How Do I Surrender My Maltese?

You can surrender your Maltese to a shelter or a rescue, but you’ll need to get in touch with them first. You can’t simply walk into these facilities and drop off your dog. Instead, you need to follow their procedures and policies. You should also keep in mind that when you surrender your dog, you’re giving up all your legal rights to them.

Learn About the Facility

The first thing you’ll want to do is learn as much about the shelter or rescue as possible. The Internet makes this easy. Go to the websites of the shelters and rescues in your area to get a better idea of their policies, where they keep the dogs, and the facility’s location. You may even find rescues in your area that specialize in Maltese and similarly sized breeds.

Contact the Shelter or Rescue

Once you have located a facility, you’ll want to contact them. They will let you know how much the surrender fees will cost. This amount can vary from one shelter or rescue to the next, but it’s typically at least $50. The staff will also want to know more about your dog including their temperament, whether they have health issues, etc.

Often, they’ll want to know why you’re giving up your Maltese. They may have some resources that they can offer if there might be a chance you could keep your dog. If you’re worried that you can’t give your dog walks because of an injury or because you’re working during the day, they may have information on local dog walkers. They may also have a list of vets that offer low-cost spay and neutering if you’re worried you can’t afford it.

Ultimately, they want to do what’s best for the dog. This may mean finding a way that you could keep them.

Other Options Available

Rather than surrendering your Maltese to a shelter or rescue, you may want to first consider some other options. For example, you may be able to rehome with someone you already know. If you have a family member or a friend that may want to have a dog of their own, they might be willing to adopt. Talk with people you know to see if someone might be interested. Giving your dog to someone you already know can be a workable solution. It also means you’ll have some peace of mind knowing who will be taking care of your dog.

You could also post information about your dog through online pet adoption sites. A good example of this is Rehome, a platform that makes it easy to upload photos, videos, and a bio of your Maltese. This allows people looking to adopt the chance to learn more about your dog. When they submit an adoption application, you can look them over to see which owner might be best for your Maltese.

Rehome is free for users who need to give up their dog, and the cost of rehoming is placed on the adopter. The fees for rehoming are generally the same as they would be paying through a shelter or a rescue.