Life situation has changed/giving up dog for adoption

[Anonymous]

The title is not the whole story. We got this rescue hound as a puppy during COVID and we hoped she could be a dog we could run with in the woods, travel with, go camping with, and generally give her a good outdoor life. Well, it turns out she actually requires way more energy expenditure than we can manage (the shelter indicated they thought she would be a smaller breed, but turns out she's 65 lbs+). She also has anxiety that she takes medication for and allergies (also managed with medication). She is crate trained which has saved our sanity because she doesn't mind being in there for naps and nighttime, but we still live with baby gates all over our house because she we can't trust her not to get into everything when we aren't watching her. It's gotten to the point where we feel like we've done our best, but our family situation has changed and we really don't have the energy to help her live her best life. It's causing tremendous stress in our marriage and it really needs to change. Has anyone every been in this situation and found an adopter for their dog who needs lots of activity, and without resorting to giving it back to the shelter? We feel absolutely horrible about the whole thing but giving her back to them seems like it will make things worse for her.

[Anonymous]

Most rescues make you return an animal you want to surrender. Check your paperwork.

[Anonymous]

Either take her back to the shelter or to a hound specific rescue. Never adopt a dog again without its having lived in a foster home as an adult, so they can tell you what it’s really like.

[Anonymous]

You absolutely should not find an adopter on your own. Take the dog back to where you got it.

Should you decide you want another dog in the future, please know that nothing is guaranteed with a dog. When you agree to adopt, you’re agreeing to accept the faults of the dog outside of those that endanger your family.

[Anonymous]

Been there, done that. Learn your lesson, reflect on not getting another pet for a long time, and then move on. Dont feel too guilty. People will rake you over the coals but it sounds like you really gave it a good faith effort! You didnt cheat on your partner, parent a kid who put melatonin gummies in a friend's food or steal a UPS package from your neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You absolutely should not find an adopter on your own. Take the dog back to where you got it.

Should you decide you want another dog in the future, please know that nothing is guaranteed with a dog. When you agree to adopt, you’re agreeing to accept the faults of the dog outside of those that endanger your family.

This. And it's OK that you made a mistake--now just do the best you can for the pup (return to rescue) and don't make the same mistake again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The title is not the whole story. We got this rescue hound as a puppy during COVID and we hoped she could be a dog we could run with in the woods, travel with, go camping with, and generally give her a good outdoor life. Well, it turns out she actually requires way more energy expenditure than we can manage (the shelter indicated they thought she would be a smaller breed, but turns out she's 65 lbs+). She also has anxiety that she takes medication for and allergies (also managed with medication). She is crate trained which has saved our sanity because she doesn't mind being in there for naps and nighttime, but we still live with baby gates all over our house because she we can't trust her not to get into everything when we aren't watching her. It's gotten to the point where we feel like we've done our best, but our family situation has changed and we really don't have the energy to help her live her best life. It's causing tremendous stress in our marriage and it really needs to change. Has anyone every been in this situation and found an adopter for their dog who needs lots of activity, and without resorting to giving it back to the shelter? We feel absolutely horrible about the whole thing but giving her back to them seems like it will make things worse for her.

Hello OP, I am sorry to hear about the stressful situation. I have worked with dog rescues for a long time and have also witnessed a similar situation in a family member that adopted a dog and took care of him to the best of their abitlity, but were unable to care for him and rehomed him. They did make the family ( known to them) sign a legal document and did not take any money from them. They were heartbroken but they knew the dog deserved a household that could care for its needs better than they could.

I would recommend contacting several rescues in the area, including a hound rescue. I would not return it to a shelter, because more shelters euthanize the animal if not adopted within a certain amount of time.

Hope your fur baby finds the right home.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, ignore the haters. They just come here so they can feel superior and self righteous on an anonymous forum.

I applaud you for recognizing the reality of the situation. Don't feel bad about rehoming. We have several friends with rescues and I assure you that dogs are able to adjust to a new home just fine. I hope you are able to find a good home for your pup. Yes, you should talk to a lot of rescues and maybe also offer to cover the adoption fees for the new owner. You can also still do your own legwork looking for a new owner, but you'll point them to the rescue instead of just making the deal yourself. That way the rescue will do all the background checks and stuff.

Good luck and don't beat yourself up too much. It's hard to know for sure how a pet will fit into your household until it happens.

[Anonymous]

OP we went through this 6 months ago. We had a mixed breed dog (also 65 lbs) also with anxiety issues and other behavioral quirks. We had a huge change of circumstances, that I'm not going into here, but including health issues and moving a long way away.

I contacted 2 breed specific rescues that successfully re homed dogs for a while. One of them was completely unresponsive, the other one helped us enormously, came round within a week of our intake call, took the dog and all his belongings, medical notes, food etc and he went to live with a foster. After 2 months that foster adopted him.

I strongly recommend reaching out to breed specific rescues. The reason we approached 2 was that our dog was a mix of two breeds.

[Anonymous]

I would take her back to the shelter or find a rescue. People who are still mostly WFH may want to adopt and they will know what kind of dog they are getting.

[Anonymous]

Nothing about what OP describes is unusual for people adapting to having a dog. Doesn’t sound like her situation changed. But some people aren’t meant to be dog owners, and the dog will probably be better off with someone else.

As someone who has been doing rescue a long time, this is all too common. The dogs aren’t bad, they are just being dogs…it is the unprepared owners who are at fault….but still rehoming is better than living in a tense home.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of dogs being returned now, after Covid. It’s like people didn’t realize dogs live for 10+ years.
Find s rescue group to take your dog OP. Do not traumatize it further by going back to the shelter.

[Anonymous]

The first 2 years have been the busiest with our puppies. Around 2, the work pays off and we've had great companion dogs. If you have put all this work in, just give it a chance. Your dog has been with you since a puppy. The best is yet to come.

[Anonymous]

Owner surrenders are usually the first to be killed at shelters, unless you find a no-kill place. Look for a rescue.

[Anonymous]

Give her back to the rescue