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Now that Derick Dillard has completed training to be a military lawyer, it’s time for the Dillard family, including Jill Duggar of course, to pack it up and move out of Arkansas. Unfortunately, that also means leaving behind family and, apparently, the family dog, Fenna, which Jill and Derick adopted in 2021.
In a Reddit post featuring a screenshot from a local Facebook group near Derick and Jill’s home in Arkansas, Derick posted about re-homing Fenna ahead of their move. A lot of people had some thoughts about re-homing the family pet, while others quickly discussed the culture shock that Jill is in for as a military wife for the first time.
Jill Duggar’s life is changing in a big way as a military wife.
Derick has gone through a few different careers during his and Jill’s marriage. There was the time he was an accountant at Walmart, then Derick’s role as an assistant district attorney For Oklahoma. He also dabbled in teaching. Jill might think she has seen it all as the dutiful wife who holds down the home, and continues to take care of the kids, while Derick works, but being the wife of someone in the military, even if he is a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer, is going to be totally different.
“Jill doesn’t have enough bandwidth for half of the incoming expectations,” someone commented on the Reddit post. “I hope the dog goes to someone who will run with her, play with her and let her sleep on the bed.”
Another person pointed out how Jill has dealt with the dynamic of Derick working other jobs and how it’s a lot different with the military.
“Jill can only handle her kids with Derrick actually having a job,” they wrote. “She cannot just show up to his work now and hang out with him. It’s probably why he joined the military to gain some structure in his life. I hope Jill integrates well into being a military wife. It could be the best thing for her.”
Jill Duggar’s military family has to get rid of the family dog.
In Derick’s original Facebook post, he wrote that he and his family have to rehome their dog because their military move would not allow them to keep her.
A user on Reddit wrote that Derick said in the comments of the Facebook post that he and Jill would be unable to keep Fenna for their upcoming temporary housing and that it would be at least eight months until they would be allowed to have the dog.
Some users immediately shamed Derick and Jill for casting off the family pet, especially as some commented to share their own experiences at keeping pets in military housing. Others, however, pointed out that rehoming Fenna might be what’s best for Fenna in the long run anyway.
“Military spouse of 26 years here,” a Reddit user chimed in. “Can you take your animals? Most of the time. Is it ALWAYS in the best interest of the animal to take them? No. I’d rather see that dog fed, walked and loved than shoved into [basic housing] with a new spouse who is overwhelmed, learning military processes and out of bandwidth for the dog.”
She announced the family’s plans to move from Arkansas to Rhode Island.
Even if critics think Jill is about to take on way more than she ever has as a military wife who moves to different locations with her husband and kids, she seems to know at least some of what is ahead for them. Per Derick’s Facebook post, they are going to be moving multiple times in the next several months. And, they wrote on the family blog when they announced their “next big adventure,” they are going to remain out of Arkansas.
“Lord willing, after Derick’s 10 weeks of intense training at OCS, Jill and the kids will move to join him in Virginia, and then Rhode Island for the remainder of his training,” the blog post said. So it looks like it’s going to be a while before Jill and Derick add more pets to the family.
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