Surrender your German Shepherd
It’s never easy to give up a dog you love, especially a big friendly breed like a German Shepherd.
But sometimes things happen in life that make it too hard to keep caring for your pup the way you want to.
If you’re in this tough situation with your German Shepherd, don’t worry – there are good options to find them a new loving home.
We will look at different places where you can responsibly rehome your German Shepherd.
Animal Shelters
One of the most common places to bring a dog you can no longer keep is your local animal shelter.
These shelters take in homeless pets and try their best to find them new forever families.
While it can be really sad taking your pup to a shelter, the good shelters make sure to take great care of the animals.
When you bring your German Shepherd to a shelter, they’ll ask you questions about how old they are, their medical history, and if they have any behavior issues.
Knowing these details helps the shelter understand your dog’s needs so they can match them with the right new owner.
Many shelters also have people you can talk to about other options besides surrendering your pet if that’s possible.
German Shepherd Rescues
Another excellent choice is to contact a rescue that specializes in finding homes just for German Shepherds.
These rescue groups are completely dedicated to this breed.
They have networks of experienced foster homes that can properly care for and train the dogs while waiting for the perfect new family.
When you reach out to a German Shepherd rescue, they’ll ask for all the details about your dog – their age, medical records, personality, and any troubles they have.
Having this info helps them understand your pup’s needs so they can match them with the right new owner who is prepared to care for a German Shepherd.
Many rescues also do home visits and charge a small fee to cover their costs of caring for the dogs.
No-Kill Shelters
If you’re having a hard time getting your German Shepherd into a regular shelter or rescue right away, look for no-kill shelters or animal sanctuaries near you.
The “no-kill” means they don’t ever euthanize dogs just because they run out of space or resources.
These places are committed to finding homes for every animal, no matter how long it takes.
While no-kill shelters can sometimes have waiting lists, they may be able to take in your German Shepherd when others can’t.
However, they may charge a surrender fee since they run just on donations to cover the costs of caring for all the animals long-term.
When you contact a no-kill shelter, expect to provide the same details about your dog’s history and needs.
Online Rehoming
These days, there are also websites that allow you to personally rehome your pet yourself to a new family.
Sites like Rehome or NextDayPets let you post a profile for your German Shepherd with photos, videos, their story, and what kind of home would be best.
Then people interested in adopting a dog can browse these listings and reach out to you to find out about anything or ask further questions.
If you go this route, you’ll need to be really careful about screening any potential new owners.
Have a good videochat “interview” with them, ask for references, and ideally meet in-person to make sure they seem like a genuinely good fit before letting your German Shepherd go home with them.
The animal shelters have some safety checks in place too.
Where can I Surrender my German Shepherd?
No matter where you decide is best to rehome your German Shepherd, here are some important things you need to keep in mind:
- Be prepared to give the shelter, rescue, or new owners as much information as possible about your dog’s age, medical history, personality, and any behavior issues.
- Knowing these details helps make sure your pup gets matched with the right new home.
- Expect that there may be some paperwork to fill out and fees to pay when you surrender your pet, especially to a rescue or no-kill shelter. This helps cover their costs.
- Be patient and flexible with the rehoming process. Finding a new home for a big breed dog can take some time, depending on overcrowding issues or waiting lists. Don’t get discouraged.
- Make sure to have some quality time to properly say goodbye to your furry friend before surrendering them. As tough as it is, you’ll want to make some lasting happy memories.
- After rehoming your German Shepherd, follow up to check how they’re doing. The shelters should be able to give you updates to provide peace of mind.
Giving up a dog, especially one you consider part of the family, is never easy. But sometimes it’s the best or only choice we have.
The good news is there are lots of organizations working hard to responsibly rehome dogs in need of a new loving family.