How Long Does the Humane Society Keep Shih Tzus?

The length of time the Humane Society keeps Shih Tzus can vary based on many different factors. Sometimes, the age of your dog will play a part, as can their temperament. If they have health problems or if you have a litter of puppies to give up, then those factors could also play a role. The location of the facility and the number of dogs they have incoming may dictate the length of time they’re kept, as well.

It’s not only the Humane Society that has policies in place on how long they’re able to keep dogs. The same’s true with most shelters. They would love to take care of as many dogs as possible. However, they don’t always have enough space or enough funding. After a certain amount of time, they may have to euthanize some of the dogs in their care when they haven’t been adopted.

What About Rescues?

Rescues are different from shelters. At these facilities, your dog could stay for as long as needed. They will have a place there until they’re adopted. Of course, just like shelters, there’s no guarantee that anyone will adopt them. It’s also important to keep in mind that these facilities tend to be popular with pet owners who have to give up their dogs. This means that when you want to give up your Shih Tzu, there might not be room at the rescue.

Consider Your Other Options

Rather than surrendering your Shih Tzu to a shelter or a rescue, take some time to consider your alternatives. For starters, determine whether there might be any way that you can keep your dog. If they’re home alone a lot and you worry about spending enough time with them, there are some options. You could ask friends or family to walk them or watch them. If your Shih Tzu has some behavior problems, consider some new forms of training before surrendering or rehoming them.

If you find that you have no other choice and you’ll still have to give them up, talk with friends and family about adopting. If they’ve been considering getting a dog, this could be the perfect opportunity for them. You’ll be happy knowing that they’ll have a good home with someone you trust that will care for them properly.

Of course, it’s not always possible to have a family member or friend adopt. In those cases, you might want to consider an online adoption site, such as Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet. This is a peer-to-peer adoption service that lets you create a profile for them and post their bio directly onto Adopt-a-Pet for millions of potential adopters to see. This profile should be detailed and include all of the wonderful, and not so wonderful things, about your Shih Tzu. If they snap at children or cats, for example, you need to make sure the potential adopters know.

You’ll add photos and videos of your dog to the profile, too, so the adopters can see them. Those interested will send in adoption applications for you to go through, so you can have control over who gets your Shih Tzu. This helps to ensure that they’re going to a great new home.