How Do I Give Up My Pit Bull?

If you’re asking, “How do I give up my Pit Bull?” you’ve likely made the difficult decision to surrender your pet. There are a few options, including surrendering them to a local shelter, working with a private rescue group, or rehoming them yourself. Below, we break down the pros and cons of the different methods available when rehoming a pet.

If you’re still on the fence about rehoming your Pitty, take a step back and explore every option first. From behavior tips to training how-tos and pet-friendly housing resources, we’ve got you covered to help find the right solution. But if you’ve exhausted all resources and your dog isn’t improving (or is under a lot of stress), it’s important to remember that pets are individuals, and your home might not be the best fit for them. Rehoming a pet is one of the most challenging decisions you can make as a pet parent, but sometimes, it’s the kindest, most responsible thing you can do for them. Here’s a guide to help you understand what it really means to rehome your Pit Bull and how to do it responsibly.

Giving your Pit Bull up to a local shelter

Municipal shelters run by the city or county may not take owner surrenders. Each location is different and availability depends on their admission policies, so it’s worth checking. Organizations such as the SPCA usually accept them.

• Pros: Surrender usually only takes a day or two, and some shelters might take the dog right away.

• Cons: Some shelters must euthanize pets due to overcrowding and limited resources. Your dog may be at risk of being put down if they end up at one of these shelters. Research the live release rate before surrendering your Pitty (or any bully breed) to a shelter. And it may cost money to surrender your dog to a shelter.

Related article

What Does It Mean to Surrender a Dog?

Giving your Pit Bull up to a private rescue

Privately–run rescues are another option. Here are the pros and cons of surrendering your pit bull to a reputable rescue. Before you consider giving your Pit up to a rescue, look on social media to find reviews of the rescue, visit the facility, talk to fosters and former fosters, and do as much rehome research as you can.

• Pros: Rescues usually have stricter adoption policies to ensure pets are placed in homes that fit their needs. Even if your pet does not find a new home, rescues will usually care for your pet indefinitely.

• Cons: Many rescues are limited-admission and volunteer–run. Rather than keeping adoptable dogs in kennels, most rescues house pets in loving foster homes. These homes can fill up quickly, so you might need to be patient while waiting for an available spot.

Rehome your Pit Bull yourself

Rehoming your Pit Bull yourself allows you to choose the new home and vet any potential adopters. If you must give up your Pit Bull, this option will provide you with the greatest control and peace of mind, ensuring that you’re placing them in safe hands.

Rehome by Adopt a Pet is a peer-to-peer adoption service that provides information on properly screening adopters, allows you to create a profile for your Pit Bull, and gets them seen by millions of adopters on Adopt a Pet.

Pros

• You get to choose their new family.

• You give your Pit Bull the best chance at a safe and happy home.

• Your pet can stay with you in a stress-free environment while they wait to find their new forever home.

Cons

• It can take some time to find the right family.

Never list your pet as free to a good home; always charge a rehoming fee. People who want dogs for fighting or otherwise want to harm your dog often look for ads like this.