Looking for some joy amid a global pandemic, Stephanie Nelson adopted tiny Juniper. It seemed like a perfect match, a wonderful addition to the family. But very quickly they realized the painful truth: Junipers needed more than their family could provide. Most dog lovers are afraid to share their rescues fails, fearing judgement and alienation. Some think it’s better to just power through: keep the dog and hope it will end well. But the opposite is often true. Returning the dog is desperately hard (as Stephanie knows firsthand) but sometimes, it’s the right thing to do. More About DPN Check out Dog Podcast Network for other dog-adjacent shows: The Long Leash where we rescue tasty scraps from the editing room floor in an unscripted interview show Dog Cancer Answers which offers vetted advice from real veterinarians who answer your questions about dog cancer Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices