the time it takes to train a new puppy.  I knew going into it that we may be “fostering” her and finding her a new home…In the beginning, I knew getting her out of where she was was a good thing either way!

I put an ad on craigslist asking for a family to love her.  I got a BUNCH of replies very fast.  Which makes the fact at how well it worked out even more amazing. 

One responder in particular told me in her first email about their family (2 young boys) and their other young dog who they wanted a play mate for.  She told me right off that they wanted to spoil another puppy.  When I responded to her she took another hour to respond so I emailed back to see if they were serious because I really had a good feeling about them.  She answered saying that they had decided they wanted her, and we emailed back and forth about how hard it was for us to let her go and she was very understanding and encouraging.  :)

The next day, Shelby and I took Daphne to meet them (another bonus: they live 5 minutes from us!) and a match was made.  Her boys fell in love with her and she started playing with their Boxer Marki immediately.

Since then, the new owner has sent me 2 emails letting me know how well she is doing, and that her boys renamed her Bailey.  She even sends pictures!  Look how cute she is!

Hello there Megan and family!  I wanted to give you a quick update on Bailey and let you know just how spoiled she is!  She knows how to sit and lay down like a champ now!  We are working on stay and sitting pretty!  She is so smart!  Marki and her play nonstop all day!  The boys play tug of war with her all the time!   She is so sweet and so spoiled!  I am attaching some pictures of her and her best friends!!  Thanks again for this beautiful gift of love!! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Jeff had the email open on the laptop one night and the next day I saw Shelby on the computer, being very quiet.  When I got her to look at me, she was just silently bawling with big tears running down her face…the email with pictures was up (which she had already looked at before) and she so sweetly and sadly said, “I miss her.”  OMG talk about a mommy’s heart BREAKING.  The only thing that helps is that we all know that she is so very loved by her new family, and that she was simply not getting enough time from us.  She’s in a better place, even though it is so hard for a little 5 year old animal-loving tender heart to understand all of that.

I hope we continue to get updates from Bailey’s new family and that some day we might even have a playdate at the dog park!  Wouldn’t Shelby love that?! :)