I’ve got one final Gracie update for you all 🐾
This week has been an emotional roller coaster. The universe put the sweetest, most gentle, most wonderful dog on my path and I made it my number one priority to treat her as my own and care for her while I tried to reunite her with her owners. Sadly, my search for her owners came up dry, so I’ve spent the past week and a half getting to know her, training her, and really bonding with her. We really got so close in such a short time.
Even though I couldn’t have asked to find a more perfect dog, I had to face an unfortunate reality; I am not equipped to care for a dog long term. I am single, live alone, and travel A LOT for work. My career depends on being able to get up and go at the drop of a hat, and unfortunately that lifestyle just doesn’t go hand in hand with dog ownership. There’s a reason it’s just been me and my cat, Moosey, for so long. Cats are just a little more convenient and low maintenance than dogs.
I’ve been an emotional wreck all week because I wanted so badly to make it work where I would be able to have the best of both worlds and keep Gracie while still continuing my career path. But the stress of having to find someone who can look after her for multiple weeks while I travel internationally was too much, and not to mention, too expensive.
As I’ve been trying to figure out what to do, I’ve been lucky enough to be staying with my parents who have a house, a yard, and years of experience caring for dogs. My mom was recently diagnosed with cancer, so she’s out of work and home every day so she’s also gotten to know Gracie pretty well since we’ve been staying with her.
My parents have watched me as I cared for Gracie, took her to the vet, treated her ailments, and formed this palpable bond with her. They could see how much I wanted to keep Gracie in my life, but also knew how difficult that would be considering my career and lifestyle… So they made the offer to adopt Gracie ♥️
I didn’t ask them to, but they also fell in love with her and knew they were in a place where dog ownership made sense. So I am thrilled to announce that my mom and dad will be adopting Gracie! I couldn’t have asked for a more ideal situation. Not only do I get to still be in Gracie’s life, but I also know for certain that she’s going to be loved and taken care of.
I want to thank you all for your encouragement and support throughout this journey with Gracie. It’s been awesome getting to share this story with you guys. I know a lot of you were rooting for me to keep her as my own, and I really wanted to make that work, but I know better than anyone what is realistic for my situation. Dog ownership is not something to be taken lightly. But I’m so happy with how this all panned out. I can’t wait to be able to see Gracie during the holidays and whenever else I come home to visit!
Thank you all for following along. Gracie has definitely left her paw prints on my heart. I am forever grateful I decided to stop at that gas station in Dalhart ♥️🐾