Ideally, all dogs live in one loving home from puppyhood until death. Realistically, however, this isn’t always possible. People become ill, die, divorce, move overseas, develop allergies, lose their jobs, lose their homes, etc. Any of these situations, among others, can be a reason for a dog coming into rescue.

If you feel you are in a situation where you need to surrender your Havanese, here is a summary of how the situation works.

Surrender Process
Contact our intake group for assistance. There is a link to start this process on our website. We have experience and knowledge with this breed and will work with you in an effort to help you with solvable issues/problems. If this isn’t possible, we will place your dog in a carefully screened foster home for whatever length of time is necessary to assess his/her medical, behavioral and social needs.  We will then re-home him/her with a family who is educated about the special needs of your dog.

We spend time assessing your dog prior to their arrival through our intake process. This is where we learn about the dog’s likes and dislikes, and personality. By being as honest as possible with us, you can help us place the dog successfully This initial assessment will also help us find the best foster home to place your dog.

It is also vitally important that we have a complete medical history on the dog. Contact your vet and get a copy of your dog’s medical records, including rabies tag and microchip registration, if applicable. This will save him/her from being unnecessarily re-vaccinated. If your dog is unaltered, needs vaccines, heartworm testing, or a dental cleaning, please do your dog one last favor and take care of these veterinary needs. Rescue needs considerable funding to care for Havanese who are strays or are left in shelters or veterinary offices, some needing extensive medical treatment. Taking responsibility for these veterinary necessities for your own dog will allow us to place your dog sooner and allow rescue to channel funds to the truly neglected dogs. If you are unable to get your dog up-to-date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered, please consider a monetary donation upon surrendering your dog to help cover part of these costs. We sincerely appreciate receiving a monetary donation from the dog’s owner whenever it’s financially possible.

A surrender form will be sent to you to complete. Please be thorough and accurate.  This form lets us know about your dog’s likes and dislikes, fears, favorite activities, toys or treats, etc.

When possible, you’ll be asked to bring your dog to a designated intake place, or to transport at least part of the way if you are a long distance from the rescue representative or foster home. Make sure your dog is wearing a collar and ID tags for the trip.

Determine which of your dog’s belongings you can send with him/her. Having his/her own crate, bed, toys, jacket, etc., not only keeps the dog more comfortable by being around familiar objects, but relieves rescue of having to purchase so many of these items for your dog. Please send food that your dog is used to, and pack up medications or supplements your dog needs, along with instructions for administration of them.

You’ll be asked to sign relinquishment papers giving up ownership of your dog when you meet with the transporter or foster parent. If you’d like, we will send you a letter or email when your Havanese is placed to let you know a little about the home, but it will not include names or addresses of the new adopters. This is a confidential adoption process.

All of our dogs are placed first in pre-approved foster homes. Except in the case of strays or dogs coming from shelters where contagious illnesses might threaten the pets of our foster families, we do not board our dogs at kennels, veterinarian’s offices, groomers, etc. Our prescreened and well educated foster families are provided with support from other volunteers and foster families as well as trainers and veterinarians when appropriate.

Your dog will have a safe, comfortable, loving home with one of our foster families until we find a match with one of our approved adopters. Adopters sign a contract stating that the Havanese they adopt MUST be returned to our rescue if they cannot keep the dog for any reason. The dog will never be sold, given away or taken to a shelter. To ensure compliance, microchips on all HRI dogs are registered to HRI.

Remember, surrendering your Havanese to Havanese Rescue Inc. ensures that your pet will be placed in a loving, educated, “forever” home with people who understand the special needs of this breed. A humane society, shelter or all-breed rescue may not be able to provide the same level of screening and understanding of the breed.

Although surrendering your dog may be extremely difficult for you, remember what a loving choice you’re making. You are providing your dog with a “second chance” for a wonderful future.  We understand, and we thank you for making a decision that is in the best interest of your Havanese.

Is there a fee to surrender my pet?
There is no formal fee to surrender a dog. If your dog is unaltered, needs vaccines, heartworm testing, or a dental cleaning, please do your dog one last favor and take care of these veterinary needs. Taking responsibility for these veterinary necessities for your own dog will allow us to place your dog sooner and allow rescue to channel funds to the truly neglected dogs. If you are unable to get your dog up-to-date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered, please consider a monetary donation upon surrendering your dog to help cover part of these costs. We sincerely appreciate receiving a monetary donation from the dog’s owner whenever it’s financially possible.

How do I help a Havanese In Trouble?
If you hear from an individual that has a dog they want to surrender, it’s best to send them to our WEBSITE – www.havaneserescue.com so they can complete a surrender form which is found here. Owner Surrender Form
If you have first-hand information about a dog needing rescue you can use the same procedure as above.
An Intake volunteer will get more information from the individual or organization that has the Havanese and will take care of contacting the state contact as well.