Why I Didn't "Get Rid" of My Dogs After Having a Baby

What does getting rid even mean?

My furbabies were 6 months old in this picture: Jarvis, my ever so photogenic pupper, and Rocket, my handsome grumpy snuggler. Right before my husband and I got married, my mother-in-law decided to breed her poodles and allowed us to adopt 2 of the 3 puppies from the first litter ❤️ I've always been a dog-less dog lover, so when I finally took my very own puppies home, I was over the moon crying all tears of joy. At that time, I was also still recovering emotionally and mentally from a major life disruption, so it also felt like they came into my life at a time I needed them the most.

They saved me.

I got my first 2 furbabies, Jarvis and Rocket, right before I married my husband and just after we got our first apartment together. To say that my dogs changed my life is an understatement. They were the only ones there when I had to cry out my anxieties and panic episodes, and they were the only ones who understood exactly when I needed company and cuddles—not conversations. They were the silent witnesses to my emotional recovery. Even without words, it felt like they were the only ones who understood me perfectly. Of course my husband was there for me too, but it is important to note that human conversations are so much different to the kind of connection we get with dogs. Because with dogs, its just presence. There are no words. They just stay there and listen. And they never judge you. And sometimes, that's just all we need. I can honestly say that if it weren't for my dogs, I might still be in that sullen emotional dark hole I worked so hard to recover from—completely unprepared to be a mother to another human being.

My puppies' real names are Jarvis Rex and Rocket Indominous ❤

It was my decision and commitment to treat them as my own.

I can't tell you enough how many people asked me how I plan to get rid of my dogs before I gave birth to Mason. They didn't even ask me what my thoughts about it were, they just went ahead and assumed I'll take my dogs somewhere once my baby's here - whatever that meant. Most of the time, I just smiled politely. In the intention to not say anything rude, I failed to explain to people that getting rid of my dogs is not even in my vocabulary. I don't understand it. When I took my dogs in, I committed myself to be their mama. I didn't just take them in with this thought at the back of my head that at some point I might have to let them go. That's my greatest nightmare. And I think I failed at explaining to people enough that it was my decision to make this commitment to my babies. And commitment to me means being through whatever; that our relationship doesn't end just because vet bills are expensive, or because times get tough, or just because I am having a baby. That baby is their brother for Christ's sake. Now don't get me wrong. I know that there are cases where it's really necessary to re-home your pets when a baby comes into your life, and I will always respect moms who do what's best for their fur and furless children. I'd have to say my circumstances just so happened to be different and I was fortunate to have this option to keep my dogs, which I'm so, so grateful about because I could never imagine living this life without them.

They made my heart ready to embrace what it's really like to be a mom.

A year after I got my first 2 furbabies, I got my youngest pup, Scott. He was more like re-homed to us after recovering from a very serious blood condition when he was just a couple of weeks old. Since my MIL wasn't able to care for him anymore, I happily agreed to take him in and vowed never to let him be sick again.

Having Scott taught me how to hold myself together as I watched him inside that cage in the hospital with all the IVs stuck in his tiny legs fighting for his life. It was my first time learning how to surrender my fears to the Lord, which also made me realize that it is my role as his mom to be the strong one even if that means I'm the only one who's able to. I have to keep myself together and hold back the tears as I assured him everything's gonna be okay. And it did! He survived his illness and bounced back 10x stronger! But my duties didn't stop there as we had to be more careful with him particularly because of his medical history. My experience with Scott's hospitalization was my first taste of how it's like to lose total control of your loved one's fate, and my first awakening on how to gather more strength for myself when my family needed it the most.

Taking care of 3 dogs is pretty much like taking care of 3 growing toddlers. As their parents, my husband and I are responsible for teaching them basic commands and manners; making sure their vaccinations are up to date and that they have access to quality healthcare when they need it; and it's also our obligation to ensure we give them a loving, nurturing home. We also had to learn how to manage their different personalities and work with their individual quirks. Travelling from one place to another with the whole pack has also always been a challenge, but we love it. In short, being parents to 3 dogs ain't easy. Much like motherhood in general, I guess. But I've realized that sometimes, it's the challenging things like this that really make our hearts live. Before giving birth to my first born, I fully understood that my life's gonna be 4 times more challenging once my baby's out. But that doesn't mean I'll let my non-human babies go out of inconvenience. They're my kids too. And no matter how challenging being a mom to 3 furbabies and 1 hooman baby is, nothing compares to the love and joy I get from all 4 of them. And I wouldn't trade being a mommy to all 4 of them for the world.