REHOMING YOUR DOG
PLease carefully review the following information:
We are not accepting owner surrenders at this time, however, we may be able to do a free courtesy post for you!
In order for us to review your form, you must submit pictures/videos of your dog & any medical records (proof of vaccinations, rabies, spay/neuter certificates, microchip) via email to info@heartsforpawsrescue.com
HFP ADOPTERS ONLY: If you are a past HFP Adopter needing to return your adopted dog, your HFP contract REQUIRES proof of assessment/sessions with a trainer. Why? The adoption contract you signed was designed to make sure reasonable steps were complete to try and make an adoption successful. We do not have a facility, so adopters are required to hold on to their dog until we can find a committed foster volunteer If you cannot hold onto your animal, you are allowed to find a safe-harbor (friends, family) to hold the dog for you. If you want to rehome your HFP dog privately, you are required to use HFP’s adoption application and contract for the next home (you must consult with HFP to do this). If you cannot hold your animal, or find a safe-harbor until we find a foster, you will be required to pay boarding fees upon surrender.
MORE INFORMATION ON RE-HOMING:
Many Shelters and Rescues are currently full or beyond capacity throughout California. Adoptions are fewer and there are limited volunteer fosters. Foster-based Rescues like ours do not have a facility to drop off the animals at. Our organization is composed of volunteers NOT professionals; Fosters are volunteers and members of the public, often with less skill sets than you have for your dog; many work full-time, or are also limited by rental restrictions, also do not have yards, also have other pets or children in the home.
Moving your dog to a shelter or foster IS traumatic and difficult for your dog. This is why the BEST OPTION FOR RE-HOMING YOUR ANIMAL IS THROUGH PRIVATE RE-HOMING (not surrendering to shelters or rescues). Why? THERE IS NO GUARANTEE FOR YOUR DOG WHEN THEY ENTER A SHELTER — if you “want a better home” for your dog than one you can provide, surrendering to a shelter IS NOT the solution:
Shelters are first come first serve. Anyone could adopt your dog and it very well could not be a good match - no one can tell these adopters everything you know about your dog (their needs, preferences, fears, strengths, likes, dislikes). You know your dog better than anyone and can help find the right fit, provide background information, and select the home your dog goes to next if you privately re-home. Shelters have HUNDREDS of dogs at any given time; dogs can languish for months and space/resources are limited. The reality for your dog in a shelter, even if they do eventually get adopted, is they could be in a cage 24/7 for days, weeks or months.
All of the dogs already waiting at the shelter have NO ONE - your dog still has YOU to help them.
If your dog has severe limitations (cannot be with other animals, nervous around strangers, etc), PLEASE CONSIDER that your home may still be the best fit for your dog, even if it is not perfect or ideal. Farms, land, experienced owners, animal-free homes, are few and far in-between. In theory many dogs WOULD thrive with people who Work-from-home or live on a farm, but this is not what the average adopter or foster has. MOST adopters and fosters ALSO work full time jobs; ALSO are not dog trainers; ALSO have pets and kids.
If your dog is a high-risk breed (Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans etc) — meaning there are ALREADY thousands of this breed in the shelter and they are being put down in record numbers, please consider keeping your dog and providing them the best life you can. Some breeds have easier time being re-homed than others (Golden Retrievers, Labs, Designer Breeds)
If you truly cannot keep your dog, can you find family or friends who can help? If you decide you cannot commit to keeping your dog forever, it is STILL your last responsibility to them to make sure they are safe and find a new suitable home.
Lastly, please note DUMPING AN ANIMAL is against California Law and WILL be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Ways to help make your dog “more adoptable”
If you can, please get your dog up-to-date on vaccinations (DHPP, RABIES, BORDATELLA) & preventatives (flea, tick, dewormer, heartguard)
Spay/Neuter your dog to make sure they do not breed on accident, or are purposefully bred in the future.
If possible, continue to work with your dog and a trainer - no person or dog is, or needs to be perfect, but you can make your dog a more adoptable candidate by making sure they have solid basics (comfortable on leash, comfortable in public, know basic cues, housetrained, etc)
Pictures, Videos: High Quality pictures and videos that highlight your dog’s personality are a must to getting them noticed by adopters
BE HONEST! Be honest about your dogs strengths, shortcomings and offer solutions. Withholding information can often make matters worse or even dangerous for your dog/their new family.
We highly recommend you do an interview by phone/email, and schedule an in-person meet & greet at the potential adopters home before giving your dog to another person/family. Please refer to our adoption application for the types of questions to ask a new home.
A courtesy posting is not an official surrender. HFP is not responsible or liable for the dog, the actions of the owner, nor the actions of the future adopter.