Surrendering Information
We are contacted almost every day by people who have found a Dachshund and need help, as well as people who need or want to surrender their doxie.
If You Found A Stray Dachshund:
Scan for a chip at any vet. There is no charge for the scan, and might be the key to locating the family.
Put up flyers ~ Chances are the dog has not traveled far and getting their picture out in the neighborhood is also a quick way to helping locate a family who is missing their Doxie!
Go for a walk with the dog ~ Chances are the dog might be able to lead you to where he came from.
Check your local shelter ~ Families who have lost dogs will often post photos and flyers at shelters in case their
dog is brought in as a stray.
What is an Owner Surrender?
Families or caregivers of families often need to give up or “surrender” a dog due to various circumstances.
Can you help me?
We try our very best to help as many of the people who contact us, but as with all rescues, our resources are limited. Our ability to take an owner surrender is governed mainly by the availability of a foster home. We try to balance the needs of those dogs who are “safe” in a home vs. those at risk of being put down in a shelter. We are also all unpaid volunteers who do our “Doxie homework” in the evenings after home and family are taken care of, so we appreciate your patience and understanding to work through the process.
Help us help you:
There are things you can do and steps you can take to help us be in a better position to assist you and your Dachshund.
Shelters ~ Strays often have as little as 5 days to find a home in a county shelter before being put down and many shelters allow for an owner surrender to be put down immediately, as there is always a shortage of space. It is a difficult reality, but taking a stray or a dog you can no longer keep to a shelter means they will likely be put to sleep.
Get your Dachshund up to date medically ~ The reality of rescue is that our highest expense is our vetting costs, as our average vetting cost is $436 and our average adoption fee is about $200. If a family can approach us with a dog who is up to date on shots, with medical history and maybe even a clean bill of health from a recent vet visit, this makes the dog much easier to adopt and also helps us reduce our vetting costs.
Timing ~ As much as we would want to, we usually can’t take in a Dachshund right away. Foster space needs to be identified, intake approved and the process can take as long as a week or more for strays and sometimes longer for owner surrenders. After you fill out the surrender form, you will get a response letting you know how long it may take for us to help and asking if you want to be put on our waiting list.
Dachshund Mixes ~ As a Dachshund rescue, people looking to adopt from us typically want a Dachshund, not a Dachshund mix. Dachshund mixes can be harder for a rescue to get adopted. However, if the Dachshund mix looks mostly Dachshund, we may be able to help, but again, it will take time.
Seniors ~ Please think long and hard about surrendering a dog who has been with you for many years. Seniors, or dogs over 8 years old, are difficult to place and suffer greatly when separated from the only family they have ever known. Seniors can take us over a year to place and those with medical issues are nearly impossible to place and become “forever fosters” with the rescue having to cover the costs of their medical care for the rest of their life. Even if you “don’t have time” for the dog, often staying in familiar surroundings with smells and people they love is easier than transitioning to a new home. How would you feel if your family tried to give you away after a lifetime of love?
Need more info? Drop us a note at fldrintakes@gmail.com