27/07/2025
💜 Ruby’s Story: A Love Letter to a Challenged Soul 💜
This is the story of a little brown pup named Ruby — a dog who changed my life, and then left a space in my heart that nothing else will ever quite fill.
Ruby was a force of nature: chocolate brown, fiercely loyal, deeply sensitive, and beautifully flawed. This is not a happy story. It’s a sad one — but also a love story. It’s about the bond between a human and a dog who felt the world too intensely. A dog born into chaos, who carried that chaos in her bones.
I’m sharing Ruby’s story not to judge, but to connect — to offer comfort to someone navigating life with a reactive dog, or to encourage just one person to desex their pet or rethink irresponsible breeding. If Ruby’s legacy can be one of awareness, compassion, and change, then she will not have lived in vain.
💜 Her Beginning 💜
Ruby was born in a public park to a life-chained dog with a bite history. Her mother was just 10 months old. The litter — 15 puppies — was advertised as “free” on social media, but that’s not how I met Ruby.
I had been bringing food and blankets to her owner for months before Ruby was even conceived. On the day she was born, in the backseat of a car that served as her family’s home, I met Ruby — the only chocolate brown female in the litter.
As weeks went past, I continued to visit. Arranged rescues to help drop off food and supplies. And at 6 weeks old, mum began to dry off and they converted to wet food. I continued to visit and while her siblings played, she pawed at my leg insistently. I picked her up and she fell asleep in my arms.
Her mother, stressed and fearful, lived chained to a car in a homeless campsite. She tolerated me but never trusted. During her pregnancy, she barked for hours on end. The pups were loose in the park, screaming in fear while their mother lunged at the end of her chain. That was Ruby’s start in life.
Despite this, Ruby came home with us. She joined our household, completed puppy preschool, and we began the training journey we had done with our older dog, Loki — who quickly accepted her. We became a family of four.
💜 Early Signs 💜
Ruby showed signs of anxiety early — as young as 7 weeks old. She flinched at strangers, feared loud noises, urinated when excited, and didn’t like being touched. At 9 weeks, she resource-guarded me from Loki for the first time.
We reached out for help. We saw vets to rule out pain, completed desensitisation protocols, and enrolled in multiple training programs. Ruby was smart — incredibly so. She learned tricks instantly and loved agility in our backyard. She cuddled like a pro and wagged her whole butt when we got home. She loved us — deeply.
But the issues persisted. Her anxiety deepened. She lunged at people from the car, escalated toward dogs in public, and began attacking Loki — unprovoked. Gates and separation became part of daily life. And our joyful, loving Loki began to struggle with the isolation, and separation anxiety became evident when I left for work.
💜 Life with a Reactive Dog 💜
Living with a reactive dog is isolating. You walk with your head on a swivel, pleading silently for others to leash their dogs. You feel judged, misunderstood. You carry the stress of both yourself and your pet. Ruby wasn’t bad — she was overwhelmed by a world that was too loud, too unpredictable, too unsafe.
Despite every effort, her reactivity worsened. There was no warning, no build-up — just sudden explosions of fear and aggression. And we reached a heartbreaking point of truth: Ruby was not safe — not for us, not for others, and not for herself.
I said something I never imagined I would:
“I think we need to let her go.”
💜 The Hardest Goodbye 💜
Ruby wasn’t just a dog. She was our baby. I’d made her a promise — that no one would ever hurt her again. But the world was hurting her, and there was no way I could fix it.
Could we rehome her? No. Who would take on a dog with her needs? What if she got worse? What if she hurt someone?
On her final day, Ruby lunged at a police officer who pulled us over for speeding — one last show of big feelings. He let us go with a warning. Thank you, sir.
At the vet, we held her close. Tears streamed down my face. I told her I loved her — again and again. She fell asleep in our arms, finally at peace.
I light a candle every night for the animals and humans I’ve lost. Ruby’s light will always shine.
💜 What I’ve Learned 💜
I used to believe behavioural euthanasia was unthinkable. I no longer do. It should be a last resort, yes — but never a source of shame. Sometimes, letting go is the deepest act of love.
If you’re walking a reactive dog — I see you. I’ll give you space. I’ll leash my dog. I’m cheering for you.
If you’re thinking about breeding your dog — please don’t, unless you’re educated, experienced, and resourced.
If you can’t afford to desex your dog — get a voucher from SPCA. There is help.
If your dog lives chained outside — please, seek support.
Shelters are overwhelmed. Dogs like Ruby are becoming more common — born into trauma and passed between people unequipped to help. They are not bad dogs. They are scared dogs. Be kind to them. Be kind to the people who love them.
💜 For Ruby 💜
We miss you so much, sweet girl.
Our chocolate princess. Madam MooMoo. Rubywoo. Piglet.
You were challenging, beautiful, smart, funny, and loved beyond measure.
We don’t regret a second. We just wish we could have saved you from the world.
Be free now, angel. Come visit if you want.
Your life mattered. Always.
