I need to get out of this funk

[zchic]

I can hardly stand it. I am sick of things going wrong. Our min-pin Cookie went to her foster home yesterday. The lady is a foster for a min-pin rescue. Well now I am kicking myself. She seemed nice...a bit strange but nice. I took Miss Cookie, a big new bed, vet records, leash, blankets, etc. with me to give to her. Well we walked to her van, it was NASTY. The door opened and it smelled like dogs had been peeing in it for months!!! There were old clothes piled on the floor (there were no seats in the back of the van just the 2 in the front), and there were old nasty dirty dog beds on top of the clothes. I told myself, she volunteers for "citizens for humane action" and the rescue, she may use the van to transport etc...
Now I keep thinking what if her house is the same way??? She said she has 8 min-pins there, and that at night and when she is at work they are crated...now I am thinking is that better than here??? I re-homed her because she kept getting beat up by our other min-pin...and she is older and has stitches and things that a regular person might not tend to. I e-mailed the head rescue lady that I talked to first...told her my concerns, asked if they do home inspections on their fosters...etc.

 

[zchic]

Sorry PART 2:

Then to top that off the night she got attacked, the kids went next door to my parents. My mom kept hinting we should just have her put down!!! When we got home and walked in to show the kids (who were VERY upset and crying) that Cookie was OK, my mom was cursing under her breath. Then as I told my dad what the vet said, she said "who cares" and shoved past me... then sat on the couch with her jaw locked shaking her head in disgust!!! WTF? Every time we spend $$$ on out animals they get pissed. I am 32 years old. We owned a house in Clarksville TN for 6 years. Never have paid a bill late, have NO credit card debt. Had no car payments till a month ago, we decided to get a mini van. Never ask for money... What buisness is it of anyones what the heck we do with our $$$. I blew up at my dad yesterday about it. I told him if I want to wipe my a$$ with $1000 and flush it it isn't there buisness!!! Then he told my mom she needed to stop acting like she did.. and she was all crying last night. She said "what did I do?" so I re inacted the whole scene from Friday for her. and again told her it is none of their buisness. I said that I didn't agree with how they view animals as being disposable...b ut I would respect that, but they had to respect that we do NOT feel that way.
They are always hinting that "it would be so nice if all you had was the 2 big dogs"...I did not move here from a comfortable life to be treated like I am 10 again. My parents are 75 &77...we moved here to take care of them because my brothers are not in a positio to do so. They are giving us a deal on the house...but I would rather go pay full price for one that I can be me in!!!! Bleck. This all needs to work out before I loose my mind. I need something positive to look at!!!

[Ali]

Wow...deep breath....Does it help to think of your parents a the 10 year olds who "just don't understand"? It's hard to switch roles like that, but it may help your sanity if you imagine them as children asking why is sky green when they ask why you can't just have two dogs. Just say "because we can't" and send them out to play! I know - easier said than done. But, I guess the point is, you don't have to talk to them like they are kids, but imagine that they are kids when they say that stuff to you. It is a tough position to be in, when the people you care about don't understand the "pet thing". I know this!