It wasn't meant to be

Sometimes, you have to do the right thing, even though it is the hard thing to do.

Monday night I cued up the post about "Pete" our new dog and detailed how adorable he is and how sweet and how he ran away.

He's all of that.  but we are surrendering him back to the rescue group.  Both the husband and I devastated.

Tuesday night, Pete got out again, this time as the husband was snaking through the door one leg at a time.  And he took off with the same breakneck speed he exhibited on Saturday afternoon.  Only this time or beloved Rocky (the top dog) followed Pete - and Rocky is trained not to go through the door.

E chased on foot and got Rocky when Rocky got scared at the busy arterial street at the end of our block.  But Pete sped up.  Undaunted and unaware.  This time when the husbands legs gave out from running - he's had vascular surgery in the right leg) a neighbor just happened to come around the corner in her Jeep.  They took off, headed in the direction of the freeway.  They found Pete a mile+ from our house in a terrible neighborhood.

Twice in four days this dog has bolted.  We had a problem beyond our capabilities - this dog is fast and this dog twice has run EAST.  In the direction of railroad tracks, in the direction of the freeway. 

We had to make the tough decision.  We have to put his safety and the safety of Rocky first.  We can't have this happen again.

We're surrendering him to the shelter tomorrow - he needs placed is a different home - one with a fully fenced back yard - something we can't provide.

Neither of us slept last night - the founder of the rescue group called us the most despicable things last night.  She is a horrid woman.  Luckily, the rescue group has a Board, otherwise we'd place him someplace else. 

Both the husband and I have had dogs as family pets for a great number of years in our lives.  But neither of us have encountered this type of will, or speed.  And there was nothing to suggest that this was even something that could happen.  His behavior with other dogs, in unfamiliar situations, everything was counter to this discovery.

So instead of celebrating, we are grieving.

Maybe in time we'll look again, but right now we're both too shaken.  The emotional roller coaster will pull into the station tomorrow evening.  But I profoundly miss my Pete.  I hope they find him a good home and share the lessons we've learned.