Break A Child's Heart

I took my four kids grocery shopping this morning with me (that was an adventure in itself). After that fiasco was done, I went to get them lunch. Driving through the restaurant parking lot, we see a stray dog. The dog looks to be a lab mix. Somebody is trying to give the dog some water out of a cup but the dog is afraid of the woman and stays away. So she just sets the cup down and leaves (with the dog trying to jump into their car when she opens the door). Shoot! I don't want to leave a stray dog behind but I have four kids in my car and the back full of groceries. I won't risk my kids getting bit by a stray dog by trying to pack this dog into my car with everybody. I tell the kids that I am sorry but I can't risk a dog bite by a strange dog (visualizing four kids getting rabies shots) and that somebody will probably pick the dog up real soon as it was the lunch hour and the restaurant would be filling up soon. So, we drive home.

I feel really bad but I am trying to reassure the kids. It was the quietest ride home ever with my oldest crying silently. *sigh* We get home and hubby unloads the groceries while I call the restaurant. They said the dog is gone. I'm pretty sure somebody would pick her up but my oldest (the one who cried all the way home) and I get back into the car and head back to the restaurant with a leash just in case. I told my husband before I left that if we drove back down there and the dog had been hit, it was going to be worse for our daughter than just her tears the first time. If we find the dog, I figure I can seatbelt the dog in the back and keep him or her a safe distance away from my daughter in the front now so I'm not worried (that was assuming the dog would come to me anyway). We drove all over the place but the dog really was gone. Thankfully.

We have three dogs already. We didn't need a fourth if we couldn't find its owner. I'm glad somebody picked the dog up. I felt really bad leaving the dog behind the first time but I won't risk a dog bite by a strange dog. That didn't stop me from getting choked up leaving the dog behind though. I felt really bad:(