Surrender Process

ANNOUNCEMENT:

We regret that, due to insufficient volunteer staffing, COSIR is currently unable to take owner surrendered dogs. (with the exception of dogs adopted from COSIR and being returned*) We encourage you to visit our Additional Resources page for guidance on finding another solution for rehoming your dog. We hope to be able to resume taking owner surrenders again in the future.

If you are experiencing problems with your Shiba, but are not sure you need to rehome them, we offer free behavioral consultations to all Shiba parents and would be happy to talk to you. Please complete a Behavior Consultation Request Form.

*If you adopted your Shiba from us, and can no longer care for them for any reason, we will absolutely take them back. Please complete the Surrender Profile Form, and we will reach out to you ASAP to discuss.

If you are considering surrendering your Shiba, there are a few important things you should know about our Surrender Process:

We do not have a shelter, therefore, we must have an appropriate foster home available BEFORE we can take your dog into rescue.  Finding the appropriate foster home takes time.  Please do not expect to surrender your dog the same day you contact us.  The sooner you contact us, the better.

You will need to fill out a Surrender Profile Form so we can determine which foster home is the best environment for your dog.  The more honest information you provide about your dog, the better. Leaving out behavioral or health issues will only make it harder for us, and the dog.  Shiba’s are extremely loyal and sensitive to environmental changes.  The transition will be traumatic for them, however, we can limit their stress by placing them in the right foster home from the start based on the information you provide.

There may be a waitlist.  We are a small organization with limited resources and foster homes. During busier times, we may have more dogs in need of rescue than available foster homes. If this is the case, we may need to put your dog on our waitlist.  Therefore, it’s important that you contact us as soon as possible if you are considering surrendering your Shiba.  The dogs on the wait list are prioritized based on the urgency of their situation. Shibas in shelters, are always our first priority and then owner surrenders.   We ask that you keep the dog safe in your home vs. dropping them at a shelter while you wait.  Shiba’s typically do not do well in shelters, so if your situation is urgent and you are considering taking them to a shelter, please contact us first!

You must be willing to relinquish legal ownership of your dog to the rescue, and provide us with all their records.  Upon surrender, we will ask you to sign a Transfer of Ownership Contract giving all rights and ownership of the dog to the rescue.  We also ask that you provide us with copies of all of their records, including any paperwork from the breeder/pet store, and all of their veterinary records.  Donating their crate, bed, toys, etc. is always encouraged and appreciated.  If you are not willing to relinquish ownership of your dog, but still want to re-home them, let us know, we have advice and resources to help you.  We do not recommend or condone the selling of Shibas on Craigslist, Facebook, etc.  This does not allow for the proper screening to ensure it is a safe and stable environment for the dog. Shiba’s sold this way typically end up being rehomed multiple times, only to eventually end up in a shelter or rescue. This is especially dangerous for dogs that are not spayed/neutered, as they could end up in the wrong hands and forced to breed in a puppy mill.

Your dog will live with a foster family for at least a month before they are eligible for adoption.  It is important that we assess the dog’s personality first-hand to determine the best possible forever home.  It typically take as Shiba at least a month in a new home before their true personality comes out.  It is not unusual to see a complete change in a dog’s personality and behaviors when placed in a new environment.   By witnessing this transformation, our foster help us determine the best forever home, and predict how they will adjust to a new home.

Your dog may be be placed directly into a foster-to-adopt home. We have a long waitlist of adopters. When all of our temporary foster homes are full, we look to that waitlist to see if there is an applicant that meets your dog’s key criteria in a home. If we determine they are a good fit, your dog will be placed in their home as a foster, for a minimum 60 day trial period before they can adopt to ensure we have found the right home. Once advantage to this program is that your dog will only have to go through the transition to a new home once!

We only do “closed adoptions”.  This means that we keep the identity of the surrendering owner and the adopter private and do not share their contact information with each other.  If you would like to know how your dog is doing in their new home, you are always welcome to contact COSIR for an update.  We are happy to share!

If you are not sure you are ready to surrender your dog, or have questions before you submit a surrender Profile, please email: info@coshibarescue.org or call/text 720-491-1278.  Our volunteers are all highly experienced Shiba owners with a ton of breed knowledge and expertise to share. We offer free behavior consults by phone, where we provide coaching and training tips that may help you keep your Shiba, if that’s what you want.  Shibas are an extremely loyal breed.  Barring any threats to family members’, or other pets’ safety and well being, we’d love to help you resolve any issues so the dog can continue to live with you.  We can also offer referrals to our network of trainers and behaviorists throughout the Denver metro area and Front Range.