The Tricky Business of Rehoming

Flip through the wealth of literature available on pet care, it’s hard not to find tips and quips catered to prospective adoptive owners on what to look out for and expect when bringing the new puppy, the new dog to the family.

There are endless sections on breeds and their respective requirements that help all prospective owners decide on what kind of dog best matches their lifestyle and living environment.

But, take a step back and think: are there much on what to look out for in a suitable, potential owner, who walks into a pet shop or a shelter and croons lovingly at the puppies scratching their paws on the glass panel or the dog forlornly waiting for a twist in fate behind the grilles of the kennel?

We cannot emphasize enough the need to see the world from the canine (or animals’, for that matter) perspective and the importance to regularly drop in to check on the dog that is rehomed and that all is well between dog and family.

Because truth be told, rehoming is a VERY taxing process.

From appealing to the masses for a suitable ‘candidate’ to adopt a dog, to talking to prospective owners at length, to ensuring that the relationship between dog and family is mutually healthy and good-going, we cannot overemphasize the importance of FOLLOWING UP on the adoptive family and adopted dog.

The procedures of rehoming do not stop at placing the “puppy” in the embrace of the adoptive parent, but go on, rather arduously:

- to pay regular visits to check if the family copes well with dog and vice versa
- to check if the dog is tethered for prolonged hours
- if it is eating well from good food
- if it is provided with a warm nook to sleep in
- to monitor its behavioural development
- to keep track if the family’s enthusiasm has considerably dwindled as the dog outgrew its cutesy puppyhood
- to explore if the home is well-fenced and devoid of any escape “hole” for the dog to burrow and bolt
- to maintain a cordial relationship with the adoptive family (after all, you’re invading their private space)

...the concerns are endless and requires, honestly, a great deal of commitment from the rehomer or volunteer.

The situation is dynamic and requires we, as guarantors of the welfare of the adopted dog, to be proactive in our responsibility to ensure, through and through, that the family is willing to offer a genuine dedication to the dog for the next 10 – 15 years. And for all you know, say, five years down the road, the family runs into bankruptcy and is compelled to give away their Lassie – what do you do?

We don’t want to see Lassie hanging out on the streets by itself or pacing in circles in a kennel at the SPCA.

Where ‘people’ make up a chief portion of the rehoming business, animal volunteers do not just deal with animals, but assess with a good measure of keenness and sharpness, the human character and the motivations behind a prospective adopter. The complexity of animal volunteerism is played up by notches.

Which is what makes rehoming such a tricky business that demands good interpersonal relationship skills.

Rehoming is not merely a one-way traffic of bringing the dog to the owner, but an interchangeable flow of patience, adjustment, management and a love unique to both dog and owner.

A wise rule of thumb, therefore, is to always look at the world from the eyes of the animal. No matter what.