Giving Up Your Golden

People give up their dogs for a variety of reasons--allergies, time limitations, new family members who aren't "dog people", etc. The purpose of this page is to help you keep your dog, if possible. Failing that, we want you to know the various options for turning your dog over to someone else. Unfortunately too many dogs--yes, even wonderful Golden Retrievers--are just abandoned and left to fend for themselves; dumped anonymously at local shelters; or given/sold to others who may not have your dog's best interests at heart.

Before you make the FINAL decision to give up your dog, we suggest you consult with your vet, a professional trainer, or read some of the many books and articles by dog experts and well-known trainers. The GRREAT Store offers a number of books which may be helpful. Also, there are a number of websites that provide information on how to handle problems with your dogs. Two of these are:

Flying Dog Press - In addition to dog video and books for sale, this site has a number of free articles dedicated to healthy relationships and humane training
	10 Tips for Dealing with Problem Behavior Reward, Lures and Bribes Attitude Adjustment Program He Just Wants to Say "Hi" Teaching Self Control Handling on Leash Aggression Aggression: A Case History with Harry T. Dances with Dogs The Fine Art of Observation Why Not Take Candy from a Baby (If He Lets You) It Takes a Pack to Raise a Puppy Hard to Train

Can We Help You Keep Your Pet - This is a serious--and very helpful section of "Leilah's Laugh's", an internet pet humor site.
	Moving and Travel Housetraining - Dogs Crate Training for Dogs Noise - Barking Behavioral Problems - Dogs No Time for Pet Getting Along with Other Animals Kids and Pets (for Adults too) Shedding and Grooming Problems Pet's Health Problems Allergies to the pet Puppy Stuff

Placing an ad in the newspaper. Hundreds of these classified ads appear weekly in newspapers. While there are sincere prospective pet owners out there, are you prepared to do the basic things necessary to ensure that your dog goes to a good home? Did you know that there are organized groups of individuals who pass themselves off as loving families (often coming to your house with children) who answer many of the "free to good home" ads and then sell the pet to puppy mill operations or for research? You should never turn your pet over to a complete stranger without checking personal references, vet references and visiting their home and verifying address against their driver's license.

Turning dog into local shelter or humane society. Many shelters and humane societies are staffed by well meaning employees and volunteers, but many shelters--especially those relying on county funding--just do not have the resources to handle the large number of animals brought to them every day. They try to find homes for as many as possible, but they only have so much space. Two recent newspaper articles in the Washington Post talked about two different shelters in Maryland. Each took in about 12,000 animals a year (that's just 2 counties in Maryland!!!!) and their adoption rates are both around 25%, meaning that close to 18,000 animals were destroyed in one year in just those two counties.

Turning your dog over to a rescue group. There are many rescue groups throughout the metropolitan DC area. Some, such as GRREAT, specialize in a particular type of dog, while other rescues take in both mixed and pure breed dogs of all types. Again, be sure that you are dealing with a legitimate rescue organization that will take the time and care to find the right adoptive home to match your dog's needs and personality. A legitimate rescue will ask you a lot of detailed information about your dog, ask for medical records, and give you a receipt for having taken your dog. You should also be able to verify how your dog will be handled prior to adoption, i.e., whether it will be kenneled, in a foster home, etc.

You will be interviewed by our Intake Coordinator to get basic information about your dog and to provide you with a complete explanation of our program.

If you decide GRREAT is the best organization to find your dog a new home, you will be asked to sign an "owner give up" form on the dog at the time we pick him up. This is a legal document that transfers ownership and responsibility for the dog from you to us.

Also, at the time you turn the dog over to us you will be asked to supply past medical records on the dog. Also, if at all possible, we request a $50 donation for spayed/neutered dogs, and an $80 donation for unspayed/unneutered dogs.

Once you have signed the dog over to us, you will have no further direct contact with the dog or the adopters. However, you can call us at any time and we will be more than happy to tell you how your dog is doing and describe the adoptive environment he is in.

We arrange for your dog to live in a foster home (regular homes of our volunteer members) for a minimum of 2 weeks before it is placed for adoption. This will give us time to:
     - get the dog spayed/neutered and his shots updated, if necessary
     - evaluate the dog medically
     - get insight on how the dog handles transition
     - evaluate the temperament, energy level and needs of the dog

Most dogs age 5 and under are in foster care an average of 3 weeks before getting adopted. Most dogs age 8 and over are in foster care for about 10-12 weeks before getting adopted. However, if there are significant temperament or medical issues, it may take longer to find the right adoptive home for your dog. There is no time limit on the amount of time a dog can spend in foster care while we're looking for the right adoptive home.

If you are interested in turning your dog over to GRREAT, contact our I ntake Coordinator. In the email please give your name, address, phone numbers, dog's name, dog's age, dog's sex and reason for give up. Our Intake Specialist will make every effort to return your call within 48 hours.