How to Find a New Home for Your Dog
When you brought your dog home, you made a commitment to care for him for life. Dogs depend on humans to provide food, shelter, clean water, exercise and veterinary care. In return, dogs provide kisses and unconditional love. If circumstances change and you must find a home for your dog he will rely on you to make the best choice for his future.
Network – Ask Everyone You Know
Do not let embarrassment stop you from using your best resource to find your dog a home – contact everyone in your address book. Well, contact everyone in your address book who you think would make a good home for your dog. Ask them to consider taking in your dog. Ask them to send your email to everyone they can think of who might be a good home.
Talk to your veterinarian, groomer and kennel owner. Let them know that your dog needs a home. Ask for any placement help they can give. Leave nice flyers with a good picture of your dog.
Be Careful With Animal Shelters
Desperation leads to desperate acts. Be extremely thoughtful and careful about dropping your dog off at an animal shelter. Most animal shelters will take your dog, some are required to. What most will not do is tell you that the dog may be killed before you drive away. Most shelters take strays. Strays must be held for at least four business days. If there are no open runs, a stray cannot be killed to make room for your dog so your dog must be killed, at least at that shelter.
Worse, some
Finally, if a shelter convinces you that you should leave your dog there, find out if the shelter runs a successful adoption program. If the shelter only places 10% of incoming animals in new homes, then your dog only has a 1 in 10 chance at walking out alive.
Animal Rescue Groups
If your dog is a purebred work with your breeds rescue group. If your dog is a mixed breed or older, begin working with a reputable group as soon as you know that you need to find a home for your pet. You will have better luck if your pet is well groomed, up to date on vaccinations and sterilized.
Rescue groups are like any other business. Some are great and truly wonderful to animals. Others are nothing more than animal hoarders. Check with friends and family to find out which groups are reputable. Never give your dog to a rescue group without first going to the place where your pet will live.
Craigslist and Freecycle
Never give your dog away free. Dog dealers who sell pets to research have been caught lying to people by pretending to be nice families. Instead of the beautiful life promised, the dog ends up in a hellish kennel before being shipped off to a research facility. Free pets are also preyed upon by puppy millers, pit fighting rings and animal hoarders. If you would not want to live the way your pet will, then do not give a pet away free.
In addition to charging money for your dog, interview the potential adopter. Find out the name of their veterinarian. Visit their home and sign a contract before you leave your dog. Get a drivers license, check the name and address, make sure they match what you have been told.
Start Early and Be Persistent
Whatever you do, start early. Do not wait until the moving truck arrives to call a rescue. Do not try to guilt anyone into taking your dog, why should someone else feel guilty about your responsibility. Always keep in mind the question, would you want to spend the rest of your life with the people and in the environment where you are considering leaving your dog.