Andy Cohen, Wacha, And The Case For Rehoming
As a Bravo fan and a dog-lover, I have always had a strong appreciation for Andy Cohen’s relationship with his beagle-foxhound mix Wacha. He adopted the rescue dog in 2013 and often featured the pup on his media accounts. For many years, the pair seemed to be each others’ constant companions.
That is until the Watch What Happens Live host made the difficult decision to rehome Wacha following an undisclosed “incident,” in which it seems that the dog may have acted aggressively toward Andy’s one-year-old son Benjamin.
The producer wrote in a May Instagram post that Wacha had “some occasional random signs of aggression” and that if he had kept the dog it “could [have been] catastrophic for Ben and worse for Wacha.” After meeting with “numerous professionals” Andy decided to give his canine companion to the family who watched him “every single time [he]went out of town.”
The Bravo boss assured fans that Wacha “is thriving” and he still visits him. However, he noted he misses him terribly and that the dog “opened [him] up to love.. to caring… and ultimately to having a family.”
Now rehoming is a controversial topic. I’ll admit that when I first heard about this story, I was devastated. I, like many people who are passionate about pups, never like to see a dog being displaced.
That being said, this makes me a bit of a hypocrite, as I have been on both ends of the rehoming spectrum.
When I was in 4th grade, my parents were given a very handsome terrier mix, called Buster, from a family who did not disclose that they were getting rid of the dog due to him being aggressive towards children. Unfortunately, the pup pretty much hated me (which I get -- I was annoying) and ended up drawing blood after I tried to take a delicious paper napkin away from him. I tried to downplay what happened because I knew my mom would freak out, so I tried to keep it casual but the wound was pretty impressive.
My parents ultimately decided to give the dog to one of my dad’s friends, who lived in a child-free household. This ended up being the dog’s forever home, where he only occasionally bit his owner’s mother-in-law, which I think may have been encouraged.
Now, I’m not sure if I would have done what my parents did, but I do understand he was very reactionary and unpredictable. It is just unfortunate he went from home to home in such a short period of time. However, I do believe that he was better off with his third and final family.
My other childhood dog, a poodle named Molly, was also rehomed to us a year following Buster’s departure. We never had any issues with this dog and she was the most beloved member of our family until she passed away (something that my family still tears up about to this day).
My current dog Ruby, a gorgeous little terrier-maltese mix, was another owner surrender. She was originally my partner’s former roommate’s dog, but due to some behavioral issues she needed a new home.
About four years ago, my partner, who I did not live with at the time, ended up taking her in and began training her in between his grad school classes. While she is still a little bit on the naughty side, her aggressive tendencies have improved. In fact, she now even finds children and other dogs tolerable, which was one of her main issues.
I am very thankful that Ruby was rehomed as she is the light of my life. Also, I think that my partner and I were better equipped to handle a high-energy, very vocal dog more so than her previous owner.
And there’s no shame in that. I think that while not ideal, recognizing that your household is not suitable for your furry friend is perfectly fine. As long as you are taking the right steps and not just abandoning the animal, you are showing that you have your dog’s best interest at heart.
I would recommend that if you are considering rehoming your dog due to behavioral issues, seek out professional help from a trainer before doing so. If you feel you’ve done all you can, however, work on a detailed plan to rehome your dog, preferably to someone you are close to and know would make an excellent pup parent.