Messy divorce leads couple to rehome their golden retriever, another couple happily adopts him after theirs went over the rainbow bridge

Briana Viser • Writer and Editor

Jun 11, 2026 7:30 AM EDT

One couple's trash is another couple's treasure.

Going through a divorce is one of the most stressful things that could happen to someone. The paperwork, financial strain, legalities, and emotional tension of sundering a marriage is not something I would wish on my worst enemy. In Reddit's r/dogs, a couple is going through a messy divorce, but they have a 4 year old golden retriever. It's one thing to go through a divorce with all the extra time, energy, costs, and emotional difficulties, but it's another thing to do it with a dog to take care of. It's really not easy to take care of a dog, it's a ton of responsibility and work, and it makes a lot of sense that they're choosing to part ways with the dog.

That's when another couple sees the post for the dog. They are used to having a dog, and their 5 year old golden retriever crossed the rainbow bridge recently. They want to adopt another after their loss, and it just felt like fate when they saw the ad for this dog. They met the dog and instantly fell in love with his sweetness, polite manners, and playfulness. They have two young children at 4 years old and 1 year old, and they're both used to having a large dog, so there's no issue there. They're going to start by doing an overnight with the dog and see how things go. They ask the internet for advice on the situation, like if there's anything they need to know.

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It's not surprising that the couple going through a divorce can't afford to keep their dog. It's enough work when things are their best, but I couldn't imagine having to take care of a golden retriever when I'm in the midst of a divorce. Seeing a couple go through a divorce can be absolutely heartbreaking, and even more heartbreaking for the kids. Maybe people might stay because they think it's better for the kids, but ultimately the children will know what's going on, and it could be even more damaging to have to see their parents suffer together than if they just split.
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