The Truth About Surrendering Your Dog
What to consider if you need to rehome your dog
So I generally like to keep the convo light and happy, but today I want to talk about the truth behind owner surrender and what you should consider if you find yourself in a place where you need to rehome your dog.
There are many life circumstances and situations that may make keeping your dog difficult or even impossible. A move to a place that won’t take them, financial challenges, change in family structure, etc. Whatever the reason, one might think surrendering to a shelter is the best option as you hope for a new, loving home for your pet.
The reality of this consideration, though, is in stark contrast to what you envision in your head. Let me break it down.
Dogs who are owner surrender have LESS time in the shelter than strays
This means that the shelter will give up to 72 hours before automatic euthanasia. To be honest, most do not even get a 72 hour stay. If the shelter is full then your best friend is heading straight to the death line. But your dog was wonderful, well behaved, and got along with everyone? NONE OF THIS MATTERS. Within a very short time frame, your dog will likely see its last day at the hands of a stranger. Most shelters do not have the resources or the space to maintain care for owner surrender dogs.
The timeline may be even shorter if they demonstrate any sort of aggressive or anxious behaviors
Shelters can be a scary place and one way a dog may show their fear is becoming aggressive or shutting down. Unfortunately, the shelter may not have the person-power to fully assess the reason behind their behavior. All they see is the negative behavior and have zero time available to work with them. Your dog has just been placed on the express access train to the euthanasia line. All aboard!!
Older dogs and dogs with disabilities make for undesirable adoptee candidates
Therefore, efforts to showcase your dog will likely be forgotten or given less consideration. Oh, but you loved your little tripod baby who never knew she had a disability? Too bad...all the shelter sees is the disability and how it impacts their lack of time and resources to even be given a chance. Hobble on over to the euthanasia chamber, little girl.
So I paint a bleak picture because the truth is that it is!! Let me also be clear that there are several low-kill shelters that exist and work to rehome your loved one. I urge you greatly to seek rehome assistance from a rescue. If they can’t help, they may know another who can. DO YOUR RESEARCH on the shelter you plan to surrender to before surrendering. Seek low-kill shelters. Contact your animal lover friends to see who they know. You know social media? Yeah, use it to your advantage to search and locate rescues in your area that might be able to help.
posting your dog for FREE on social media can result in horrible circumstances for your dog
Dog fighting is real and readily occurring in many areas. A dog listed for FREE is easy access to those involved in dog fighting to turn your baby into a bait dog. If you work with a rescue to rehome your dog, they are better able to background check and know what to look for in a potential adopter. Keep your baby safe and not the next meal in an underground fight ring.
Life circumstances can sometimes make keeping a dog impossible. However, with a little research and due diligence on your part, you may be able to confidently say and know that your beloved animal is alive and in the hands of another family who loves them dearly. Surrendering to high-kill shelters will most likely result in a death sentence for your baby through not fault of their own. You owe your dog the due diligence to put in the time to give them the best shot at a new home. Seek out the rescues that are local to you. If you have other suggestions, please shout them out below!
