My girlfriend left my dog at the shelter while I was at work — when I went to pick him up, he was gone.

I hoped my girlfriend would come to understand this, to see Frankie not as a barrier to our future but as a foundational part of who I am. As I waited for her to reach out, I spent my days with Frankie, each moment reinforcing my decision. Whether playing in the yard, sharing quiet moments on the couch, or simply walking together, I was reminded of how far we had come.

Frankie, with his one eye and three paws, had taught me more about love, loyalty, and resilience than I could have imagined. The days following Leslie’s departure were a blur of heartache. I stood firm on my decision, but I was also reeling from potentially losing the girl I had grown to love so much.

But luckily, Leslie felt the same way. After almost a week of silence, she finally called me and asked if we could work things out. I told her Frankie wasn’t going anywhere, but I did miss her terribly.

We met up for coffee, and it was like we had never been angry at each other. We chatted and laughed, and eventually, she came to my place for dinner and a movie. The issue of my dog seemed to be behind us, and we had a lovely evening.

We had a lovely week as well, and a month later, we moved in together. We barely lived in our new place for three weeks when I returned home only to find Frankie was missing. Leslie wasn’t there either, and when she finally walked through the front door, I was livid.

I knew what she had done to him. “Where is he, Les?”

“I thought it would be easier for you to say goodbye if you weren’t the one to do it. He’s at the shelter.

I’m sorry, John, but I want kids one day and I’m not having such a big dog around my kids.”

“I’ve told you how much he means to me! How could you do this?”

“You seriously thought I’d allow that monster to be around my child someday? You’ll have to choose – your ugly dog or me and our future!”

That was it.

I told her to get her things and get out of my house. Although we lived together, everything was in my name because I made the most money. Stunned, but angry, Leslie took her things and left.

I never heard from her again. I couldn’t fathom how she had so callously decided to take Frankie, my one-eyed, three-pawed Great Pyrenees and my savior in my darkest times, to the shelter. Her words echoed in my mind, a cruel symphony of ultimatums and insults.Continue reading…