Giving your dog away is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Here's how to cope with guilt and grief when you rehome your pet.

I had to give my dog away, but then I adopted another one. The woman who gave me her dog felt terrible, just like I did when I had to rehome my dog. Do you see the cycle, how we share our dogs? She hated giving her dog away, but I was glad she did. I hated rehoming my dog, but her new owner was glad I did.

Coping with guilt and grief when you're rehoming your dog is essential. You don't have to live with guilty, grieving feelings.

I went through the pain of rehoming a dog. Here’s how I dealt with guilty feelings as I grieved. These suggestions for dealing with guilt and grief after you rehome your dog – or even while you’re deciding if you should give your dog away – will help you heal.

The good news is that most rehomed and adopted dogs adjust quickly to their new environments! Dogs adapt because they live in the moment, and they’re survivors. Rehoming a dog is more painful for dog owners than the dogs themselves – though I have no doubt that our dogs miss us! I don’t think they dwell on their loss, and they definitely don’t have to learn how to deal with their adoption.

The bad news is that the pain, guilt, and grief you feel about rehoming your dog won’t easily go away. The truth is that even though I may sound like I had no problem giving my dog Jazz away, I still feel terrible whenever I think about that day. We took our dog back to the SPCA, and both my husband and I wept like our hearts were breaking. Because our hearts were breaking.

Shortly after we adopted our new dog, Tiffy, the previous owner emailed to say thank you for adopting her. She had to rehome Tiffy because she just couldn’t take care of her anymore. I am so grateful she gave her dog away! And she is so grateful that I was able to adopt her dog and love her fully and completely.

If you feel like you can’t deal with rehoming your dog, take heart. Know that your dog will adapt – and perhaps even be happier with his or her new family. After giving your dog away, you have to believe that the next home will be the right place for him or her. Otherwise, you’ll just keep spinning your wheels in the thick muck of guilt. Believe that your dog and his new guardians are very happy together.

With love,
Laurie

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