Rehoming Options

Rover Rescue

Rehoming Options

by Lauren Kehoe

We do our best to set up our home for a new dog and create a comfortable, easily acclimatable space. This may include getting food, toys, bedding, and other supplies, securing a fence, puppy proofing cluttered areas, and making sure everyone in the household’s schedules align for frequent potty breaks. Prepare as we may, life likes to throw curveballs that send careful planning completely off track. There may need to be a time when the level of stress on both humans and dogs in a home reaches a tipping point. Rehoming a dog can help alleviate this tension.

responsibility. This also often gives you a chance to follow your pup’s transition into a new home with some photos or updates. Different people may need to be more aware of boundaries in this situation, as transferring ownership of a beloved pet can be difficult if it remains so close to home.

Working and volunteering in a shelter brings to light some cringeworthy situations that can make even the strongest individuals shed a tear. Thought out decisions with the dog’s best interest in mind are not always easy but are understood. The advantage of an owner surrender in a shelter or rescue is the valuable background information those familiar with the dog can provide. Likes, dislikes, behaviors, training can all be translated to a shelter setting to help set up a dog for success. Sometimes they provide opportunity for sponsors to help relieve a portion of the adoption fee. Different shelters have different admission requirements and lengths of stays, so research can go a long way in deciding between which shelter.

Online or newspaper classified ads used to be utilized often for rehoming dogs, but as scams spread, caution has increased. While most interested prospects would provide a reasonable home, some use the classifieds to look for free dogs that can be sold for purposes such as animal testing, backyard breeding or dog fighting. Doing a background check and home check on can create an additional level of safety but keep an eye out for red flags or anything that makes a person or dog uncomfortable.

Rehoming a dog is not as taboo as we have made it seem. Honoring a commitment to a dog and doing everything possible to make it work in a home is essential but recognizing an unhealthy situation with little room for improvement is just as valuable. Sometimes things in life just don’t work out, but lucky for us there is always a Plan B!

Another option is rehoming through friends, family, or on the internet. Social media can be a great resource to reach a broad audience. If you don’t know an individual personally, the chances are you have a mutual friend who shared your post and can vouch for their level of