First ask yourself these questions:
- What is best for my dog?
- What sort of home does he/she need?
- Will he/she appeal to adopters?
- Could he/she cope with kennel life, even temporarily?
Charitable adoption centres are likely to have waiting lists for taking dogs in. They should have trained, dedicated staff who are experts in finding the right homes for their dogs. Good centres take responsibility for their dogs forever, so if a new home fails the dog returns to them for another chance.
However, rehoming centres are also incredibly stressful places for dogs, and competition for good homes is fierce. If your dog is plain in appearance (black, short haired dogs are often overlooked), has health or behavioural problems or doesn’t present well in a kennel (many dogs will bark, hide or leap around) then he may be there some time. The time he will get to spend with his care-givers will be severely limited due to constraints on staff time. For some dogs the difficulties in adapting are too great.
When selecting a rehoming centre carry out thorough checks prior to signing over care of your dog; quality can vary considerably. A good centre will have knowledgeable, committed staff who are happy in their roles and non-judgemental. It will have policies on euthanasia so make sure you are happy with these. Be wary of centres which operate a total non-destruction policy if they have un-rehomeable, depressed residents which have been in the same kennel for years. Is this what you want for your dog?
Practicalities of Signing Over your Dog
Give the centre staff all the information they ask for. They will be honest with you about your dog’s ‘rehomeability’. If you hold back on his weak areas he will suffer as he will be misunderstood, placed in situations he can’t cope with, kept ‘under assessment’ for longer before rehoming and perhaps returned by his new owners who got more than they bargained for.
Bring in some of his belongings, ideally bedding which smells of you and familiar toys. Check what food they feed at the centre and move him onto that food gradually prior to his admission. This gives his system one less stress to cope with. Say goodbye calmly and save your tears for when he has gone.
Making the Decision on your Dog’s Future
Of the questions at the top of this article, number one is perhaps the hardest and certainly the most important. If your dog is elderly or has life threatening/life limiting health problems and is not very adaptable, and your only rehoming option is a rehoming centre then it may be better to consider euthanasia. Quality of life is more important than quantity. If you are giving your dog up due to problems with his behaviour then his chances of finding a new home are reduced; why would someone take him on when there are so many problem –free dogs looking for homes?
Rescue centre staff do amazing work but they cannot work miracles. Assess your dog honestly and seek advice if you are unsure what to do for the best as rescue centres are not appropriate environments for all dogs and, while they may not turn yours away, he may end up wishing they had!
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