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Dear Doggie

Hello little dog,


I didn't read enough of your story to even know where you are, but I read enough to know I wanted to cuddle you.


I read that you were given to a dog shelter by your owners.


They abandoned you and gave you away.


I'm so sorry.


I'm so sorry for how confused you must have been in the car ride to the shelter, thinking you were all going away somewhere as a family and then not knowing what to do or how to feel when you were taken out of the car and lead to a place you had never seen before...and left there. All alone.


I'm so sorry you had to watch your family walk away and not take you with them. That you heard their car doors close and their car engine start and must have thought "But...you've forgotten me!" as you heard them drive away.


I'm sorry for the nights you spent in your unfamiliar cage at the shelter, pining for your family and wondering what you did so wrong that they just gave you away.


When I read that you saw your owners again after a long time of being at the shelter, my heart broke and I cried so many tears thinking of you recognising their faces; thinking of you wagging your tail and sticking your tongue out, of you racing to the front of your cage so you could see them better, of your eyes finally sparkling again and of your heart leaping - thinking "Hooray! They've come to take me home!"


I don't know what you would have looked like when your heart broke as they didn't even make eye contact with you and walked straight past your cage to the cage of another dog.


Your replacement.


Someone better than you.


Someone worth more than you.


They picked up their new 'baby' and you were not even worth a hesitant glance back.


Oh my heart breaks for you, sweet little dog. I'm so sorry you had to experience that.


I'm so sorry. I couldn't wish anything worse on anyone - animal or human.


My heart breaks for you, little doggie. I hurt in places I didn't know existed knowing the pain you've been through because it is so much of what I've been through, too.


My wish for you is that a family comes to the shelter and chooses you. On purpose. I pray that someone gentle holds your little doggie face in their hands and tells you every single day that you are worth loving. I hope they tell you that you did nothing wrong but just not be what someone else wanted. That what happened is not your fault. My wish for you is that someone will pat your head and rub your tummy, play catch/ball with you and tell you every day that you are loved. I hope they tell you again and again until your heart heals. I pray your new family will take you on walks even when they're tired so you can go and explore. I hope they smile at you as they read books or make meals and you sit at their feet. I hope they laugh and dance with you in the kitchen or laugh at your surprised face when you find that water and waves are much colder than you thought they would be when they take you to the beach on a sunny day - and I hope they become the family you always hoped for. 


I want you to know:


You are perfect just as you are.


There are different dogs, yes - but none of them are any better or worse than you are.


You are unique and you are so very lovely.


It wasn't your fault that they gave you away. It wasn't because of something you did or didn't do enough of.


You're a good dog.

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