Hey all,

Last summer, my childhood dog died. It was heartbreaking but he was way older than we ever expected him to live. I assumed my parents wouldn't end up getting another dog for a while, but they both ended up wanting one soon afterwards, and adopted the sweetest dog. I feel a little bad saying it, but I loved her more than I knew I could love a dog. Obviously I loved the dog I grew up with, but the dog my parents had was so special. I don't even live with them anymore, so it wasn't even like the dog was mine.

As sweet as the dog was, she had a ton of behavioral issues. My parents worked for about half a year spending tons of time and money on getting her help, but in the end, they rehomed her so she could be with someone who has more experience and time to dedicate to such a high-needs dog. It was the right thing to do because my parents were out of their depth, but we're all kind of traumatized. We aren't a very touchy feely family but me and my mom have just sobbed to each other so many times about how painful this has been. My parents are not planning on getting another dog any time soon because they're afraid of ever going through something similar again, which I understand.

That said, this is the first time in my life (at least as far back as I can remember) that I've really been without a dog. I'm a college student and I can't get my own dog until I'm certain I can financially handle it, which very well might be a long time from now. I've signed up for Rover to hopefully get some dog time in, but it's not quite the same as having a true bond with a dog.

A lot of the purpose of this post is to vent, but I'd also like to know if you have any tips on what helped you through a time like this. It's been extra hard for me because unlike my first dog passing, this wasn't just some natural thing. It was really hard not to blame my parents initially, but I realize that it's not their fault. I'm just heartbroken.

So please, give me any advice you have to cope. Also, if you need a dog walker or sitter in Seattle, hit me up. I'm mostly joking but also kind of not lol