Rescuing A Dog Changed Our Lives: But Not In The Way We Thought

When we decided we were ready to rescue a dog it was 2021 and like so many of us, we were craving routine and something (anything) constant in our life when everything else felt unimaginably uncertain.

While working from home, our dog was a non-negotiable reason to get outside. He got us out into nature and whatever he decided to roll in brought nature back in with us (hello stinky musk).

What we didn’t expect was our dog’s reactivity to other pups and people and the deep well of patience and empathy it has bulwarked in us.

It has been an important reminder that progress is rarely linear and the importance of meeting others where they’re at rather than where we expect them to be.

Even with the fear of the unfamiliar, our dog has taught us the importance of being out in community and threading people and place. Little by little, the constant of community keeps us grounded and gives us a sense of meaning and belonging; something that so many of us are wistful for in 2026.

All of this to say that rescuing a dog has changed our life in so many ways we couldn’t have initially anticipated.

We’d love to know in the comments how your pup has changed your!