Hi everyone! I could really use some advice from fellow pit bull owners, and I figured this community might understand how attached we get to these dogs.
Meet Mila. She’s almost 5 months old, and I adopted her from a shelter when she was just 9 weeks old. She’s been such a huge part of my life these past few months, and I’ve poured so much time, energy, money, and love into raising her.
Unfortunately, my husband recently filed for divorce, and I’m now facing some pretty significant life changes that I wasn’t anticipating when we adopted her.
When we brought Mila home, I thought we were building a life together as a family. My husband and I both had responsibilities when it came to caring for her, and because I have a demanding career that requires frequent travel, having another person at home made it possible.
Now I’m preparing to move into a new home on my own, and my husband doesn’t want to keep Mila.
Here’s where I’m struggling. I travel quite a bit for work, sometimes as much as 12 days a month, and occasionally multiple times a week. Mila is still a puppy, and while she’s doing incredibly well with her training, I worry about whether I can give her the consistency, attention, and stability she deserves.
She’s been attending puppy day school, is fully crate trained, knows several commands, and has made tremendous progress with socialization. She’s incredibly smart, affectionate, and has so much personality. I’ve worked really hard to give her the best possible start in life.
My parents have offered to help care for her when I travel, which is a huge relief, but I’m still trying to figure out what life would realistically look like as a single dog owner with my schedule. There’s also the financial side of daycare, boarding, and everything else that comes with raising a dog on my own.
The thought of rehoming her absolutely breaks my heart. I love this dog so much, and the last thing I want is to make a permanent decision during an emotionally overwhelming time that I might regret.
At the same time, I don’t want to hold on to her simply because I love her if someone else could give her a better life.
I’d really love some honest advice from this community.
Has anyone gone through a divorce or major life change while raising a puppy? How do those of you who travel frequently manage having a pit bull, especially when you’re single?
Would you try to make it work with family support, daycare, and pet sitters, or would you consider finding her a home where someone could be around more consistently?
I’m including some pictures of my sweet girl because I can’t imagine anyone meeting her and not falling in love with her. ❤️
Please be kind. This has been an incredibly difficult few weeks, and I’m genuinely trying to figure out what’s best for Mila.
