Having spent over two years volunteering at an animal shelter, I believe I am qualified to provide insights on this topic.

If people only gave up their dogs when they genuinely couldn’t care for them, there would be far fewer dogs in shelters or roaming the streets (in certain areas). Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Here are some common reasons why people surrender their dogs to shelters:

They realize that taking care of a dog requires more effort than they anticipated.

They grow tired of having the dog around.

They have recently had a baby or are planning to have one, and they feel they must choose between the baby and the dog.

They are moving to a new place and believe the dog won’t adapt there.

And so on.

It’s important to understand that shelters are often packed and consistently overcrowded. The dedicated volunteers (specifically referring to no-kill shelters) who work there are usually exhausted and unable to give each dog the attention they truly need and deserve.

During my time at the shelter, it was not uncommon for volunteers to arrive in the morning and find a cardboard box filled with puppies left at the gate in freezing winter temperatures, or to discover new dogs on the premises—people would come at night, throw them over the fence, and avoid facing the volunteers or answering questions. It’s easier for them to abandon the dog in the dark and disappear, leaving the dog as someone else’s problem.

The volunteers’ phones would ring non-stop, and when they answered, they would hear phrases like, “Hey, when can you come and take my dog? I don’t want him anymore. If you don’t come today, I’ll drown him in the lake.” This may sound insane, but such calls were a daily occurrence.

I have witnessed dogs succumbing to depression after being abandoned by their owners. They would refuse to eat, move, or acknowledge anyone or anything around them, eventually fading away silently in a corner. I remember a little Pekingese—she was nine years old, and after her owner left her at the shelter and never returned, her once lively eyes were reduced to two huge, watery orbs. She passed away not long after.

Often, people are too consumed by their own lives to consider the impact on their dog. But they should. They fail to realize how traumatic it is for a dog to go from living in a home or apartment with their human family to a shelter environment.

Furthermore, many times people believe they can no longer care for their dog, when in reality, they actually can. Just a couple of days ago, I met a man who has been sailing for several years in a small sailboat with his two dogs—one small and one large. This trio has been crossing oceans without any issues. Both dogs have adapted to life on the boat perfectly.

Nevertheless, there are situations where tough decisions must be made. In such cases, it is best to find the dog a new human family that closely resembles the previous one. Does the dog have experience with children or perhaps a single owner? It will take time for the dog to adjust, but with a loving family, life should eventually return to normal. This is usually the outcome, though not always. Some dogs never forget their original humans.

Whatever the circumstances, please DO NOT bring your dog to a shelter. It is your dog and your responsibility. If you absolutely cannot care for your dog any longer, you must find them a new home. By surrendering your dog to a shelter, you are taking the place of another dog in need of rescue, making the already challenging lives of volunteers even more complicated.

If you have a dog, it’s crucial to have backup plans in place, including plan B and plan C, in case unforeseen circumstances arise and you can no longer keep your dog.

Be a responsible owner. Be the kind of human your dog believes you are.