VOSD PROCEDURES

Surrender a Pet Dog / Rescued Stray Dog | VOSD

SURRENDER FEE APPLICABLE

WHEN NOT TO SURRENDER YOUR DOG

If you’re considering surrendering your dog first consider THESE options

BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES:

If you’re considering not keeping the dog with you because of his behaviour: Please take the advice of your vet or consult a trainer for help with common behavioural problems. If you feel, however, that his behaviour is unusual, and that you need additional or other support, you may ask for opinion by writing to us at info@vosd.in

RWA / NEIGHBOUR ISSUES:

If you’re considering not keeping the dog because of your neighbours or RWA restrictions:

• Remember, it is not lawful for housing complexes to demand that you give up your pet, or impose other restrictions upon you, such as disallowing the use of elevators by your pet, etc.
• Likewise, your neighbours can’t be unreasonable about your pet dog (if you’re a responsible pet owner), and object to natural behaviour such as barking, etc., or object to your having him with you. If that is what is happening, ask for support on the VOSD Facebook page, or look through the VOSD website FAQs and blog for solutions, or write to us at info@vosd.in for support and advice. Do not bow down to unlawful demands.

PET ALLERGIES:

There are many people who are diagnosed with pet allergies, but they can still live a happy and healthy life with pets without giving their dogs up for adoption. From keeping bedrooms pet-free, buying an air filter, regular cleaning of pet fur or even allergy vaccines, you can minimize the effects of pet allergy and keep your favourite pet dogs with you for life. 

FINANCIAL ISSUES:

Financial crises can occur anytime in life. But you and your pet dog don’t have to suffer because resources and medical care seem unaffordable. There are many organizations operating at the national and state level that can offer assistance with pet supplies, food and other essentials. Many organizations offer low cost or free medical care as well. Thus, even with financial issues, you have many other options than giving a dog for adoption. The trauma and abandonment issues dogs suffer on being given up can haunt them for life. A dog is a lifetime commitment like having a baby. Think many times before adopting a dog and when you do please never give up on them! 

RENTING ISSUES:

Renting a house when you have a pet dog can be challenging at times. Many landlords are nervous about renting their houses to dog owners. However, this doesn’t mean you think about surrendering your dog for adoption. You can always educate house owners on responsible pet ownership and sign a waiver to pay for any damages caused by the dog. This will give the home owners more confidence and you won’t have to look for permanent places to surrender dogs or run around shady dog shelters. As long as you are careful that your pets don’t damage rental property and trouble neighbours around you, most landlords won’t mind renting their property. Also, educate yourself about the legal rights of your pet dogs.

IF YOU CAN, RE-HOME THE DOG YOURSELF:

Try to find the dog a home yourself: Re-home your dog to a new home yourself. This transition will be much easier for your dog and will allow you to know that he is going to a good new home. Look for an alternate place that the dog can live in. The VOSD Rescue should not be your first option. Check with friends and family, and network online and with the community of ‘adoption agencies’ in your city where the dog can find a home.

HOW TO RE-HOME YOUR DOG RESPONSIBLY

Shelters are a good way to rehome a dog, but surrendering your dog to a shelter isn’t the first thing you should turn to as a responsible pet owner. These shelters may already be dealing with a large number of dogs and another dog in need may be deprived of a shelter if you irresponsibly give away your dog. Here’s what you can do to find your dog a new home before giving away a dog to a dog shelter.

PUT YOUR DOG UP FOR ADOPTION:

Before putting your pet for adoption please get them spayed/neutered. Purebreed dogs who are not spayed/neutered end up getting purchased by breeders who them torture and abuse the dogs leading to horrible deaths of the dogs.To prevent the dog being lucarative for greedy breeders, ensure you get the dog spayed/nuetered. This is not a complex surgery and can ensure a life of peace and dignity for your pet dog.After that follow the below steps:

Take a picture that shows the best side of your pet as soon as possible. Additionally, prepare a brief description of your pet as well. If your dog has received training for house, crate or obedience, mention that in the description. Some other points worth mentioning are –

•         The behaviour towards children, other animals and strangers
•         The medical history and existing medical conditions, if any
•         The favourite foods, treats and activities
•         If your dog has been spayed or neutered
•         If your dog up-to-date on vaccinations and is tick-free

You need to be completely honest if you want to give up your dog for adoption. Complete disclosure about the habits and personality of your dog will ensure that a new home is a good decision to make.

MAKE SURE YOU VET THE APPLICANTS:

It may seem tempting, but avoid looking for owners to surrender a dog through classified ads at all costs. They will have a higher chance of ending up as a victim of abuse and neglect. Therefore, you should instead use your social network to post your pet’s picture and ask your friends to share it. This way you can make sure that you get an owner for your dog who’s within your friend circle. You can also ask your neighbours and local veterinarians to advertise your dog’s need for a new home. Also, place flyers at work, school and other public places that include a picture of your pet along with an appealing biography.

ASK WITHIN YOUR FAMILY AND FRIEND GROUP:

It’s even better if you ask someone from your family or friends to adopt your dog. If that doesn’t work, talking to other pet parents near your area, veterinarians, groomers, pet supplies stores and others in the pet care field will definitely be helpful. Once someone contacts you for adoption, you must consider interviewing them and visit their home to make sure your pet’s next home is going to be its forever home. 

Some questions that will help you while going forward with the adoption are –

•         Is the adopter’s home big enough to accommodate your dog?
•         Does the adopter have other pets that can live together with your dog?
•         Are they financially capable of caring for your dog?
•         Can they care for your dog if it has special needs or a medical condition?
•         Most importantly, what are the adopter’s expectations about living with your dog?

It can be heart-wrenching to give up your pet, but if nothing else works out, rehoming will ensure that your dog is safe and happy. Having said that, if you must rehome your pet, you must put in every effort to give your dog the best possible life it deserves. It’s worth the time and effort when you know you’ve done the best for your furry friend.

TYPES OF DOGS YOU CAN’T SURRENDER TO VOSD

• You can’t ‘surrender’ a stray dog that lives in your street. Displacing a street dog is an illegal act in Indian law; and in any event, the vacuum that you create by displacing a street dog will be filled up by other street dog/s
• Picking a pup off the street, especially a pup that has a mother and is not an orphaned, all alone pup, is in fact tantamount to displacing the little dog, which is contrary to law. If you wish to pick such a pup off the street with a view to getting it adopted, this facility is NOT available to you.
• You can’t surrender a pet dog that belongs to you that may have been entrusted to you temporarily and belongs to your spouse or children or parents. That is a breach of trust.

Please remember, you need to prove you are the owner/rescuer of the dog, and provide its medical history in order to be able to surrender the dog to us.

IF YOU CAN NO LONGER KEEP YOUR DOG, DO NOT:

• DON’T abandon your dog at a place far from home, or a strange area, in the hope that he won’t come back. Your dog lacks the skills to survive on his own and WILL die of starvation or injury. Other dogs will attack, and injure, or may even kill your pet, since dogs are territorial and tend to fight off other newer dogs that stray into their territory. AND, abandoning a dog like that is an offence in law.

• DON’T abandon your dog in a house or apartment you are moving out of, thinking that someone will eventually find him. Your dog lacks the skills to survive on his own. AND, abandoning a dog like that is an offence by law.

• DON’T give away your dog to a stranger. You don’t know if that person can be a responsible and kind pet owner. Dogs that end up in the wrong hands may be abused or abandoned or sold to breeders.

SURRENDER PROCESS EXPLAINED

1. Once you get approval to surrender a dog to VOSD, you need to send us the vaccination and medical certificates as mentioned on the surrender link that will be shared with you.

   
   REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
   (1) A vet certificate on the dog’s age
   (2) Dog’s present condition
   (3) Diagnosis and prescription of medicines, if any
   (4) A photograph of the dog 
   (5) We will receive the dog from you on verification that the dog is tick and flea free (since the dog will come to boarding/halfway home first) 
   (6) Has had their DLHPPi + Rabies shots.

2. Then our team will connect you with our boarding partner in Bangalore to drop the dog. You will have to bear the transport cost as we do not provide transportation.
3. VOSD will pay the boarding fees till we pick up the dog from the boarding center.
4. After we pick up the dog from the boarding partner center, our team will send you an update when the dog reaches VOSD. That is the only update we share about surrendered dogs and close the surrender ticket.
5. We do not allow visits for surrendered dogs nor do we provide any individual updates about the surrendered dog. This is our standard surrender policy.
6. If you do not agree with our surrender policy, kindly do not approach us to surrender the dog.
7. Please note that we don’t admit unvaccinated dogs at VOSD.

NOTE: If you choose to surrender a pet or rescued dog to the VOSD Sanctuary and Hospital, please remember that this is still as per the terms of the VOSD Standard Operating Procedure on visitation, which means no individual updates are provided for surrendered dogs neither are visits allowed.

Ready to Surrender a Dog?

If you have understood the process and have all the required documents in order, please proceed to surrender your dog to VOSD.