Owner Surrenders – the Truth
We want to shed some light on owner surrenders. ROMP Italian Greyhound Rescue obtains it’s dogs (its rescues) from kill shelters, mills and from owners that surrender their pups. Recently we received quite a few owner surrenders, all for different reasons. The harsh critics out there may cringe when they find out that an owner surrendered their dog, but in reality, it is typically done with tears in their eyes and a decision they wish they did not have to make but find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. Some common reasons why people surrender their beloved companions include:
- They move and cannot take their pet with
- Loss of job, home or a number of other economic reasons
- They acquire health issues preventing them from properly caring for their pet
- They get deployed for service duty
- They acquire an allergy
Please realize, they are doing what is best for their pet and making the decision to turn them over to someone else that can better provide for their pup is a hard decision to make. By surrendering their pet to us the pup is not going to a scary shelter, they are off the streets, and they are back in the care of people that truly want what is best for them. We screen potential adopters and make sure their beloved companion is going to be well cared for, for the rest of their life (something many owners do not know how to do). Those that don’t care for their pet often just dump dogs, turn them into kill shelters or a number of unthinkable other possibilities. Those pets that are surrendered to us were very loved.
Of course, there are some who surrender them when they are old/have costly vet bills/were a fad in their life/were purchased without thinking it through but they are in the minority. Regardless, we want to commend the surrendering party for choosing to surrender their family member to a rescue rather than the sad alternatives.
Do not demonize Owner Surrenders, it will discourage people from making the right decision when they too find themselves in unfavorable circumstances.
Save a life, Foster and Adopt! If you can no longer care for your pet, please choose to surrender to a rescue where someone has their best interest at hand!
