where to take dogs that you can't keep?

[Jodi-FL]

we have 2 black lab/chow mixes, 2.5 years old, @55 lbs each that are great with kids (grew up with 7 around them) but we can't keep them anymore for several reasons. how's the best way to find someone for them?/

thx

[Jenny Piaaree]

Sometimes PetSmart/PetCo have adoption days. I once found a stray that I couldn't keep, and he was adopted out that way. Also, my sister found a home for her older cat through Craigslist, so you might try that route.

[Dobela]

PetCo here has adoption days and is willing to accept animals that you can no longer care for. Some other pet stores will do it as well. There are also no kill shelters locally. You can ask at the pet stores if they know of one that could take your dogs. Our newspaper also runs free ads for free animals, or at elast reduces the cost of the ads.

[curlygirlzx2]

I second a no-kill shelter. Do you have a local SPCA? You could also try finding a lab or chow rescue in your area. Good luck!

[Denisemomof4]

NO KILL shelters.

[StephanieZ]

Call your vet (and other local vets) and ask about any local rescue groups that might be willing to rehome them. Google for breed specific national rescue groups (chow, etc.) -- they often have deeper pockets than local groups. Call your local shelter and ask about relinquishment. Of course, I assume you've exhausted your personal network. . .

 

If those options don't work. . . I'd personally consider euthanizing them.

 

Personally, I HATE no-kill shelters. Regular, "Kill" shelters are more humane, IMHO. I think that pets which are unadoptable and/or just plain too-many-to-house should be put to sleep humanely, so that more adoptable pets can get a chance at a family. No kills fill up with unadoptables, and then that's the end of it. . .

 

Would you rather live a long time in a cold, dirty, dangerous, noisy, jail, with limited medical care, with dozens of strange men and women banging and yelling at all hours, with no opporunity to visit with anyone or build or maintain any past or current relationships. . .

 

Or, die peacefully in your best friend's arms at the end of a shorter, but happier, life?

 

Honestly, if you can't keep them or find them another good home (newspaper ad, rescue association, facebook friends, etc.), I would find a vet to put them down. It sucks, but if you can't keep them and can't find them a home. . ., it's more humane to put them to sleep than in a shelter, IMHO. It's just too sad a way to die, IMHO.

 

No Kill Shelters are mostly ridiculous, IMHO. There are hundreds of thousands of perfectly healthy, lovely, non-aggressive, puppies and kittens that are put to sleep every year just b/c they don't have a home. There will never be enough room to house every homeless pet. . . and most No Kill Shelters VERY QUICKLY fill up with unadoptable pets. At that point, they have to shut their doors completely to new potential adoptives. . . so all those healthy kittens and pups. . . go straight to Animal Control and get put to sleep the day they arrive. FACT.

 

For instance, we have a local pet rescue group that decided to build themselves a no-kill cat shelter. Guess what. In a few months (weeks?), it was full, of unadoptable, ill, contagious cats. The rescue group completely closed to cats. (They still do dogs, using foster families.) Our local gov't run shelter does NOT do cats. . . So, every, single, person who calls around seeking rehoming for adorable, healthy, stray kittens. . . NOPE. NOT AN OPTION. "Sure, bring them by to the shelter. We'll put them to sleep upon arrival." Humph. I'm not bitter, am I?

 

Good luck to you. :grouphug:

[hornblower]

Actually, I don't think you should take them anywhere. Many rescues will not take in owner surrenders. It's up to you find the dogs a new home - not a non-profit rescue run on volunteer time & money. They're busy enough already. Some rescues might be able to advertise your animals (though not all will, due to liability issues). If you really luck out there might be an applicant who's already been screened by the rescue waiting for a dog like yours....Generally speaking purebreed dog rescue will not take in crosses so I doubt lab nor chow rescue would help. They're busy enough with pb dogs that end up dumped.

 

Shelters should be an absolute last resort - I'm guessing the no-kill shelters (if there are any in your area) are bursting at the seams already, like most everywhere else. No kill shelters are not all fun & sunshine - they're crowded and if the adoption rates are not high, the animals can be there a long time, resulting in major stress for the animal.

 

And if they're going to end up at a kill shelter, esp one with high kill rates (which they don't often advertise because people don't really like to think about it) then I think it's more responsible for YOU to take them to the vet and have them put to sleep. I think it's your responsibility to find them a new home or have them pts if you can't. A volunteer shouldn't be the one cradling your dog's head while it's being euthenized (if you're lucky enough to have a shelter that uses humane injection rather than dumping them in a steel kennel and gassing them to death.)

 

Wait, there is one place you should take them: the person who bred them should be responsible for them for life. Will the breeder take them back & care for them or rehome them?

 

Failing that, post ads all over, put up an ad at your vet's office, post an ad on craigslist. Do not let them go for free - charge a nominal adoption fee. Make sure they're spayed/neutered & utd with shots & vet checks before they go. Be willing to split them up; it's very hard to find homes for two dogs together.

 

Network, network, network.

 

I know I sound like a bag, but I do really send best wishes to you & your dogs.

 

~a grumpy foster home for a rescue

[Sputterduck]

I'd personally consider euthanizing them.

 

So kill them because you can't keep them?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I have always done well with craigslist. Lots of animals are dumped out here and we've made a few poor choices in terms of getting animals.

 

But large black dogs are generally difficult to place.

[Haiku]

Would you rather live a long time in a cold, dirty, dangerous, noisy, jail, with limited medical care, with dozens of strange men and women banging and yelling at all hours, with no opporunity to visit with anyone or build or maintain any past or current relationships. . .

 

 

I think it depends on the shelter. I volunteer at our local Humane Society. It is no-kill for dogs (unless they are incurably ill or vicious). They have a full-time vet-tech on staff, and two licensed vets visit twice a week. There are a huge number of doggie volunteers who come in every day of the week to walk and socialize the dogs. The dogs live in indoor/outdoor runs, and every effort is made to house dogs together when possible so that they have companions. There is a large dog park on the property where volunteers can play with the dogs and the dogs can play with one another. The dogs get medical care if they are ill and preventive care.

 

It's not ideal, but I have been volunteering there for three years and most dogs get adopted within a few months. One dog has been there almost the whole time I've volunteered. She was raised to kill small animals, starved, and abused. Her siblings were adopted but she has not been. She has become a staff favorite and frequently goes home for the night or weekend with a staff member.

 

I am aware that not all no-kill shelters are like this, but if the OP does her homework, she may be able to find a shelter such as this one. I certainly wouldn't completely dismiss the idea of a no-kill shelter out of hand. Lots of dogs are successfully adopted from them. One lives in our home now.

 

That said, I agree that it is, ultimately, the job of the OP to find homes for her dogs. A shelter is not a home.

 

Tara

[Impish]

For whatever reason, black animals, be they cats or dogs, do not get adopted from shelters as readily. Chow mixes are often hard to place, due to a negative reputation for aggression.

 

Find them a home, or put them down yourself.

 

Personally, that's the only thing I will ever consider, after hearing that the Toronto SPCA was having animals suffer without medication because they're 'no kill'. They were letting animals die an inch at a time instead, without medical care.

 

Yes, tonnes of charges were laid, so I read, from the head on down...but still...

 

You've had them 7 yrs. I'd say they've earned some loyalty, and dumping them at a shelter isn't it.

[hornblower]

So kill them because you can't keep them?

 

 

If you cannot rehome them to a good forever home, one which really will take care of them for the rest of their natural lives, then in some parts of the world, yeah, I think it's better.

 

TAKE the responsibility for them dying, hold them & watch it happen. Odds are overwhelming that it will happen anyway. It's better to happen in the arms of loved ones, kindly done by a humane vet, than among strangers, or shoved in a gas box.

 

MILLLIONS of animals are pts every year in shelters. Some shelters kill every dog that comes in. People like to think that their abandoned pets get adopted; it's a lovely story to tell yourself, complete with doting family, maybe acreage. That is not the reality for most.

 

And rescues are swamped everywhere. The economy is hurting everyone: it's hurting rescues which are scrambling for donations, there are more people who cannot keep their pets, and there are fewer people who are able to take on the care of an animal. The net result is a lot of heartache.

 

Bitter? I am with StephanieZ on this though I am still in favour of no kill & I think Nathan Winograd is onto something & we can make no kill work.

 

And if there is a hell I sure hope there's a special circle for puppy and kitty mills, and for indiscriminate back yard breeders who do it for a few bucks, or a few kicks, or who think mutts are so cute!, or who want their kids to experience the miracle of birth (how about you send them to the shelter to experience the "miracle" of mass of death?), or who just cannot be bothered to spay & neuter their darned animals.

 

ooops, I think that was a rant.......

[Sputterduck]

If you cannot rehome them to a good forever home, one which really will take care of them for the rest of their natural lives, then in some parts of the world, yeah, I think it's better.

 

TAKE the responsibility for them dying, hold them & watch it happen. Odds are overwhelming that it will happen anyway. It's better to happen in the arms of loved ones, kindly done by a humane vet, than among strangers, or shoved in a gas box.

 

MILLLIONS of animals are pts every year in shelters. Some shelters kill every dog that comes in. People like to think that their abandoned pets get adopted; it's a lovely story to tell yourself, complete with doting family, maybe acreage. That is not the reality for most.

 

And rescues are swamped everywhere. The economy is hurting everyone: it's hurting rescues which are scrambling for donations, there are more people who cannot keep their pets, and there are fewer people who are able to take on the care of an animal. The net result is a lot of heartache.

 

Bitter? I am with StephanieZ on this though I am still in favour of no kill & I think Nathan Winograd is onto something & we can make no kill work.

 

And if there is a hell I sure hope there's a special circle for puppy and kitty mills, and for indiscriminate back yard breeders who do it for a few bucks, or a few kicks, or who think mutts are so cute!, or who want their kids to experience the miracle of birth (how about you send them to the shelter to experience the "miracle" of mass of death?), or who just cannot be bothered to spay & neuter their darned animals.

 

ooops, I think that was a rant.......

 

 

There are many, many strays here and I think it's sad. But I'm not going to go out and kill them myself. You know? I don't mind letting nature take what it takes, but I'm not going to do the taking.

[hornblower]

There are many, many strays here and I think it's sad. But I'm not going to go out and kill them myself. You know? I don't mind letting nature take what it takes, but I'm not going to do the taking.

 

But nature won't do it. A car will. Or the poundkeeper. Probably in a gas box. Gas boxes are awful.

 

Or if they're very lucky, a kind volunteer but a stranger to the animal will pet their heads while it's happening.

 

I think it is cruel to leave them to suffer like this.

 

And really, is it a good thing to let a coyote eat them? Or to let them starve wandering around? I don't know. It's tough.

[SonshineLearner]

With my pup, I really think that if I couldn't keep him, I'd put him to sleep. I feed him raw, it's best for him. He sleeps in our room, although he might be moving out to the hall outside of our room. He is either right with us, crated in the house, or crated in the car. It's hilarious... I can keep him in the crate in the car... all day... and if I have to run an errand after I get home... he's ready to go out with me again. I take him with me except for when it's too hot, because I can let him out... to fetch and whatever for a while... and then stick him back in the crate. That way he at least gets to stretch out. He absolutely is fine in his crate... he would go crazy just in the yard.

My pup was actually just fine when he was boarded with a kennel. They had a run. It was a really good place, and I just added having him played with.... each day.

Anyway, at a humane society... I think just sending him to doggy heaven would be kinder. I love my dog, and I take caring for him seriously... but in the end... he's an animal... and so.. with us or dead.... I hope to have him for many more years though.

:)

[StephanieZ]

So kill them because you can't keep them?

 

Well, the OP says she can't keep them. I am taking her at her word. I suggested every option I could think of to help her find them a good home.

 

They are chow mixes. Chows are on the short list of breeds prone to aggression problems and dangerous bites. In fact, are prohibited breeds in some places and/or home owner insurance policies. They'll be really hard to rehome through a shelter or rescue. If her personal network can't get them placed, I would lay long odds on them finding a new home at all.

 

I don't want to be rude to the OP. Personally, I could never imagine abandoning a pet. Could Not Do It. Would Have a Heart Attack. We have 5 dogs, 4 cats, etc. But. . . my dh is a vet and we own our practice. So, we get freebies. And, we also happen to have $$ resources such that I don't have to worry (much) about feeding my kids or paying their dentist bills. Not everyone is so lucky. And, even if you are/were, things can change in a blink.

 

What if the business went bankrupt? What if one of my kids was seriously ill and that meant we had to travel out of state for specialists, and drain all our financial resources. . . what if. . . what if I were an abused wife and the only safe place for me and my kids was a shelter that doesn't take pets. . . what if I had no family support network. . . what if. . . .

 

I know well enough to know that sometimes life happens and for whatever reasons (that OP doesn't need to share here). . . people have to choose their marriage, health, kids, personal safety, financial security, etc, etc. . . over their pet(s). I see it happen all the time.

 

It is tragic.

 

I think giving up on a pet is a tragedy, and my personal moral rules would restrain me from doing so in all but the most extreme circumstances.

 

That said, I also know that zillions of adoptable, healthy, pets die daily (OK not zillions). . . but, anyway, because of that, I feel that morally, our only true obligation to each pet is to provide it with a safe, healthy, comfortable life for whatever days we have with it. Personally, I don't think any person is obligated morally to provide the MAXIMUM LIFESPAN to that pet. Almost noone can afford that. There are nearly always life-extending choices that people decline. (Chemo, ortho surgery, etc., etc.) Heck, it's hard to talk some folks into a $5/mo heartworm pill!!!!!!!! So, anyway, once you let go of the "spend any amount" idea. . . then to me, the morality simplifies into "treat them with respect and love while you have them. . . and then make sure they die painlessly. . ."

 

Beyond that, what one individual decides to do for their pet is, IMHO, a personal moral thing that says something about the person, but really has little to do with any inherent value in the pet and/or thing we OWE the pet.

 

So, well, yes. If you can't keep them. . . and you can't get them a new, GOOD, home. . . then Kill Them.

 

They ARE ANIMALS. Not grandma.

 

It Sucks.

 

But, it's much more humane than putting them in a painful, terrifying, lonely, place. Nice No Kill Shelters are RARE, RARE, RARE. And, anyway, IMHO, the $$ spent housing one pet in a NKS for months/years would be much better spent on spay/neuter/etc that would prevent/alleviate the sufferring of MANY MORE PETS. Again, the decision to support NKS instead of alternate humane work is really more about the individuals involved than the greater good of all pets. If someone really wants to spend their resources that way, then it is totally fine by me. . . could spend it on gambling or diamonds or other silly stuff . . . so NKS is much better way to spend it. . .But, if you want to achieve the greatest good with limited resources, there are much better ways to do it, IMHO.

[3littlekeets]

I have a well-bred, well-socialized Chow that is my 4th child. I have a mutt chow mix that is my 5th. I can't imagine any circumstances under which they would leave our family. Taking a pet is a responsibility akin to giving birth in my book -- i KNOW that is NOT the same for everyone. My DH and I added 20 mins to our commute 2 years ago to keep our dogs. We have eaten rice and beans to keep our dogs. We committed to them. Period.

 

That said, if you cannot find GOOD HOMES, contact a chow rescue. They might help. Otherwise, I agree with the poster that said take the pups in and hold them while they are put to sleep. A) you will know their fate and B) it will remind you of the responsibility before getting another. Shelters are UNACCEPTABLE options for LOVED pets. Can you imagine going from your home into one?

 

And, if the circumstances are dire -- you are diagnosed with a terminal illness, etc. I am sorry...in those cases, I would certainly do the latter not to remember the responsibility, but to ease the uncertainty of the mistreatment they may suffer.

[Sputterduck]

Can you imagine going from your home into one?

 

I would take that over my family killing me.

[StephanieZ]

I would take that over my family killing me.

 

Well, there you have it. I'd much rather die than suffer, but that's just me. Call me a sissy or a fatalist, or a realist. . . But, I know that thinking, caring people have very different opinions on this topic for people, and some even for pets. We've had more than one client who would NOT under any circumstances, hasten their pet's death -- nor even obliviate the pet w/ morphine, etc -- b/c they felt a moral obligation to allow the pet to suffer (thereby hastening the pet's path to being reincarnated as a higher life form, supposedly). I don't get that, but I accept that some folks' moral compass is set to a different North than mine is.

 

I think one of the nicest things about vet med (compared to human) is that euth is an option. I sure wish it had been an option when my grandma and dad each sufferred in their final days. That's a whole nother kettle of fish, lol, and I won't go further on that trail.

[plansrme]

They ARE ANIMALS. Not grandma.

 

This is so true! Excellent posts, Stephanie.

 

Terri