Confronting The Stigma Around Rehoming Dogs: A Discussion

Author image for kalila courban
kalila courban
Jan 8, 2022 1:00 PM EST

First things first, it's important to realize that life circumstances can change dramatically, quickly. We are living in a time of uncertainty, people are going to sleep and waking up in the mornings without jobs. As OP says: "The phrase 'unforeseen circumstances' doesn't even begin to describe what many people are dealing with. And yet, there is so little empathy for people who look into re- homing their pets." 

There is a terrible negative stigma surrounding the idea of rehoming pets, and if you ask us, it is not entirely justified. At the end of the day, we are all human. Our lives have a habit of changing frequently and we never quite know what to expect. OP highlights the idea of rehoming pets responsibly, ethically, and we are with it. Sometimes, rehoming happens to be the best decision for the animal in question. And that should not be viewed negatively. 

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  • 01
    Rectangle - r/dogs u/mamakumquat · 3d 31 1 2 Why is there such a stigma about re- homing dogs? [Discussion]
    via mamakumquat
  • 02
    Font - I saw a post on a parenting sub today where someone was considering re-homing their dog after it began displaying signs of aggression towards their baby, and hooo000o boy, the way people piled on! I really don't get the stigma. Here's my hot take.
    via mamakumquat

    Realistically, if your dog starts displaying signs of aggression towards your baby this is obviously cause for concern. Maybe the first thought should not be rehoming the dog, but we do not know for sure that the person OP refers to has not already exhausted all other options. 

  • 03
    Font - Our dog came to us three years ago via a friend of a friend after their marriage broke down. The guy's circumstances changed after the divorce and he felt he couldn't look after her properly anymore. He vetted us and felt we would be a good fit. She is the absolute centre of our little family. She goes everywhere with us and is currently snoring next to me. I can't imagine life without her. I have a couple of other friends, all loving owners, who got their dogs from friends or acquaintanc
    via mamakumquat

    The person previously responsible for the referred to dog made the best decision for his pet at the time, and we completely respect that. There is no shame in realizing that perhaps you are not as equipped as you previously thought to take on a big responsibility. 

  • 04
    Font - My parents have also had a long string of re-homed rescues. Their latest is an ex-racing greyhound who spends his retirement lazing in front of the TV. A friend works with seeing eye dogs. When the dogs get too old, many of their handlers need to re-home them, as they need a younger dog to assist with mobility and can't care for two dogs. Those dogs see out their days in loving family homes.
    via mamakumquat
  • 05
    Font - All these dogs are happy. Arguably, happier than a lot of dogs with owners who, due to changes in circumstance, don't have the time/ money/ space etc. for them anymore. We are living through a PANDEMIC. The phrase 'unforeseen circumstances' doesn't even begin to describe what many people are dealing with. And yet, there is so little empathy for people who look into re- homing their pets. 'Earn more money and get a bigger place' - yeah sure, sounds easy. 'It's not like the dog actually bit
    via mamakumquat
  • 06
    Font - It's egotistical and naive to believe that there are no other good homes for dogs out there, especially when people know they don't have resources to care for their pets anymore. It's also really cruel to pile onto people during such a vulnerable time. Sometimes I wonder if the guilting and the shaming will drive people away from reaching out and asking about the best ways to re-home their dogs and instead turn to dumping their animals or other irresponsible behaviour. Anyway, it doesn't
    via mamakumquat
  • 07
    Font - wiggysbelleza · 2d The stigma is there because a lot of people dump their dogs for stupid reasons. My mom worked a surrender hot line for a breed specific rescue when I was a teen and 9 out of 10 calls was to surrender the dog for what l'd consider a poor reason. The dog goes in the pool. Never trained it not to, nor willing to train it not to. They don't want to clean hair out of the pool filter anymore. Went on a date with someone who's allergic to dogs. Best to get rid of the dog and s
    via wiggysbelleza
  • 08
    Font - makeawitchfoundation · 3d i Got an Akita inu puppy from a real estate mogul i work for he found out I had a shiba inu offered me the puppy cause his kids are too busy... i can't complain. I think it's a better alternative than putting a dog in a shelter. I feel like rehoming is pretty common actually. When I has a kid we had to rehome our cat causes my parents when thru bankruptcy and we moved into a place with no pets. G Reply 1 259
    via makeawitchfoundation
  • 09
    Font - Twzl • 2d Golden Retrievers Sometimes I wonder if the guilting and the shaming will drive people away from reaching out and asking about the best ways to re-home their dogs and instead turn to dumping their animals or other irresponsible behaviour. If someone is really clueless about dogs, and the dog has some serious issues, I'd much rather they, "dump" the dog in rescue, than hand it over to the first person on Craig's List who will take the dog. Yes, people should do something if the d
    via Twzl
  • 10
    Font - chartreusepillows · 2d My problem isn't with people who rehome dogs per se but with people who get a dog/puppy without having the required stability or thinking about what their life will look like in the next 10-20 years. Plus those who want a cute, well behaved dog without fully acknowledging the time commitment involved- especially for higher energy/intelligence breeds. Life circumstances can drastically and unexpectedly change but there's also those who give up on their dogs at the fi
    via chartreusepillows
  • 11
    Font - Narfraccoon · 2d Sometimes dogs just aren't a fit for a household. All you can do is try your best to make it work, otherwise you may need to find a new proper home for them. My husband and I LOVE dogs, and have had dogs all our lives. We put a lot of work into our dogs, and give them lots of activity and attention. We have a husky who is about 8 years old, and we just recently adopted a German shepherd puppy. This was the first time in my life where I thought we might need to rehome the
    via Narfraccoon
  • 12
    Font - newest-low · 3d Not a dog, but me and my husband found a teeny little kitten (around 8 weeks) in the street completely alone one day, we took her in, took her to the vets for really bad conjunctivitis and some skin thing where her front paws/legs were completely raw, got her all cleaned up, got her shots and treated her like a queen, 2 years later we had our son and almost instantly she started acting out, she was hissing and swiping at our newborn, attacking me and my husband anytime we
    via newest-low

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