He Gave Up His Pitbull, Choosing Her Future Over His Own Heartache: When Giving Up Your Dog is the Selfless Thing to Do
The pressing reality of overcrowded animal shelters and high euthanasia rates in the U.S. can make it difficult to understand or sympathize with someone who chooses to bring their pet to a shelter. In truth, many people surrender, abandon, or dump their dogs and cats simply because they don’t want them anymore, but that’s not the reality for everyone who gives up a pet. In some cases, surrendering an animal is the most compassionate and responsible choice, and it is admirable to make such a selfless decision.
Ivy (AKA Junebug) once lived with a man who loved her immensely but was battling addiction and surrendered her to Worthy Dog Rescue after realizing he couldn’t care for her anymore. Worthy Dog Rescue—a volunteer-run foster-based dog rescue in the Washington, DC metro area and York County, SC—originally got involved when a community member reached out to get Ivy and her owner some help. They provided Ivy’s owner with dog food and worked to help them find shelter, but the situation had already deteriorated to an unmanageable point.
Being unhoused or an addict does not automatically disqualify you from being an excellent pet owner. Approximately 12% of people experiencing homelessness are pet owners and many sacrifice resources for themselves to ensure their pets are properly cared for. If you are struggling financially, there are also plenty of free and reduced-cost pet care resources you can access before you consider surrendering your animal companion.
Ivy’s owner desperately wanted to keep her, but while resources helped patch the issue temporarily, he came to the painful realization that surrendering her would give Ivy the best chance at a happy life. When Ivy was surrendered to Worthy Dog Rescue she needed some basic vet care, but was in good health—the biggest challenge was giving her space to mourn the loss of her person.
While Mourning Her Old Life Ivy Prepares For a New Home
Ivy is a 52-pound white American Staffordshire Terrier x Lab mix with a few black spots and a sweet and social personality. Ivy—called Junebug by her foster—was obviously very loved by her former owner who raised her to be an extremely good dog.
According to Ivy’s foster, she was an angel in her home. “She is super friendly, a couch potato, and a champion cuddler. She is totally housetrained, crate-trained, and not destructive at all,” said Ivy’s Worthy Dog Rescue foster before she was adopted. “[Ivy] walks well on leash and only pulls a little when it’s time to meet a new best friend. [Ivy] is very smart, too, and already knows ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘shake’ and ‘leave it.’”
Ivy’s foster home had dogs, cats, and kids, and she did well with all of them! You can see why Ivy was described as an angel. In so many ways, Ivy is the ideal companion dog and would fit well into almost any home. Luckily, she doesn’t have to wait any longer—Ivy (AKA Junebug) has been adopted and has her happily ever after!
When Is Surrendering a Pet The Right Thing To Do?
There are a myriad of reasons pet owners consider surrendering their animals, and most have multiple solutions that could help prevent another pet from entering the shelter system. Sadly, some circumstances require you to make the heartbreaking decision to surrender an animal.
“If you have exhausted all of the options, or continue to have problems with an aggressive pet, it may be time to surrender them. The important thing is that you have come to the conclusion after investigating all of the options,” says the Bee Vet Animal Hospital. “Never abandon a pet – contact your local Humane Society or a no kill rescue.” If you purchased your dog from a breeder, you can also reach out to the breeder to ask if they would be willing to take the dog back. Many breeders build a similar policy into their contracts requiring that dogs be returned to them if the owner can no longer care for them.
In the case of Ivy, for example, her previous owner had already been given resources and assistance with her care, but he was still unable to keep her and himself safe and healthy. Some other circumstances that might warrant choosing to surrender a dog include:
- Serious fighting between two or more dogs in the household that has not been resolved after professional training/behavioral intervention.
- If a dog poses a serious threat to children or other people in the household that has not been resolved after professional training/behavioral intervention.
- Following unavoidable circumstances like death, serious health decline, or sudden life changes that make it impossible to properly care for the dog.
If you are considering surrendering your dog because of behavioral issues, financial barriers, or housing insecurity—three of the common reasons for owner surrender of dogs to shelters—there are alternative options and affordable resources available to help you. Many local animal shelters offer free or low-cost training programs if you cannot afford a private trainer. Pet food pantries, low-cost and free veterinary services, and even temporary crisis housing for pets are available nationwide. Use Pet Help Finder to start your search for pet care resources near you.
Read This Next
