With one week to go, the toll is starting to add up. Today we found a home for our last dog. So far, we have placed 13 chickens; goats - Zoe, Zippee, Zeus, Zorro, and our pregnant Mei-Mei; dog - Lulu; cat - Captain Whizbang; and now, our Sadie Sue.
Each placement has brought relief and has taken a little piece of our heart.
The chickens, goats and Lulu have been gone long enough now that we have been able to move forward. It has helped that they all have such great placements. The chickens are happily pecking at the La Medica/Schwimmer household, the goats (now 6, with the birth of Gyzmo in May) at the Morgan's, and Lulu, in dog nirvana at the Kellogg's.
We have held on to Captain Whizbang and Sadie. For, Sadie, maybe almost too long. We have known for awhile now that Captain Whizbang is going to join the goats at the Morgan house so we have been able to rest easy on that decision. Sadie has been another story altogether. Wouldn't you know? The one pet we thought would be the easiest to place was, in the end, the hardest. Some of this I have to attribute to our own unwillingness to let her go. But let her go we must.
Yesterday, with a sick and heavy heart, I was starting to research no-kill shelters and imagining my family going off to Vietnam without me while I stayed home to find a good placement. In my head, Sadie flew to Alaska, New Jersey, Minnesota and Spain. It's been a gut wrencher, to be sure.
Today, I am pleased and relieved to report that none of this will come to pass. Sadie will be joining the household of Mark & Sue ( we don't even know their last name?!) and their cat, Jo-Jo, in SW Portland.
Now, perhaps, the real work begins. The work of grief as we say goodbye.
No comments:
Post a Comment