The majority of dogs we have taken in from shelters were strays and they all had health and/or behavior issues. We suspect that some of these dogs really weren’t strays, as the people who turned them in claimed. In fact, we believe that those people actually were the owners and didn’t want to admit that they were surrendering their old dogs. Sadly, it happens a lot. The reasons for not admitting it could be fear of judgement or shame, or maybe they just want to take the easy way out and not have to give any information.
But it’s that information that us rescuers need and find to be so valuable in helping the dogs. For Ransom, as an example, did he have a bite history? When did it occur and did they seek help? Knowing that he has this issue could have prevented us from getting bitten! For Libby, it would be helpful to know if she had been diagnosed with any health issues. She is underweight and having trouble gaining weight. Did they know about this, and was it why she was turned in? So now we have to start at ground zero to figure out what’s going on with her. And it’s costly too. We need to run tests on her and try different meds.
The bottom line is – if you really need to give up your pet, please let the shelter know the reasons, don’t fear judgement, and give as much information about the pet as possible. We truly appreciate it.
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