I feel your pain, when I left my stbxah, I took the cats but I had to leave my two dogs behind. Technically, he had his dog for 8 months when I meet him and she became mine by default. We then adopted a dog together while we were married. Breaks my heart to leave my puppies behind but that was what I had to do as he wouldn't let me take them. It's even in our divorce agreement how the pets were divided up. There is no easy way of getting over it. I grieve the loss of them as much as I grieved the loss of my fantasy marriage.