Owner Relinquishments
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
SHELTIE LINE
& FAX:
(281)-859-0146
E-Mail:
Connie /
Linda /
Joan
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue
Program has had great success helping local owner referral Shelties
into loving homes, and we are happy to assist by placing your dog's photo and
description on our web site. The owner is responsible for providing contact
and for screening homes; we assist with suggestions for screening inquiries and
an adoption donation to insure the Sheltie goes to a loving home. In return for our time and the right to use our
web space to advertise your dog, along with the description and photo, we would
appreciate a donation to our program.
Our first concern is the Shelties in shelters as they are in danger of dying if we do not rescue them. Thus we can take in owner relinquishments only if foster space is available. If you cannot keep your Sheltie in your own home while trying to place him, and we have the space available, then we would assess the dog's age, health, and temperament for our program. We require that the owner provide veterinary records for general health, vaccination, heartworm status, and spay/neutering; we also require that the owner sign an owner relinquishment form, which must be submitted before we will accept the dog into our program. By placing your Sheltie with us, you will be assured that only Sheltie homes will be contacted and that your Sheltie's adoption will be safely monitored. In return for our taking your dog into our program, we would appreciate a donation to our rescue organization to help in the placement of your dog or with additional medical attention he may need. Before you make this decision to relinquish your Sheltie, try everything else you can think of to keep the dog in his home: obedience training, medical intervention, assistance from family members, etc. Please be sure you have thought about this decision, worked through your emotions about giving up your dog, and will commit to the process before you call or write us and involve our time, energies, and resources. Once you have relinquished your dog to our program, we assume ownership: to protect the dog's emotions and the privacy of his future family, there will be no further contact between the dog and former owner or between HSS and the former owner. Owners can see how their dogs are doing on our web site.
However, If you have a dog with serious behavioral
problems, in order to
protect our credibility and any liability issues, as well as the security of future adoptive homes, we
must make other suggestions. Try to get vet and behavioral assistance for
her
first. Medication and obedience training may help. Also, if she is
destructive or having accidents in the house, try placing her in a
crate during the day when you are gone. This is not punitive but in fact helpful for
many dogs with either behavioral problems or anxieties when their families are
away. Think of it as a 'den,' a safe haven for the dog. Most dogs do well with
crating, and we recommend it.
If any of these steps do not help, then place an ad in the paper or on
www.petfinder.com Talk with interested
folks about the dog's needs, being careful to require an adoption fee to protect the dog
from unscrupulous people. Be honest with prospective adopters: there may be
a family out there who can work with her in ways you are not able to because of
your experience, schedules, or family situation.
Please note: Houston Sheltie Sanctuary will not accept dogs who are aggressive with other animals or with people. If we discover a dog relinquished to us attacks others, that dog will be returned to the original owner.