Farewell Ellie

After much debate and even more thought, we decided to give Ellie to a new family last week. She was turning into such a great dog (training well, very obedient, good natured, not a barker, learning some tricks) so it was a very hard decision. It pretty much came down to us feeling guilty that she spent most of the time in her kennel-mainly in her dog house because of the cold. With a newborn and 3 other kids to take care of, a husband who travels, no fence, and me not wanting a dog in the house, I just couldn't give her the time she deserved out of the kennel. Jim doesn't even get home 'til dark so he did what he could after work but we felt it wasn't enough. A nice family in Victor was really interested in her and fell in love when they met her, so Jim and the girls drove her to Victor last week to her new home. It was a very emotional day for all of us-definitely harder than I thought to let her go. I cried, Jim cried, and Ashtyn sobbed for two days (nothing harder for a mom than to see her child heartbroken). I almost changed my mind at the last minute.

The only reason we felt okay about the decision is that her new family lives on 30 acres right on the way to Jackson. She will be able to run to her little heart's content and interact with another dog, horses, cats, and chickens. They also have 3 older kids who are the perfect age for playing with her and helping take care of her. They are even going to let her sleep in the son's room next to his bed. Much better than being stuck in a kennel and sleeping in a crate in the garage. We can also come visit her whenever we want or whenever we head to Jackson, which we usually do a few times a year. All in all, I think it was the best decision!

We will definitely miss her and it's pictures like these that bring tears to my eyes knowing that Ashtyn had to give her dog up. We will probably never find a cuter dog-her white polka dotted feet and white tummy are adorable! Word to the wise: before getting a pet, make sure and weigh every option/situation before making a decision (especially at the fair). I had a moment of weakness seeing how much Jim and Ashtyn fell in love with her as a puppy and it ended up causing a lot of heartbreak by getting attached and having to give her away. I'm so proud of Ashtyn for making an unselfish decision in giving Ellie a better life and making it through something so hard at her age. She definitely loved her first dog!