How Do I Surrender My English Bulldog?

When you surrender your English Bulldog, you’ll turn them over to a shelter or a rescue and no longer have any legal rights to them. This is different from rehoming your dog, and it’s important to understand what surrendering entails and how to do it properly.

Learn about the facility 

Before you call to make an appointment to drop off your dog, you’ll want to learn more about the facility and how they operate. What policies do they have when it comes to holding dogs? How often are dogs adopted out of the facility? The more you know about the facility, the easier it’ll be to determine whether it’s the right choice for your dog or not.

It’s important to realize the differences between shelters and rescues, as well. Shelters can only hold animals for a certain period. This is usually several days, but it can differ from one facility to the next. After that time is up, they may have to euthanize. It’s not something that they want to do, but it’s necessary to ensure they have space for incoming dogs.

Rescues are no-kill facilities, which means you don’t have to worry about your English Bulldog being euthanized. However, even though both shelters and rescues try to find people to adopt the animals they have, there’s no guarantee of adoption. Also, keep in mind that because rescues are no-kill facilities, they’re often full.

Once you learn more about the facility, you can call to make an appointment. You can’t simply show up with your dog unannounced. When you call, the staff will let you know what you need to bring including the surrender fee. This fee is charged when people bring in their dogs, and it’s generally at least fifty dollars.

Don’t be surprised if the staff asks why you need to give up your English Bulldog when you call them. They’re interested in what the problem might be and whether they have any resources that could help you. For example, if you have trouble paying the vet bills for your dog, they might know of a low-cost vet in the area. If you don’t have anyone around in the daytime to walk your dog, they might have contact information for a dog walker.

Rehoming vs. surrendering 

Rather than surrendering, you might want to consider the benefits that could come from rehoming. When you rehome, you won’t have to pay a surrender fee, and you’ll have control over who gets to adopt your English Bulldog.

Start by talking with people you know. Maybe you have someone in your life that’s been looking to adopt a dog. They might adore your English Bulldog and would love to bring your dog home with them.

Even if you don’t know anyone personally, you could use a site like Rehome from Adopt-a-Pet. This site lets you fill out a bio for your dog and even add photos and videos. Adopters can then see this information and determine whether they might like to adopt. You’ll review the applications and choose the home that’ll be the best fit for your dog.