Relinquishment

Before you consider giving up your dog, please read the following:

My dog has bitten someone - I need to find another home. Unfortunately, we do not accept biting or aggressive dogs into the rescue; we do not have the resources to rehabilitate these dogs at this time. However, there are a variety of possible options, such as hiring an animal behaviourist, behaviour modification you can do yourself. Sometimes a vet visit and asking the right questions will help uncover a solution. Please contact us for advice, rescuing a JRT doesn’t always have to mean finding it a new home.

I moving next week and I can't take my dog. Where are you located? JRTRO is a volunteer organization ran almost entirely through the Internet. We do not have a facility or shelter to house dogs; all the dogs we do have up for adoption are either with their current owner or placed in the very limited foster care we have available. Please contact us to discuss possible options but as a general rule, you will need to keep your dog until a suitable home is found. We are usually unable to assist on such short notice.

Did your dog come from a breeder and have you contacted them? Respectable breeders should be either willing to take their dog back or at least aid in helping you find a new home for your JRT. We insist that you try this avenue prior to contacting us for a relinquishment; as well the process is often much quicker then rescue.

Relinquishment Requirements

1. All dogs coming into the rescue must be up-to-date on their veterinary shots.

JRTRO does not adopt dogs out until they have been altered. If your dog in still intact, the cost of your relinquishment fee will be increased to cover the cost of spaying/neutering your dog but we will arrange to have the procedure done before being placed. The rescue currently does not receive any breaks on vet fees and we will need to cover costs of castration.

Relinquishment Process

If you need to release a Jack Russell to our Rescue, please read below for instructions and a description of how the process works.

1. The first step is to fill out the online relinquishment form. Please ensure that you fill out the entire form, any omissions will only delay the process. Applications are reviewed by JRTRO rescue volunteers and one will get back to you, either outlining the next steps or inquiring about more information on your JRT. We then decide if this dog is a candidate for our program, meaning it is possible to place him in another home.
   
   As a volunteer screening potential adopters, it is amazing how much other information is wanted about the potential dog, they are usually desperate for info about their chosen dog. Treats, toys, choice of bedding etc. all are things people want to know about the particular dog they are interested in. I wish the people relinquishing their dogs would document these kind of things on their relinquishment form. -Cathy, Rescue Volunteer
   
   

2. If your dog is a candidate for adoption, we ask you to mail us a Relinquishment Contract (a MS Word document available via an email attachment or email link). The contract states that you give up the rights to the dog if it is adopted, and that the dog has never bitten anyone in the past. If the information is incorrect and the dog attacks someone then you could still be liable; the only biting incident we may consider on an individual basis is if children were bitten. JRTs are typically not good with kids in the first place and should be supervised at all times; they will not tolerate the teasing of a child and will let the child know.
   
   When you send the contract back, we also ask that you include a relinquishment fee of $100 which helps fund the rescue and up to 3 pictures of the dog. The pictures will be placed on our Petfinder website and helps attract potential adopters; we can accept pictures via photograph sent back with your contract or image files sent back via email to your Rescue Volunteer.
   
   ** Please Note** the Relinquishment fee is not for profit. No one involved with the JRTRO is paid. We are volunteers who do this in our spare time. We are not subsidized in any way so we depend on the relinquishment and adoption fees to keep the rescue going. Vet fees are expensive and if we get a stray JRT that needs medical attention we need to be able to take care of him/her. If you cannot afford to pay the relinquishment fee please talk to the volunteer who is looking after your file.
   
   

3. We do expect the dog to remain with the current owner until the dog can be adopted. We are a virtual rescue meaning there is no physical shelter. We do have a handful of foster homes but there is usually a long waiting list of dogs waiting to get into one. Shelter dogs that are on the list to be put to sleep take priority when we have an available foster. In an emergency situation, we will try our best to place him/her in a foster home. Unfortunately more often then not, there is nowhere for the dog to go. If you cannot keep the dog then we recommend that you keep looking for a home yourself, or relinquish the dog to a shelter. Let the shelter know that you have been working with us but we do not have any foster homes available. Hopefully the shelter will still co-operate with us, they usually do.
   
   

4. The next step can be a waiting game while we see if your dog matches up with someone on our existing adoption waiting list or wait for potential adopters to contact us regarding interest in your JRT from the PetFinder website. Another set of volunteers’ interview potential adoption families and try to find a suitable home for your dog based on the information you have provided. We do not have time limits for dogs, as it is more important to place the dog in a permanent home.
   
   Please remember that each and every rescue person is a volunteer and do this out of their love for Jack Russells.

FAQs

How long does it take for you to find a new home for my dog? Please remember that it has to be the right home for your dog. There is no definitive answer. It could be a week; it could take several months. We are dependent on applications. The new home must pass our screening process and fit the needs of your JRT. We know that you want the best home for your JRT and this can take time.

Who should I contact/email about surrendering my dog into your program?
At the Ontario Rescue we utilize an online relinquishment form to help expedite the procedure. Hardcopies are available but take longer to send and receive than electronic ones. The JRTRO has a Petfinder website as well, which lists the dogs for Adoption, we ask that people surrendering their JRT provide one or more pictures, while electronic images are ideal, we do have facilities to scan actual photographs which could be mailed to us. A volunteer representative will contact you via either email or phone regarding how to proceed.

What are your requirements for my dog to come into your rescue program?
As a general rule, your JRT must be spayed or neutered, up to date on its shots and current on its heartworm.

My dog is mixed but mostly JRT. We are sorry but we are a full breed rescue and do not take mixes into our program. If there is a question as to whether or not your dog is mixed, please contact us via email and provide a picture.

Is there a fee to put my dog into your program? Yes, you should be prepared to pay a relinquishment fee of $100.00. This fee goes towards helping us to operate the rescue, which in turn helps us find the right home for your dog.