Surrendering Your Golden Retriever

Please note: This page contains information for owners needing to relinquish their Goldens. If you are a shelter or have found a lost or stray golden, please call us at (281) 480-4942 or email us at info@gbgrr.org

Print & Fax Owner Turn Form

Unfortunately, some families are unable to keep their Goldens for a variety of reasons. When that happens, we try to be there to help make the separation a little easier on the minds and hearts of all concerned. It is important that you understand that your dog is ultimately your responsibility - not ours.

Once your Golden is in our program, we provide it with a high quality diet, socialization, exercise, any beginning or continuing training that may be necessary, as well as any additional medical care. All Goldens in our program become extended members of either our own, or the fostering home's family. They are treated with love, affection, gentleness and encouragement.

Great care is given to finding a perfect match between your dog's personality and the lifestyle of the adopting family. It is our goal to find permanent, loving homes for each of our foster dogs where they will be cherished and loved for the rest of their lives.

While we wish we could take any and all Goldens into our program, GBGRR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers and we must be realistic about what we can achieve. For that reason, we have listed our surrender criteria below.

Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue (GBGRR) accepts purebred, and very occasionally mixed, Golden Retrievers who can be responsibly placed into loving, permanent homes. We DO NOT accept:

• Any dog that has a history of aggression. Aggression includes, but is not limited to, biting or attempting to bite, snapping, growling, or snarling at any person. If you've had an incident in which your Golden has bitten a person or has shown aggression towards a human, then you must either take steps to correct the problem by consulting a behaviorist, or you must humanely euthanize your dog. Knowingly re-homing a dog that poses a danger to humans is an irresponsible action with a very high emotional and monetary cost if someone is hurt.
• This may also include excessive aggression toward other animals. Almost all of our foster homes have other dogs and/or cats. If your Golden does not get along with other animals, we will be unable to place it in foster care and it will have to be boarded at a kennel. Long-term boarding is expensive and can be emotionally difficult for your dog. Many dogs feel abandoned, lose their appetite and become very depressed. Few people are willing to adopt a dog that they cannot take for a walk, to a dog park or even to the vet.
• Any dog with a medical condition that we feel is beyond our capability to correctly care for physically or financially, that significantly compromises the dog’s quality of life (in the opinion of a licensed and board certified veterinarian) or that would prohibit us from placing it into an adoptive home.
• Any dog that may have a behavioral condition that we feel is potentially dangerous or prohibits us from placing it into an adoptive home. i.e. severe thunderphobia, severe separation anxiety, etc. Many dogs are afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks and other loud noises in varying degrees. For more information on thunderphobia and separation anxiety, please go to www.ygrr.org/doginfo/behavior-phobia.html.
• Any dog that we feel we cannot responsibly place into a new home.

We also ask that you provide the following prior to relinquishing your dog to GBGRR:

• All veterinary records including current rabies certificate.
• A current heartworm test (within 60 days).
• Proof that your dog has been spayed/neutered or a donation to cover the surgery.
• Completed and signed GBGRR Intake Profile and Release (available here).
• AKC and/or other registration papers (if available).
• If AKC/registration papers are not available we will require a photo of your dog.
• Microchip registration information (if applicable).
• Your dog’s personal effects and supplies (including any medications, preventatives, collars, leashes, bowls, crates, etc.)

At our discretion, we may waive any of the above requirements if the relinquishing family lacks the ability to meet them, or if leaving the dog in the current home would present a threat to the welfare of the dog.

Because GBGRR is a non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers, all donations are used solely for the care of dogs in our program. Therefore, if the relinquishing owner does not spay or neuter their dog prior to acceptance, GBGRR requests a $75.00 donation to cover the costs of the spay or neuter.

Should you wish to place your dog into our program click on the tab below to print our Intake Profile. Once you have thoroughly completed the Intake Profile and Release and attached all the necessary paperwork, you may fax it to us at (281) 412-3729 or mail it to GBGRR, P.O. Box 19848, Houston, TX 77224-9848. Photos may be mailed to the P.O. Box or emailed to info@gbgrr.org.

Receipt of your required paperwork does not guarantee your dog a place in our Rescue program.

Intake Profile & Release - Owner Turn In Form (in PDF format)

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