Or whatever you want to call it - given away, rehomed, returned to shelter/breeder, etc. I'm not trying to be nasty here, I've done it. I adopted a dog from a shelter 10 years ago and returned him the next day - it was a bad adoption, he was utterly unsuitable for my family. I guess I'm just curious because so many adoption stories are so unrelentingly positive - "I saw her and fell in love, and we lived happily ever after." I've had that experience, but then I've had the experience of spending 2 years plotting to rehome my dog because of near-irreconcilable differences. I kept that one, but the memory remains and makes me reluctant to criticize people who surrender dogs to shelters.
Ever given a dog away?
- Thread starter casablanca1
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Yes I had too. Two weeks after I got "Timmy" he went to live with my cousin. He was a very rambunctious puppy, and very nippy and my mother had just come home from by-pass surgery and was on blood thinners and it wasn't safe to have him around her. It was heartbreaking packing up his puppy toys and dishes.
I still see him, and miss him, but I had to do it for my moms safety.
I still see him, and miss him, but I had to do it for my moms safety.
Yes, I've done it.
Before I got Odin, I adopted a gorgeous 2-year-old red male pitbull from the Humane Society. I named him Tank, since he was pretty big for a pit bull and built like a brick. He was an absolute sweetheart and adored everyone.
But cats were another matter. The shelter didn't test him with cats, and he hated our cat on sight. When he charged that cat, it was full-on kill mode: growling, snarling, the whole nine yards. After a few days with no improvement (it actually got worse), we returned Tank to the shelter. But at least he was adopted by another family.
But I would love to have another pitty someday.
Before I got Odin, I adopted a gorgeous 2-year-old red male pitbull from the Humane Society. I named him Tank, since he was pretty big for a pit bull and built like a brick. He was an absolute sweetheart and adored everyone.
But cats were another matter. The shelter didn't test him with cats, and he hated our cat on sight. When he charged that cat, it was full-on kill mode: growling, snarling, the whole nine yards. After a few days with no improvement (it actually got worse), we returned Tank to the shelter. But at least he was adopted by another family.
But I would love to have another pitty someday.
me too twice..not happy experiences at all. There is nothing wrong with admitting this is not the dog for you and it gives someone else a chance.. maybe it will be the right dog for someone. One of my experiences the dog was insane, completely. There are too many good dogs dying each and every day that equally deserve your home. A person should feel no guilt but we all do. The insane dog ended up as a junkyard dog. They said he could run across the tops of the cars faster then anything they ever saw. He had value to them as a guard dog. He is not safe to be around people.
Yes, twice. I inherited a Schnauzer in '02 when my grandpa died, and despite trying to make things work between Samantha and my own dogs for about 6 months (I'd been caring for her for over a year before that, but she wasn't technically mine) I placed her in a dog-savvy home with a retired couple and their rowdy poodle mix. I felt bad about doing it, but she was a bully and just could not live harmoniously with my grouchy girl and our old, feeble, passive male.
I rehomed Shiner, my Lab/Chow mix, in 2003. We had moved to Arizona and were going to be living in our RV for about a year before we moved into our new house. It was a smallish space, with 3 people, a lot of stuff to move to the new house, and two large dogs. The dogs came indoors at night and whenever it was too hot/raining/windy, but otherwise they had to be staked outside. We walked them 4-5 times a day and paid a lot of attention to them, but Shiner was totally miserable. She'd been a ranch dog for the entire 13-14ish years of her life, and a few long walks and a few games of ball every day wasn't enough to make her happy after she had been able to roam on her own land. I wound up placing her with a family with acreage. god I felt awful about letting go of her but I didn't know how long she was going to live, and I didn't want the last year of her life to be miserable.
I know that both of the dogs I rehomed did wonderfully in their new homes and were happier than they were with me, and I don't regret doing it. I feel sad that I didn't get to spend that last year with Shiner (she died shortly before I got Dakota in 2004) but I know she was content and comfortable, and that matters more than my feelings.
I rehomed Shiner, my Lab/Chow mix, in 2003. We had moved to Arizona and were going to be living in our RV for about a year before we moved into our new house. It was a smallish space, with 3 people, a lot of stuff to move to the new house, and two large dogs. The dogs came indoors at night and whenever it was too hot/raining/windy, but otherwise they had to be staked outside. We walked them 4-5 times a day and paid a lot of attention to them, but Shiner was totally miserable. She'd been a ranch dog for the entire 13-14ish years of her life, and a few long walks and a few games of ball every day wasn't enough to make her happy after she had been able to roam on her own land. I wound up placing her with a family with acreage. god I felt awful about letting go of her but I didn't know how long she was going to live, and I didn't want the last year of her life to be miserable.
I know that both of the dogs I rehomed did wonderfully in their new homes and were happier than they were with me, and I don't regret doing it. I feel sad that I didn't get to spend that last year with Shiner (she died shortly before I got Dakota in 2004) but I know she was content and comfortable, and that matters more than my feelings.
I have twice. The first was a puppy that our friends adopted for us from a shelter (without our consent). He was a husky mix and he was extremely dominant with our daughter and I tried for a couple months with him and eventually he got out one day and was found by a family and they fell in love with him and went to the shelter he was originally adopted from and paid another adoption fee and signed the paperwork and kept him. I still see him from time to time and he is doing great where he is at and you can tell he really loves it. I also just recently had to give up my poodle puppy for the same reason and she went back to the breeder who rehomed her. I get updates and pictures on her from time to time and she seems to fit right in with the family she has now. They spend so much more time with her than I could and they are doing so much more stuff with her than I could ever imagine I am so glad she has them. So both situations were good for the dogs and they got better homes.
My mom and dad did. Well it was mine and brothers dog and we were still quite young I was 11 and he was 5 at the time and butch was getting really big and more active than we could handle so my mom and dad gave him to a man and lady that went to their church that had a big farm and lots of acres for him to run but that was like 12 or 13 years ago and that was the only one.
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I did also. In 1999 my ex and I bought a min pin from a petshop. I really wanted a cat, but he fell in love with that pup so we bought him. It was very stupid from us as we were living in a small apartment and away 10 hours a day. After a year we moved into a house with a yard though, so the dog had more room to play etc, but we were away even longer because of longer commutes, so I can't say the dog was happy 
Eventually we broke up and none of us wanted to keep the dog - me because I was going to move to a tiny apartment in Paris and him because he just didn't want to. We found him a good home, with another dog and a bigger yard. Giving him away was probably the best thing that happened to that dog, and I can say we were the perfect example on why people should really think twice before getting a dog. Thanksfully I know better now.
Eventually we broke up and none of us wanted to keep the dog - me because I was going to move to a tiny apartment in Paris and him because he just didn't want to. We found him a good home, with another dog and a bigger yard. Giving him away was probably the best thing that happened to that dog, and I can say we were the perfect example on why people should really think twice before getting a dog. Thanksfully I know better now.We haven't, but one of our friends did.
He and his wife and 1.5 yr old son adopted Sugar from a shelter. Don't remember the breed. Sugar was very rambunctions and liked to play. Not a bad thing... But, they didn't really have the time to put into Sugar. So, when they were away their house got destroyed. All, and I mean ALL, the corners of their furniture was chewed to bits. The last straw was the trench that was dug through their carpet in the computer room, which was closed off. The trench was about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long, the carpet was ripped up and probably the padding underneath.
The Husband is the one who wanted to dog and the wife didn't really care for it, neither did his parents and they would just groan and roll their eyes whenever Sugar came over.
After the trench, he called the shelter (Several times) and told them that he was bringing the dog back. They were really not friendly and said that he couldn't. He said, either you take this dog back or we're taking a long walk in the woods, and only one of us is coming back. (not that he would have gone through with the threat, but he wanted them respond)
So, they are now Dog free - which is really best for their family right now - and hopefully Sugar is in a happy home.
He and his wife and 1.5 yr old son adopted Sugar from a shelter. Don't remember the breed. Sugar was very rambunctions and liked to play. Not a bad thing... But, they didn't really have the time to put into Sugar. So, when they were away their house got destroyed. All, and I mean ALL, the corners of their furniture was chewed to bits. The last straw was the trench that was dug through their carpet in the computer room, which was closed off. The trench was about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long, the carpet was ripped up and probably the padding underneath.
The Husband is the one who wanted to dog and the wife didn't really care for it, neither did his parents and they would just groan and roll their eyes whenever Sugar came over.
After the trench, he called the shelter (Several times) and told them that he was bringing the dog back. They were really not friendly and said that he couldn't. He said, either you take this dog back or we're taking a long walk in the woods, and only one of us is coming back. (not that he would have gone through with the threat, but he wanted them respond)
So, they are now Dog free - which is really best for their family right now - and hopefully Sugar is in a happy home.
Yes I was 13 years old living with my mother. She was moving to WAterloo to live with her hubby and I was moving in with my dad in London so I could go to highschool here. We had to give my miniature schnauzer, Tina, away. I had her since I was about 5 and it was the most heart breaking experience of my life. But she went to a good home with an older lady who was looking for a relaxed older dog for a companion so they were a perfect match.
I was 13 years old living with my mother. She was moving to WAterloo to live with her hubby and I was moving in with my dad in London so I could go to highschool here. We had to give my miniature schnauzer, Tina, away. I had her since I was about 5 and it was the most heart breaking experience of my life. But she went to a good home with an older lady who was looking for a relaxed older dog for a companion so they were a perfect match.Nope - but I did relocate two cats when my first child was born because one of the cats insisted on being carried around like a baby and I was afraid he wouldn't get the attention he needed. Also I wanted my mom to come and stay for awhile and she is allergic to cats. Found a wonderful home where they could both go together. Still get regular updates. I think when adopting a shelter animal, or taking in a stray there shouldn't be any guilt if you figure out its just not the right dog for you. My friends do foster care and when they decided to do a placement for adoption, several weekends were done as a trial run before the placement went through, and even then there was a trial period before the adoption could proceed - this of course was with an older child, not a baby.
Speaking from the other side...I have seen some really lame reasons for dogs being given up. "We love him dearly and he is a sweet well behaved dog, but he grew to big" Well...how big did you think that great dane was going to get??
We hate to give her up, but she catches birds. (this was a cat)
"We really love him and he is a wonderful dog, but he caught a rat the other day so we think he may turn on us." (no joke.)
"She is a wonderfully trained dog, housbroken and everything but she keeps getting pregnant. "
"I love him to death but he has worms."
"I think he needs a bigger yard", even though he is a 9 year old overweight lab that likes to sleep on the couch. yeah, and I am sure he will be much happier in the 3 x 8 cage he will be living in for now.
"I want him put to sleep because he has fleas."
Now multiply this by 50+ animals a day.
I honestly have no problem when circumstances arise and a pet has to be given up but sometimes some of the reasons are so lame you have to smile and bite your lip from what you really want to say. You get through the day by petting and talking sweetly to that now scared animal who has just seen its owner walk out the door and tell them,"its ok...you are better off here with us. We will find someone for you." Sometimes you do..sometimes you don't. Sorry for the downer...just another side.
We hate to give her up, but she catches birds. (this was a cat)
"We really love him and he is a wonderful dog, but he caught a rat the other day so we think he may turn on us." (no joke.)
"She is a wonderfully trained dog, housbroken and everything but she keeps getting pregnant. "
"I love him to death but he has worms."
"I think he needs a bigger yard", even though he is a 9 year old overweight lab that likes to sleep on the couch. yeah, and I am sure he will be much happier in the 3 x 8 cage he will be living in for now.
"I want him put to sleep because he has fleas."
Now multiply this by 50+ animals a day.
I honestly have no problem when circumstances arise and a pet has to be given up but sometimes some of the reasons are so lame you have to smile and bite your lip from what you really want to say. You get through the day by petting and talking sweetly to that now scared animal who has just seen its owner walk out the door and tell them,"its ok...you are better off here with us. We will find someone for you." Sometimes you do..sometimes you don't.
Sorry for the downer...just another side.