Other Options

If you should decide that MAGDRL is not a good fit, there are other options for placing your dog,including self-placement, courtesy listings and other rescues.

Self Placement

(Based on Northeastern All Retriever Rescue and German Shepherd Rescue of New England, Inc's process.)

In order to maximize your chances at finding a good forever home for your dog, certain steps should be followed:

1. First and foremost, determine if you really need a new home for your dog. Contact us or a local trainer (see resources page) and you'll find valuable resources.
2. Plan. Most people who must find a home for their dog don't plan on it. Unfortunately, finding the proper home takes time. A time crunch can mean the difference between life and death to your dog. Sometimes there are no other options than the shelter.
3. Get your dog spayed or neutered. Spayed/neutered dogs are more adoptable and prevent unwanted puppies. Also update, if necessary, your dog's vaccinations and keep records handy. Find out about low-cost spay/neuter programs in PA& DE>>
4. If your great dane is a purebred purchased from a breeder, contact the breeder. Ethical breeders feel responsible for every puppy, each life they have had a hand in creating. They will often take the dog back and assume responsibility for finding him/her a good home. Good breeders often have waiting lists of people wanting a puppy who might consider adopting an adult dog.
5. Assess your dog. Take some time to write out a list of good and bad points about your dog. This will help you develop an honest evaluation of your own dog. Be honest. Tell any interested party everything about your dog. Do not leave out anything. If you hide a problem, it will only come out later.
6. Network with friends/relatives/co-workers. There could be someone you know who just might consider adopting your dog.
7. Take the time to wait for the right owner. Interview, meet your dog's prospective owner.

1. The dog must be a dane or dane mix.
2. Screening and adoption of the dog is not MAGDRL's responsibility, although we are often happy to help with home checks, transports, etc.
3. The dog must not have a bite history.
4. The dog must be spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations. MAGDRL won't support the adoption of intact danes--we want to help resolve the pet overpopulation policy, not help it along. Find out about low-cost spay/neuter programs in PA& DE>>
5. At least one good quality photo should be provided to MAGDRL along with a short writeup. You must identify whether the dog is good with other dogs, cats or kids.

Other Rescue Groups

There are a few other dane rescue groups in the area who may be able to help:

• Recylced Danes
  Amy Hochberg-Paules
  127 east Ridge
  Coaldale, Pa 18218
  570-645-3741
  amyhoch@ptd.net
  
• All About Them Giant Breed Rescue
  NJ and parts of PA
  Linda Gress
  609-758-8261
  houndsberg@aol.com
• Heidi Hoover
  3226 Eisenhower Dr.
  Norristown, PA. 19403
  610-584-5055
• Dane Connection (Pittsburgh area)
  Mimi Kim
  330-727-6928
  mkim007@aol.com
  www.gdcwpa.com
  
  

A Word about Bringing your dane to a shelter...

Shelters and humane societies were created to care for stray and abused animals. They weren't meant to be a drop-off for people who don't want their pets anymore. Shelters, on average, take in 100 new animals or more each day. Let's face it -- there won't be enough good homes for all of them. Even the best shelters can't boast much more than a 50% adoption rates. Only the youngest, friendliest, cutest and best-behaved dogs are going to be adopted.

By law, stray pets must be kept several days for their owners to reclaim them. They may not be destroyed until that period is up. These laws don't protect dogs that have been given up by their owners. They may be destroyed at any time. Shelters don't want to kill all these animals, but they don't have a choice. There just isn't enough room for all of them. Shelters today are so overcrowded that your dog could be killed the same day it arrives.

A shelter is your last resort only after all your best efforts have failed.

One of our goals is finding the ideal forever homes for our dogs. You have our promise that we will do everything we can to make sure your dog is healthy, happy and loved. We have successfully re-homed over 3,000 dogs. We might also be able to offer possible solutions for helping you keep your loving animal friend. We would love to talk to you about possible training methods and give you some resources in order to help your family.