I have just come across your website. I too gave my pet away after losing my other dog that I had had for 11 and a half years. My first dog who I had to have euthanised due to very ill health was everything to me, I did not want him to suffer so stayed with him as he was put to sleep, he had heart problems and his eye sight was fading, the vet said it was the kindest thing to do. Not long after I got a rescue dog, when I brought him home, I cried constantly and felt it was not fair on the dog. I took him back to the dogs home after two weeks and since then have felt tremendous guilt and still think of him. I kick myself constantly for taking him back and miss him so much. He was a year old and a lovely dog, I wished I had given him a chance, I have not felt the same since and not had any other pets since. This was in 2010 and the feelings have still not gone away. I have had counselling too.

I just wanted to share my feelings and I wish I could have peace of mind again and forgive myself.

Blessings,
Laurie

Thanks again

Yes, it was you I was referring to! I’ve learned that readers don’t always like when I use their real names in my articles, so I changed yours.

Sometimes we feel inappropriately or inordinately bad about the decisions we made, because of unresolved issues in our past. The current situation is a “trigger” that opens up the floodgates of past feelings.

So, maybe you feel extremely guilty not just because of your dog, but because it’s touched something else inside of you.

I recently read that if we have extreme or unrealistic emotional reactions to a specific event, then it’s a sign of an unresolved past emotional issue. I’m not saying this is the case for you, but it’s what I read…and it’s often the case for me.

Also, dogs bring out a whole different side of us! When I got my dog Jazz, I cried every day for the whole time we had her. She was triggering some deep emotional response in me, and I still don’t really know what it was. But, just knowing that there’s something else going on does help.

Anyway, thanks for commenting on this article – and for inspiring me to list the reasons to forgive yourself for the “bad” things you did! I don’t think you did anything wrong or bad AT ALL, but I do hope you can forgive yourself, have compassion, and move on into a happier, healthier stage.

Please do come back and let me know how you are!

Blessings,
Laurie

Enjoyed your article. The tips which we tend to forget all the time and torture ourselves unnecessarily.Forgetting and moving forward is the key thing in life.