The Bucket the Dog Saga
We brought Bucket home on Christmas Eve 2009 thinking that he would be the perfect fit for our family. His sweet disposition, lack of barking, and cuddly nature meshed perfectly in our family of three- two adults with a skiddish little 3-year old. My husband and I love dogs and have raised/owned enough of them in our lives to know that they require attention, exercise, and work. Unfortunately, we had to give Bucket to my husband’s nephew.
There are several issues. He has gastrointestinal issues that we did not know about before adopting him. That means we have to by specialty food that cost almost $65 for a 24oz bag. He has severe separation anxiety which means we either can never leave him alone. He freaks out and poops all over the house and chews his paws. Obviously the situation is stressful and unhealthy for all involved. But, I absolutely refused to return him to the pound. He is a Pit Bull and the breed is already one in danger- no one wants to adopt them out of fear that is often the result of misunderstanding or based on behavior from poor treatment.
We decided to give Bucket to my husband’s nephew (who ultimately ended up living with my mother-in-law). My nephew is very good with dogs and had wanted Bucket from the day we introduced him to out family. And the situation works out very well. Often separation anxiety can be dealt with by allowing the dog long periods of exercise. Living in an apartment made that virtually an impossibility on a regular basis. Now that he lives in a house with a HUGE backyard he is able to run for hours on end. In addition, he was very used to the family and did not have the initial worries that come from being in a pound. He had a great home for months. And while they leave him alone for short periods of time, there is someone home most of the time. And when there isn’t he has the cat, Patches, to keep him company. Of course, we still get to see him too.
Ah, that’s terrible. Do you plan on getting another dog soon?
Peace, Love and Chocolate
Tiffany
.-= Tiffany´s last blog ..Ah Shiggity Bucket =-.
We will get another dog but not until we live in a house and are in a better position to take care of him/her should she have special needs. Thanks for commenting.
That is so sad when an animal has problems…it’s only for the best that we give them up…at least you get to see him though:) She is way tooooo cute taking care of her baby! Love that pic!
.-= Vic´s last blog ..Things About Old People =-.
It was definitely for his own good. And ours. I really liked him although I never warmed up to him the way I did with previous dogs because I was always cleaning up poop. LOL. Yes, The Tornado LOVES him and she gets to play with him weekly. Thanks for visiting.