Dogs · by Yui Tanaka · 2026-09-14

returned a foster-to-adopt shepherd and I feel like the villain in my own life

He wasn't aggressive, just way more dog than the rescue described. Fence scaling, screaming at bikes, zero ability to settle, and my landlord was one noise complaint from sending us both to the moon. Rescue took him back and placed him with a trainer-foster. I know that was responsible. I still cried into a gas station coffee.

16 sparks · 11 comments

Comments

Nicolás Díaz · 51 likes

Did the rescue at least listen when you described the bike thing?

Yui Tanaka · 19 likes

They did. To their credit they were kind and didn't guilt me.

Budi Santoso · 5 likes

The rescue misreading his needs is not you failing him.

Avery Johnson · 4 likes

Gas station parking lots are where 80% of pet-related crying happens.

Yui Tanaka · 0 likes

That is absurdly specific and also true.

Minji Kim · 3 likes

Hope the trainer-foster gets him matched better. Those dogs can be amazing in the right setup.

Valeria López · 3 likes

As a former foster coordinator: thank you for returning before it became dangerous or resentful.

Nusrat Akter · 2 likes

People romanticize 'just make it work' without caring who pays when it goes badly.

Aina Rahman · 1 likes

Some threads get mean about returns. Ignore them. Safer outcome > ego.

Martina Fernández · 1 likes

I had to return one after 48 hours because my resident dog shut down. Still stings years later.

Liam Eriksson · 0 likes

Responsible and easy are not the same thing.