by Kelly Villa, | January 8, 2024
Shchus / Shutterstock
To surrender your Rottweiler, you’ll typically need to contact a shelter or rescue, set up an appointment, and bring your dog in. It’s important to understand the basics of how these animal shelter facilities operate and what steps you’ll need to take beforehand to ensure a smooth process for both you and your Rottie.
Need to surrender a Rottweiler? Here’s what you need to know to do it responsibly and ensure the best outcome for your dog.
The first step is to check out their website to learn more about the facility. Then, you can call them and set up an appointment. You can’t bring your dog to a shelter facility without setting up an appointment first. Both shelters and rescues want you to get in touch with them beforehand.
During the call, they’ll let you know what information and paperwork you’ll need to bring. They’ll also let you know the price of the surrender fee. These fees can vary substantially from one shelter or rescue to the next. Typically, they’ll range from $50 to $150, but it could be higher depending on the facility’s location.
When you speak with the professionals at the shelter or the rescue, they’ll likely ask you questions about why you have to give up your dog. They’re not trying to make you feel worse about needing to give up your Rottweiler. Instead, they’re looking for ways that you might be able to keep your dog. Many have lists of resources they can provide you to help with a range of issues.
For example, if you aren’t able to spend as much time with your dog as you would like because of work, you could opt for a pet sitter or a doggie daycare facility. If he has behavior issues, they may know some trainers who could help with the problem. They want the best for your dog just like you do.
If you still must surrender your Rottweiler, they’ll let you know the steps you need to follow next. Keep in mind that rescues often fill up quickly because they’re no-kill facilities. This could make it difficult to find a rescue that has room for your dog.
Shelters do their best to care for the animals in their custody. However, they have a limited amount of space, and they can only keep animals for a certain period. The shelter may have to euthanize some animals.
There are options other than surrendering your dog, of course. You might want to first look at some friends and family to see if they might be interested in adopting. This can be a good option since you’ll already know the person and can be sure they’re a good choice for a new home.
You could also use a site like Rehome by Adopt a Pet. The platform lets you list your dog and create a detailed profile with images and videos. The profile should be detailed and explain all of the wonderful things about your dog and any problems they might have. For example, if they don’t like small dogs, that should be on the profile. This ensures that only the right families will submit adoption applications.
Kelly Villa is a freelance writer and contributor to various pet publications.