Surrendering a Dog at a Shelter

I can’t have a dog at my new apartment.

He’s sick.

She’s too old.

My kids are allergic to him.

She’s too rambunctious.

He’s too big.

She bit my new boyfriend.

The people who work in shelters have heard all of these reasons and more.  Every day, someone shows up on their doorstep and surrenders a dog they no longer want or cannot keep.  So the dog, who has often done absolutely nothing wrong, is put into a cage.  In good shelters, he or she will be walked daily, played with, and fed well.  In lesser shelters, he or she may never leave the cage again.  Depending on the shelter’s policies, he may be able to count the remaining days of his life on one paw.

Why do people give up their dogs?

There are many reasons why people surrender their dogs to a shelter, and it is actually more complicated that it sounds.  According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, relinquishment is associated with not only the physical and behavioral characteristics of the dog, but also the characteristics, knowledge, experience and expectations of the owner.  In addition, external factors such as changes in income, owner illness, and change in housing often contribute to the decision.

According to the results shown in this study, factors that contributed to the odds that an animal would be surrendered include:

• Young age
• Short time of ownership
• Not spayed or neutered
• Mixed breed
• Obtained from friends or shelters (low cost, little effort required to adopt)
• Knowledge deficit of owner

A more recent Italian study published in the same journal  showed that the biggest reason why animals were surrendered to shelters were behavioral problems such as barking, being too active, being destructive, or being disobedient.  These dogs were often returned less than seven days after they were brought into their adoptive homes, suggesting that no attempt was made to allow both the dog and the family to adapt to the new situation.

A similar study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science concludes that people who return pets to a shelter were likely to interpret pet behavior differently than those who kept the adopted pet in their homes.  People who kept a dog with troubling behaviors were more likely to give the dog time to outgrow the behavior, but those who returned the pet were more likely to assume that the behavior was unchangeable.  This study also notes that many researchers have suggested that owner expectations are critical to the success of an adoption.

What happens to a surrendered dog?

In large measure, the answer to this question depends on both the individual dog and the policies of the shelter where he or she is dropped off.  Most shelters will immediately put down a dog that comes into their possession with a history of being vicious, as well as those who are in poor health.  Healthy, friendly dogs may be kept indefinitely if the shelter has a no-kill policy, or euthanized in as soon as three days if cage space is at a premium.

According to the American Humane Association, about 25% of dogs who enter animal shelters are adopted, 15% are reunited with their owners, and 56% are euthanized.  Although shelters are not required to keep statistics on the number of pets they put down, the best guess is that 3.7 million animals (primarily cats and dogs) were euthanized in shelters in 2008.

What can be done about these appalling statistics?

The number one thing that will help to resolve the problem of pet overpopulation and lead to lower numbers of animals entering shelters is to spay and / or neuter every animal which is not going to be used for breeding purposes.  However, there are still a large number of people who believe the myth that a dog is somehow better off if allowed to have one litter before being spayed.  In addition, many people adopt dogs even though their budget doesn’t allow for what they consider unessential care like spaying and neutering.

Because it is likely there will never be 100% compliance with spaying and neutering all dogs which are not to be used for breeding, the next best solution is to make sure prospective dog adopters have reasonable expectations about having a dog in their homes.  Most rescue organizations will not allow an animal to be adopted by someone who has not demonstrated basic knowledge about how to care for the animal.  Some rescues require a vet reference, and most require that the prospective adopter fill out a lengthy application.

This is not the case with the majority of shelters.  It is not uncommon for a prospective adopter to walk through the rows of cages, pick out a dog, and walk out of the shelter after having made a nominal payment.  There is usually very little attempt made to assess the dog’s personality or to match a certain dog with a person based on what the person is looking for.  Tragically, this results in many failed adoptions every single day.

People choose a dog because he or she has a cute face or because the animal appears to be of the size they were looking for.  Many shelter adopters have no idea what is involved in caring for a dog and no realization that each breed and even each dog within a breed has a unique personality and temperament.

For example, a Vizsla is often known as a “Velcro dog” because they like to sleep not only on the bed, but also under the covers!  If a family were to adopt a Vizsla without knowing that, they may put the dog outside in a dog house at night, causing the dog to howl or cry non-stop.  If they had only known that Vizslas are indoor dogs before they adopted, they may have chosen a breed that was more appropriate for their lifestyle.  Alternatively, they may have kept the dog inside, rather than taking the dog back to the shelter because of excessive noise.

It would be nice if shelters were able to spend more time with each dog, testing for temperament and matching each dog to an appropriate adopter.  However, shelters are often under-funded and understaffed, making it impossible to do more than provide the most basic essentials for each animal in their care.

How can I help?

First and foremost, if you have a dog, get it spayed or neutered immediately.  Don’t contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation by putting off having your animal altered.

Contribute your time, your money, and extra supplies to shelters.  If you don’t know what your shelter needs, visit their web site or give them a call.  Most have wish lists for items that will make life better for the animals housed there.

Educate your children about what to expect from dogs and how to train them.  There are hundreds of books that will tell people what they are getting into before they get a dog.  One that we like is featured in this issue, 101 Things You Should Know Before Getting A Dog, written by doggies.com’s very own Dog Lady, Beth Philley.

Adopt a shelter dog when you feel the need for some four-legged companionship.  If you want a specific breed, you should know that about 25% of the dogs who come into shelter care of purebreds.

Support rescue organizations, many of which pull dogs from shelters to prevent euthanasia, but then have to find foster homes for the dogs until they can be matched to an appropriate forever family.