The Saga Continues

After giving Bentley up, I just couldn't come to terms with me being allergic to a dog. So today I dug in and did some research. Guess what I found! One of the biggest contributing factors to giving up an adopted pet...allergies. Or so called allergies. 

Many people think they are allergic to their new pet, regardless of their lack of past allergies. Just like me. Little do they realize or even consider the home they came from. Most often pets will carry an allergen on their fur and pass it on to new owners. The allergen can be anything from detergent the previous owner used to a plant they had in their home. The first recommendation is to get the dog bathed and shaved to see if it helps reduce allergy symptoms. We bathed Bentley, but probably not as good as we could have. The website I read compared a owner giving a bath to washing your hands with just water. It makes them look clean, but doesn't get them clean deep down. A professional groomer has the right tools and supplies and does a better job. Just like washing your hands with soap and water. They both look clean, but in the end one is truly clean while the other is not. So chances of me actually being allergic to Bentley...pretty low. Chances of me being allergic to something in his previous home...pretty high. 

I can not even begin to tell you how upset I am. I often let my kids learn by natural consequences, and after going through this, I can see how successful and painful they are. I made a rash decision in the heat of the moment and I fear it was the wrong one. I will take the time to do more research and not let anyone else dictate my decision. I'm so bummed.