I’m so incredibly sad and just cried all night. My heart hurts and the guilt is overwhelming. We adopted a puppy in April to fill a void after the loss of our elderly dog last year (he’s six months old now) and he killed my Ethel last night. I must’ve accidentally left the side door of their coop open after cleaning it yesterday and she probably hopped out. We came home from dinner last night and my poor daughter found Ethel’s remains in our living room (via the dog door). I’m at a loss about what to do. I don’t believe in getting rid of animals that you’ve made a commitment to, but I also HATE him right now and can’t stand the thought of looking at him for the next fifteen or more years. He’s a massive puppy (almost 100 lbs) and I know he didn’t do it maliciously. I’m sure he found a squeaky toy in the backyard and was just playing.

I’m just posting to vent or to get some answers or reassurance. Mostly, I’m just incredibly sad and I know that the people in this group understand. People that don’t have chickens just don’t get the depth of love one can have for these little creatures. I haven’t been able to bring myself to go outside this morning to face my other girls….I know they will be grieving and I can’t handle that right now.

Thank you for listening.