Dog fix needed
Our bike ride this afternoon took us past the dog park. It’s a really big dog park, and there were a lot of dogs playing and looking happy. We watched for a few minutes, trying not to be those weirdos who lurk outside dog parks without dogs. I missed our puppies, but was mostly happy to watch all those dogs play. I’ve toyed with the idea of volunteering at an animal shelter before, and I’m toying with it now. I’m not Mom – I can be trusted not to come home with a new pet. But will it make me feel better, knowing I’m helping out homeless animals, giving them love and attention and helping them get adopted? Or will it make me feel worse to come home every time, NOT having adopted a new pet (a new dog, let’s be honest here), knowing I’m not rescuing them and giving them all a loving home? Because really – now is not the time for us to get a dog. We’re not ready emotionally. We’re a week away from three years since Roxy’s death, and about a year and a half from Riley’s. We both have dreams about one or both of them fairly regularly, which is kind of nice. They’re not sad dreams – they’re matter of fact (we’re doing something and oh hey, one of the dogs is with us), and it’s kind of like saying hello. For me, crying about them is not a thing of the past. On top of that, our travel plans make it complicated, so it’s not an option.
But anyway, volunteering at an animal shelter – good thing for me? Bad thing? I should probably try it and see.