It’s the absolute worst-case scenario: You have a pet and you need to rehome it. No one ever wants to leave a beloved pet behind, but sometimes, things just don’t work out. Maybe you just had a baby and the pup is behaving aggressively toward the child. You’ve had trainers come in and try to work with the dog, but at this point, it poses a risk to the baby to keep the pooch.
Or maybe you are moving somewhere that just doesn’t allow your dog’s breed and there’s nothing you can do to rectify that. Basically, life happens, and sometimes it’s just not in the cards to keep a pet. But before you run off to the shelter with your faithful friend, here are all the things you need to know and consider before rehoming your four-legged friend.
Let’s start with some numbers.
According to The Dodo:
Pet rehoming is, unfortunately, fairly common. According to research conducted by the ASPCA, and published in the Open Journal of Animal Sciences, more than one million households in the U.S. rehome their pets each year.
Most families are catapulted by times of crisis into giving up their furry friends, the research revealed. Nearly half of those surveyed by the ASPCA reported that they rehomed their pet because of an issue relating to the pet itself — such as a behavioral problem or a pet’s medical complication they were unable to afford to treat. Over a quarter of respondents reported giving up their pet due to personal health troubles or allergies, and the remaining 18 percent faced housing issues of their own.
Now let’s talk about what you should know if all of your options have been exhausted and you have to rehome your animal.
1. Look for safety-net programs: Local vets and shelters often offer pro-bono or low-cost care and training programs for families in need. After all, less than half of all pets surrendered per year are adopted, so people want to help those who are less fortunate keep their pets in a loving home if at all possible. Sometimes you can even volunteer at shelters in exchange for these services!
2. Check with family and friends first: If you just cannot make it work, check to see if anyone you trust is willing to take in your pet and give them a loving home. That way, your pet isn’t put into a potentially bad situation and you could perhaps still get to see them. Controlling as much of this process as possible is key.
3. If that doesn’t work, do some advertising: Posting on social media about your pet opens up a new market of potential adopters. These can be people like old coworkers who you know and trust but you aren’t necessarily close enough with to just reach out to out of the blue. Posting flyers at the local vet’s office could also be useful in attracting an animal-loving new owner.
4. Meet potential adopters in person: If one of those methods turns up some leads, meet up with the potential adopter and bring your pet along! You can choose a neutral place like a park, visit their home if you feel comfortable, or have them come to yours. It’s easier to get a sense of how they’ll be with your animal if they do end up adopting them.
5. Contact breed-specific rescues: Breed-specific rescues can be great options for people with purebred dogs. Often times, these organizations take in dogs on a no-kill basis and then use their network to reach families looking to adopt those dogs all around the country. They arrange transport, opening up a huge market of potential loving homes. You’d be less involved in this process, but you can do heavy research into these organizations before committing.
While no one wants a situation like this to come to fruition, sometimes it’s inevitable. Be sure to exhaust all of these options before even considering placing your animal in a shelter! There are people out there who want to help you make sure that your animal finds a forever home.