Is Rehoming Your Dog Okay?
It’s a sensitive subject, but rehoming dogs happens. Here at PAWZ, our goal is to get every dog in their pawfect forever home. We understand that sometimes being a dog parent isn’t easy, and you can’t always anticipate what life throws at you.
Make no mistake, we aren’t here to judge.
Our goal today is to help you understand what you’re feeling and guide you in making a decision. If rehoming has been on your mind lately, understand that there are valid reasons for needing to do so. We want to talk about some of those reasons as well as ways to rehome safely and with as little stress to yourself and your pup.
What Is Rehoming?
Rehoming is the term used when someone has a dog in their home, but due to unforeseen circumstances must find a new family for them. It is a similar idea to finding the perfect companion at a shelter.
Most shelter dogs come from situations like abuse, homelessness, or hoarding. Some, however, come from families that have had to surrender their dogs. It’s important to know that giving your fur baby back to the shelter isn’t your only option — you can choose to rehome instead, so fewer pups get sent back into the shelter system.
Rehoming can guarantee that a doggo gets the love and attention they need when their original family can longer provide it for them. It’s a bittersweet situation, but the silver lining is there — a pup ends up with a family that loves them and can give them the world.
Some non-profit rescue organizations can help you find a new home for your pup, or you can take to social media to help your fur baby find a new owner.
Why to Rehome Instead of Surrender
Shelters are overwhelmed. Due to this, many dogs aren’t given a chance to find their furrever homes. That’s why at PAWZ, our mission is to help turn all shelters in the U.S. no-kill by 2025. We donate a portion of all of our proceeds to Best Friends Animal Society’s no-kill animal shelter efforts to help make a better world for our furry BFFs. By shopping with us, you become part of our mission as well.
We recommend rehoming versus surrendering your dog to a local shelter, rescue group, or kennel, largely because of the pandemic adoption boom. After everyone went back to work, 100,000 dogs were returned or surrendered to shelters.
Instead of contributing to this influx of shelter admissions, rehoming your beloved pup will ensure that they have a family and they don’t spend any time in a shelter.
Reasons Families Rehome
There are a lot of reasons you might consider rehoming your dog. Things happen, lives change, and some situations just can’t be avoided. If you’re wondering what might lead someone to rehome their dog, we’ve outlined some common reasons below.
Remember, each family is unique — one family’s reason for rehoming may be an entire non-issue for another. You know your needs (and your fabulous fur baby’s needs) best. Allow this list of reasons some choose to rehome to put your mind at ease if you’re considering rehoming your doggo.
Changes in Circumstances
A change in circumstance is one of the biggest reasons you might have to bring your pup to a new home. Especially following the pandemic, many of us saw our salaries cut or our jobs terminated, giving us fewer means to care for our little angels.
These things happen, and if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t always control everything that happens to us. If your salary negatively changed recently, you might find yourself financially unable to care for your pup.
While many of the costs of pet parenthood come at the beginning — spay/neuter fees, vaccinations, and veterinary care to name a few — the costs of additional vet care, pet food, puppy daycare, and more can become a struggle after a change in your financial situation.
It might be difficult, but finding a family that can support your fur baby will be in everyone’s best interest.
Separation Anxiety
Many dogs deal with separation anxiety. While it breaks our hearts to have to leave our pups at home, bringing our dogs everywhere just isn’t feasible. Unfortunately, most dogs with separation anxiety manage it in a way that can negatively impact our lives.
Doggos with anxiety can chew on everything, pull things off tables, and get in the trash. They may also bark or whine incessantly, or even become aggressive. It’s not our pups’ fault — they can’t just use their words to explain their feelings to us, and often, this is their only way to express themselves.
While some aspects of pup anxiety can be alleviated with training, it can be unfair to your angel if you truly have no time to show them how much you love them. This may lead you to make the hard choice of rehoming your pup.
Finding a family or single person that wants a dog and has the ability to take them everywhere can significantly improve your pup’s quality of life — and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.
Foster or Adoption Mismatch
While shelters and potential adopters will do everything in their power to avoid a mismatched pairing, it can happen. A pet’s profile should be accurate enough for every pup to find a loving home, but some issues just can’t be predicted.
Communication and visits while the pet adoption process takes place can help alleviate situations like this, but nothing is foolproof. Thankfully, after getting to know your sweet pup, you may be able to help them find a home that’s better suited to their needs.
This situation isn’t easy, but knowing the dog’s temperament will help find them the pawfect family.
New Baby in the House
Families grow, and babies are a lot of work. A new baby can make any parent feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
Unfortunately in these situations, dogs can suffer from a lack of attention. There are fewer hours in the day for walks and playing fetch, and pet owners can start to feel guilty about the lack of quality time.
This attention is an important part of pet care, and it’s important to fulfill your pet’s needs. While help from friends and family can go a long way, sometimes this transfer of attention can lead to jealousy for your pup. The animosity can lead to aggression and behavior problems from your dog, and that isn’t a simple issue to remedy.
In either of these instances, you might consider rehoming your pup. While many behavioral issues can be addressed before attempting pet rehoming, sometimes this difficult decision is your last resort.
If this is the route you choose, be sure to pick new parents carefully. Older children might be better as they can take an active role in loving your dog.
Allergies Arise
There are many times that people don’t know they’re allergic to dogs until one is in the house. If this happens, it can be difficult to bear. Hives, constant sneezing, and rashes are all symptoms of allergic reactions to dogs. There are shots and medicines that you can take, but allergy medicines can also only alleviate the symptoms — not eliminate them completely.
If you or a family member realizes they’re allergic to your pup, rehoming may be the only option.
How to Cope After Rehoming Your Pup
Rehoming is hard. It’s normal to feel guilt, no matter the reasons for rehoming our pup. Even once you’ve found a good home for your fur baby with family members who love them tons, rehoming is heartbreaking. Our fur babies are unique, and we miss them tons after they’re gone.
Once we’ve made sure our pups have the loving home they deserve, it’s time to send some of that love inward. Now that your doggo is okay, you should be okay, too.
Be gentle with yourself — you’ll need time to heal after rehoming your precious baby, and it’s easy to be hard on yourself. Remember, your sacrifice has made someone else so happy, and your pup is getting all the love and resources they need. Remembering the reasons that you had to rehome your dog in the first place is important for moving on.
Advocating for Dogs Everywhere
You may not have a dog currently, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of change. Volunteering at adoption centers, fostering pups that need homes, or donating to animal rights campaigns can help you create a better life for pups everywhere.
Did you know that shopping with us means a donation made to no-kill shelters across the U.S.? Being a part of the PAWZ family means you are helping to make a change in your backyard.
In fact, our Stay PAWZitive Collection is all about being a hero for pups everywhere. Plus, the shirt is a great talking point for what you’re going through. When people ask where your shirt or hoodie is from you can spread the news about PAWZ’s mission and recruit others for the cause.
Everything Will Be Okay
It might seem like a long road, but things will get better. Rehoming your pup can be a decision made with love, care, and thoughtfulness, and it’s just another way in which you had your fur baby’s best interests at heart.
If you’re struggling with the difficult decision to rehome, know that your love for your doggo will guide you to the right choice for all of you.
Sources:
To Rehome Your Pet | Animal Care and Control