If your dog has a chronic disease that is being managed with medication, your vet can ensure the medication is still effectively control the disease. Obtain a copy of your dog’s medical records so you can have this information on hand when you talk with prospective owners. A prospective owner may not want to take on health problems that have not been treated or managed well. [3] X Research source If your vet detects a new health problem in your dog, start treating that problem before starting the re homing process.
Trim your dog’s nails Clean your dog’s ears Bathe your dog
Wait until your dog is relaxed. You don’t want your dog looking anxious or nervous in the picture. Have your dog look directly into the camera. Turn off the flash so your dog’s eyes don’t look red in the picture.
Also, include information about your dog’s physical appearance, positive personality traits (warm, friendly, etc), spay/neuter status, and any limitations (not good with cats or children). Place your contact information on the flyer (name, phone number, email address). For your personal safety, do not include your home address on the flyer. Don’t forget to proofread your flyer. Spelling or grammatical mistakes could hurt your chances of re homing your older dog.
Veterinary offices and pet supply stores are other great locations for flyers.
If you place an ad in the newspaper, consider placing it in Sunday’s paper, when more people are likely to read the newspaper. If you advertise online, use caution when placing your ad on sites like Craig’s list. People looking to adopt a dog through Craig’s list may not have your dog’s best interests at heart.
When you talk with people, make sure they know how to contact you in case they are interested, or they know someone who is interested, in adopting your older dog.
What is your name, address, and phone number? Do you rent or own a home? If you rent, does your landlord accept pets? Do you have children? If so, how many and how old are they? Have you ever owned a dog before? Do you currently have pets? If so, how many and what types?
Caring for an older dog can be a big responsibility. You want to be sure your dog’s next owner understands what it takes to care for a dog, especially one that is up in age.
Schedule multiple home visits. During the first visit, your dog may be nervous and stay close to you. During the next few visits, your dog will likely relax a bit and interact more with the prospective owner. [10] X Research source As you talk with owner, pay close attention to your dog. If your dog isn’t warming up to the home or the owner after a few visits, then that living situation may not be right for it.
Contact the owner you selected and begin moving forward with the adoption process.
An adoption contract, like other contracts, is legally binding. [11] X Research source Make sure both you and the new owner understand and agree to all terms in the contract before signing it. Because it may be at least several weeks before you can successfully re home your dog, develop the contract as you search for and screen prospective owners.
