What Does It Mean to Surrender a Pit Bull?

If you can no longer keep your pet, you might be wondering: What does it mean to surrender a Pit Bull? Surrendering your dog means you’re giving up all your rights as the Pit Bull’s owner and transferring them to a rescue or shelter. Once surrendered, you no longer have a say in what happens to your dog, whether they are put down or adopted, or who adopts them. This can be difficult for anyone who loves their pet, so surrendering your Pit Bull should be a last resort.

Things to Keep in Mind

While animal welfare organizations do their best to provide the best care for the pets that come their way, your pet may not receive as much attention as you would like. Before you surrender your Pit Bull to any shelter or rescue group, do some research and be aware of the limitations some organizations face.

Here are some things to keep in mind when looking for a place to surrender your pet:

• Does the organization euthanize: Some shelters have very high intake rates and low resources, which can cause them to run out of kennel space quickly. When organizations run out of space, sometimes even healthy adoptable dogs are put to sleep. Euthanasia rates are often available. Be aware of an organization’s policies before you decide to drop off your pet.

• Your Pet’s Personality: Even if you have the friendliest dog in the world, your Pit Bull may not feel like themself in a shelter. The loud and crowded shelter environment can make your dog become anxious or aggressive, and they may be labeled un-adoptable. Consider how you Pit Bull might react to this type of situation before surrendering.

Other Options

If you find that your local shelter may not be a safe place to surrender your Pit Bull, consider other solutions:

Keeping Your Dog

Are you giving up your pet because of behavior issues? In many cases, these are easy to solve with the help of a vet or trainer. Many behavioral issues stem from a medical need that can be addressed by a veterinarian. Others can be remedied with the support of a qualified animal behaviorist. Give your dog every chance to stay in your family by trying to work through their issues.

Private Rescues

Reputable, privately run rescues are a wonderful option — if you can find one with a spot for your dog. This can be difficult, but excellent rescues will usually work hard to locate a perfect home, so it’s worth the trouble.

Rehoming Your Dog Yourself

This option will probably take the most effort, but it also lets you decide what happens to your Pit Bull. Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet provides valuable advice and tools to make the process easier and to ensure you find the best possible home for your dog. You can even post your adoptable pet for free to be seen by millions of pet adopters on Adopt-a-Pet.

Knowing what it means to surrender your dog might make you change your mind about going through with it. If so, it’s good to know there are other options and resources to help you.