- After my stepmother passed away, my father needed to move, so I had to rehome his dogs.
- Finding new owners was heartbreaking, but we found the dogs loving homes and still get pet updates.
Last spring, after my stepmother passed away, my brother and I realized we'd need to help our dad sell his house and relocate to either the Bay Area near my brother or the DC area near me.
But perhaps the most daunting task was helping him rehome his dogs. Thanks to my father's health issues, he simply would not be able to care for them without my stepmother's help.
We helped pack up my dad's house and rehome his dogs
Before it went on the market, my dad's house needed a lot of work. There was drywall repair and painting to do, as well as major landscaping in the yard. In the summer, my husband and I spent a few of the hottest days in the Texas heat wave winnowing down my dad's possessions and packing what was left into a shipping cube, Jenga-style, for pick up and delivery.
We did endless Goodwill runs and had to hire someone to haul what remained. It was tough to say what was more difficult, the physical or emotional labor. Some of it was backbreaking work, but it was also hard to sift through his things and recall the memories attached to them.
While the challenge presented by Dad's dogs was less sweaty, it was equally heartbreaking. I had to find someone who would adopt them, so I posted their pictures on social media and hoped for the best.
We found loving families for both dogs
A former student of mine responded to my post and said she might be able to take Stormy, Dad's Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix. My brother arranged a Zoom meeting, and the potential new owner decided that, if we could transport her to the DC area, she'd adopt her. We agreed. With one dog accounted for, there was still one to go. But getting the second pup adopted turned out to be an even greater hurdle.
Lily was a middle-aged cattle dog mix who preferred to hide from almost anyone who wasn't my dad. At the time, she had fleas. We had no idea how she'd do in a car, but driving with us from Texas to DC was our only option for transporting her. We took her to Petco to be groomed, and then, once again, I turned to social media. I posted on Texas groups, cattle dog rescue groups, and groups for people who just like dogs. No luck.
The local shelter, like most, was over capacity. My dad started worrying he'd need to put her down. Then, the night before my husband and I were supposed to head north to relocate my dad's car and a few last possessions, we had a glimmer of hope. A woman from my running group had recently lost her dog and said she might be interested but would need to meet her to be sure.
That was enough for us. We drove with Lily from Texas to Virginia, staying in hotel rooms with us and taking the dogs for pee breaks in the side lots of every convenience store along the way. We met Lily's potential new family about an hour after pulling into our parking spot at home. Afterward, they went to a movie to think it over, then returned to claim her that afternoon.
Despite the tough transition, everyone found their place
Although it was incredibly hard for Dad to let his girls go, it helps that both new owners send pictures and update us, including a recent holiday card of Stormy and her owner in matching festive sweaters. After about three months of searching for a place that met all of his requirements for accessibility, budget, and location, Dad is now settled as well, thanks to the unceasing efforts of Jorge, his extremely patient real estate agent. He lives in an apartment about a half-hour from us, and sometimes we bring our dog over to visit him, too.
It was difficult for all of us to make this transition, to start this next chapter in his life and ours, but we're grateful to have made it through together — and that everyone has found their place.