SURRENDERS
So, you have made the decision that you can no longer keep your dog. We receive emails a few times a week from people looking for new homes for their dogs. Unfortunately, most of the emails are short, with no information, such as Help! We have a dog named Spot. We can no longer keep him here. Can you help? Our first thought with an email like this is, no, we don't have the room. If you want us to consider taking your dog in to rescue, PLEASE think about and include the following information. Sorry, we do not take out-of-Wisconsin surrenders (unless they were Happy Tails dogs). Please contact a rescue/shelter in your area.
1. Are you SURE this is the best thing for Spot? Is he REALLY going to be happier being in a foster home for possibly months, and then placed with another family that he doesn't know. Often single people that work feel guilty about whether their dogs are getting enough of their time. Often they can provide more quality time than busy families can. Think before it before you write us. Unless Spot really can't handle foster care, this IS a permanent decision you are making!
2. Is there any way you can keep Spot? Would an obedience class help? Would some nice long walks help? One comment we get a lot of is that the dog has to go because of allergies. If you just got him, that is possible. If you have had the dog for years, chances are sending him to rescue is NOT going to help! Allergy sufferers are getting hit by all kinds of things in Wisconsin, and the family pet is only a small portion of it. Try putting Allerpet (from any pet store) on the dog, don't have the dog sleep in the bedroom of the person with the allergies, bathe me regularly, etc. If you absolutely must find a new home for Spot, read on.
3. Where did Spot come from? If Spot is from Happy Tails (we sure didn't name him Spot!), we will do everything possible to either take him back into rescue, or find the best way to find him a new home. PLEASE realize that we often have plans of bringing dogs in from shelters, so give us as much time as you can to find Spot a place in our rescue again.
4. If Spot is from the Wisconsin Humane Society, we CANNOT take Spot into rescue! Sorry, you signed a contract with them (which you probably didn't read) saying that you would return Spot to them if you could not keep him any longer. If your dog is from another humane society or rescue, please check your paperwork that you signed. If you are now in another state, etc., they might give you permission to let us take him.
5. Tell us ALL about Spot. How old is Spot? What breed is Spot? How big is Spot? Is Spot housebroken? What is the REAL reason you are giving up Spot--be honest.
6. SPOT MUST GET ALONG WITH OTHER DOGS! ALL our foster homes have at least one dog of their own. Spot MUST be able to survive in a foster home with other dogs. Absolutely, no exceptions to this rule. Does Spot do OK with cats? Other animals such as birds (if you have a Spaniel, you will understand why we are asking that!). We will then use caution as to what foster home we put them in.
7. Has Spot ever bit anyone, and what were the circumstances? Sometimes dogs put in the wrong circumstances will bite, and we understand that, but a dog that bites for no reason or is considered dangerous cannot come into rescue.
8. Is Spot neutered/spayed? Is he up-to-date on all his shots? There is a $50 surrender fee for any dog that is NOT neutered/spayed or up-to-date on his shots. This fee will only put a dent in our vet bills if he isn't, so this is required. If he IS up-to-date, we ask that you consider giving a donation of $50 toward food, etc., and vet bills of our other dogs. Are there any medical problems we need to know about?
9. Does Spot get along with children? Babies? Has he been around kids? This isn't a problem if he doesn't, but we need to know what type of family/or adults to put him with.
10. And last, but not least, SEND PICTURES of Spot, if at all possible! Like anyone else, we fall in love with the pictures.
Sorry, but we are only able to take a few select dogs into rescue. We don't have the time or the foster homes to save them all, even though we wish we could. Answering these questions will help us make a quick decision as to rather or not we can take your dog into rescue. We may be able to come up with other suggestions for you, so contact us, but please give us the above information.
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