Relinquishing Your Dog
- Border Collies enter into rescue for many reasons.
- Some are found as strays or are left at shelters.
- Some come to us directly as owner-surrenders for various reasons: death, injury, or illness of the dog’s owner, divorce, allergies, moving, and behavioral issues.
- We realize that relinquishing one’s dog can be a painful decision. If we can help you find a way to keep your Border Collie (by offering guidance on behavioral issues, training problems, etc.), we are more than happy to help.
- We decide which dogs we can take on a case-by-case basis.
Steps to Relinquish:
- Please fill out the Relinquishment request form linked below.
- All form submission requests must be followed by an email to relinquishment@wibordercollierescue.com with pictures of the dog. We need a minimum of 3 photos; a head shot and one from each side (dog standing) all taken at the dog’s level from no more than five feet away.
- There is not a fee associated with relinquishment. An individual is welcome to make a donation but it is not required.
- Our relinquishment representative will be in contact with you after receiving the form and pictures.
- If approved, it is helpful if you can bring the dog to us.
- If we accept your dog into rescue, you will also sign our relinquishment agreement.
- It is important to understand that at that point you have relinquished all rights to the dog and may not re-claim the dog once he/she has been placed in foster care or in a new home.
After Relinquishment:
- Our foster homes are experienced and skilled to help dogs adjust to their new temporary home.
- Upon receipt into rescue, the dog will be spayed/neutered and brought up-to-date on vaccinations as needed.
- The dog will be heartworm tested and, when necessary, start heartworm treatment.
- It’s important to allow the dog to settle so that the foster home can get to know them better to make the best match with a potential adopter. We have foster dogs stay with us a minimum of 4 weeks to allow for personalities and training to take place.
- Sometimes the dogs are in rescue for longer than the minimum 4 weeks so that we can find the right match for them.
- While they are in foster care, they live in a Border Collie experienced home where they are fed high-quality food and provide socialization and obedience training.
- Our approval process to adopt a dog is multiple steps including application, references, interview, home visit, and dog visit so that the dog can have the best match for them.