How do I go about giving up a dog?

Posted by Loose_Object8570@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 10 comments

6 years ago my family (myself, my sister a cousin that was living with us and my dad) adopted a large and energetic dog as my dad at the time was concerned about protection and felt it necessary.

The breed is known for needing constant stimulation and exercise and for 5 of the past 6 years, this has not been a problem as there were 4 members of the family (at a minimum) about everyday to be able to fulfill these needs.

However, over the past 1-2 years this has slowly begun to dwindle. Both my cousin and dad have moved out and very rarely visit and due to work I am currently out of the house minimum 10 hours a day. This has left my sister to take on the brunt of the workload.

We are currently in the middle of having building work done on the house and so the dog has no access to the garden currently. As well as this, my sister works a very professional job and so despite working from home, can't have the dog near her office space as she is always in meetings.

This has already started to take a huge toll on my sisters mental health as the dog has started running wild around the house and has become hard to control due to his boredom. We have enquired about a dog walker as well as day care for the days that I am at work so that he is stimulated and a big part of the burden is taken away from my sister.

As it stands, I am planning to go to uni at the end of this year and, whilst I will be commuting. I know that this means I won't be around anywhere near as much and so my sister will be taking on more of a burden as time goes on.

We're currently in the midst of the hardest decision we will ever have to make and I'd like any advice possible as to how I would go about giving him up for adoption or possibly to another family, which charities it works best for, how long the process takes etc.

I feel absolutely terrible about this decision currently and I know it will haunt me for the rest of my life. I feel extremely selfish about the whole ordeal but know that it's in the best interests of all involved. Any advice given at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Sea_Appearance6837@reddit

No matter the breed. I fail to understand how the dog doesn’t have adequate exercise despite your sister working from home? Would it be that arduous to get up in the morning with enough time to take it for a longer walk? Combined with a dog walker it should be manageable?

Upon further reflection while walking my dog (who is a rescue from a home like yours) Get a grip.

The dog is obviously acting up because it isn’t properly stimulated, and if you can’t be fucked to give it exercise in the morning, I hope it finds a better home.

No_Concept_3477@reddit

Sorry, but this is lazy and makes me incredibly angry.

You all knowingly got a breed with specific requirements. This is not the dogs fault and the dog should not be traumatised because you all can't be bothered to work out how to look after him properly.

cocainendollshouses@reddit

THIS

thorn312@reddit

My guess is German Shepherd. We had a friend whose family had one and it chewed up their whole house as they left it alone all day.

It is a hard decision to make, but ultimately you are putting the dog's wellbeing first and trying to do right for it. You will likely get some heated comments because the reality is that in an ideal world, circumstances don't change or we're able to work around them to keep pets.

If it's an option for you financially, something like a doggy daycare may be able to help with the pup's enrichment needs in the days?

If this isn't an option to you, I would suggest checking with shelters near to you first if you haven't already, do not rehome any animal online, you have no idea who they're going to.

I'm fortunate to have had cats who are generally very independent and my partner and I also work from home (my current cat is a bit needy!), this was a decision your family made based on your situation not changing, though I wonder if it could have been better thought out in terms of your collective future plans. I still think you are doing your best to do right for the dog, even if I get downvoted for it.

RandomUser5453@reddit

I am sure this is a really hard decision for you.

I grieve the fact that I can’t have a dog as I am working long hours but having a dog and needing to give it away because of some life changes. I don’t envy you.

Try to look for charities close to where you live in the UK. Fortunately enough there are a lot of charities who take dogs.

Hope you find a good one and your dog finds a good new family that has the time it needs. x

sinkh0000le@reddit

Feel free to message me, I volunteer for animal animal charity and I'd be happy to help you look for suitable, local rehoming centres who can help you and your dog.

For commenters; regardless of how we feel about people looking to rehome their pets, we shouldn't guilt people to the point they might just sell their pets or end up dumping them. Let's help them do the right thing for the animal if it cannot stay with them.

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