I was getting on the elevator at my apartment when the door opened and another resident, D, and his obnoxious Chihuahua, Jack, were in there. Both of us had some hesitation about sharing the ride downstairs with Jack, for I’ve gotten into an argument with D about his dog after Charley had been backed into a corner while Jack ferociously went for her, teeth bared, almost biting her. He had yelled at me some obscenities all the while telling me I need to control my dog and leash her (she was, his wasn’t) so I was concerned that an enclosed space was probably not the smartest idea for all of us.

He told us to come on in, it was all good, he was holding Jack, nothing was going to happen. I commented on how well behaved Jack was being, for not one bark had been let out.

That’s when D told me he didn’t know what to do anymore, he tried and tried to make it work, but he was going to have to get rid of Jack. He said he was sick of it, and didn’t want to deal with his attitude any longer.

My eyes got huge as I asked him, “What? What happened? Why?” I was taken back because I never knew he was that person, the kind that gets rid of his animal just because he couldn’t handle whatever issue was going on. Plus, D can be a hot potato at times but he’s completely smitten when it comes to Jack.

He backed that up by bouncing Jack like a baby in his arms and said to him, “Yeah, enjoy your last little day here, because when your new owners get here, that will be it. That’s right, you just won’t be a good dog, and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve asked you and asked you and you just misbehave. I’ve had it.” Jack had this pained expression on him, and was extremely quiet.

It’s not until D got off on their floor and turned to us and said to Jack, “Tell them goodbye! It was nice!” I was still staring in disbelief when I suddenly saw D slightly wink one eye. As the elevator was closing I started busting up laughing because I realized what he was doing. I have done the same thing with Charley, and I always feel bad about it afterwards. I have flat out told her “That’s it. I have to find you somewhere else to live, because I can’t do this anymore. You’ll wish you would have listened once you leave…” Stuff like that. There are times when I really want to pull my hair out and feel I have done everything, and feel she’d be better off with someone with 8 teenagers and a huge farm full of bunnies and sheep. But I don’t mean it. Really.

I felt relief because it was then I realized that I am not the only one that tells their pet those things. I do feel horrible after I say those things but, just like Jack, she straightens up and becomes an A class student afterwards.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, right? I am wondering how many other pet owners say those kind of things to their pets. I just know I like it when people admit that at times it has been rough with their animals. And, to find out that I’m not the only one.