My pregnant wife left our dog at a shelter for a reason I can't accept

"I thought she was joking. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

For many people, it can be challenging when a "fur-baby" loses its status and becomes a "pet" due to the arrival of a human baby.

One soon-to-be dad and dog owner has shared how the situation has affected his life, by detailing how his wife's feelings towards their dog changed after she became pregnant. 

"My wife LOVED our dog she was the one who actually picked her. My wife was obsessed with Gemma, but after she found out she was pregnant, I swear it’s like a switch, and now she hates her," he writes.

"I talked to her doctor behind her back, and she told me this behaviour is normal due to hormones, and she told me not to worry and let my wife have some space. I couldn’t believe it, so I read stories online by other pregnant women that expressed the same feelings as my wife."

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"A huge financial burden"

The OP writes that his wife had quit her role to focus on her pregnancy and be home with the dog. However, the relationship between the expectant mother and Gemma deteriorated drastically. He writes: "She started complaining about Gem every day.

"My wife’s nausea was getting worse, and Gem throwing up wasn’t helping it. She was annoyed because of Gem's vet bills because of her stomach issues, and with the baby on the way, my wife started seeing Gemma as a huge financial burden."

Not too long after this, the wife took Gemma to a rescue shelter.

"I thought she was joking when she texted me this. I’m just so p*ssed I couldn’t even say goodbye to Gemma. My wife said she wished she handled it better and that she wasn't thinking but she said it's probably the best outcome so we can just focus on the baby."

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"She’s pregnant, fatigued, and worried"

The post was flooded with thousands of comments, from dog lovers to empathisers and everyone in between. 

"Pet aversion isn’t uncommon in pregnancy," one wrote. "It’s not an excuse for making a unilateral decision like this. Try to find your dog and get her back. Go to couples therapy with your wife. Don’t think it’s worth it to divorce her and try to take full custody of the child as some people have suggested."

"I’m not defending the wife, but I can see her reasoning," a second added. 

Another sided with the mother-to-be: "It sounds like your wife does most of the care for this dog. She’s pregnant, fatigued, and worried about the baby. Pre-partum anxiety is common, as is worrying about animals around the baby."

"Making things safe for your CHILD beats a dog any day. Dogs are pets. Your child was made for months of blood, sweat, tears, hormones, permanent changes to your body and sacrifice of time and energy to devote to that little life you created," a fourth concluded.

Woman takes her dog to shelter as it was too hard with her pregnancy. Source: iStock

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"That isn't why she quit her job"

Some readers encouraged the dad-to-be to choose the dog over his wife and baby. However, others quickly pointed out that while rehoming a pet is sad, a baby comes first. 

"That isn't why she quit her job. That is the problem with this viewpoint," one said firmly. "The dog isn't the first child, and the unborn baby isn't the second child."

"I know you love the dog, but it sounds like a giant responsibility, and you're about to take on a whole human life. A human being's responsibility for the life for a baby child is more important than an animal," another wrote.

After two weeks, the shelter told the OP that Gemma had been transported to another town and they could not get her back.

Originally published as My pregnant wife left our dog at a shelter for a reason I can't accept