This is Jennie-she was my first American cocker spaniel, a 16 year old owner surrender. I had her for 6 months until she passed away, but in that time, she was a wonderful companion. She would chase the squirrels in the park in order to steal their acorns, which she loved to eat if I could not stop her fast enough from devouring them. She was a natural red-head. She made friends with a visiting mouse in my old apartment. It would sit up on its hind legs and squeak for her until she went over to sit with it. Sadly, the vet said a wild mouse might carry germs, so I had to use a sonic mouse repellent. I plugged in the three items, it triangulated the sound, and the mouse ran in circles three times, squeezed out under the door, and I never saw it again. Jennie is proof that even a senior dog as old as she was still had a lot of life left in her. She went everywhere with me, including work. When she finally passed, she died peacefully in her sleep on the kitchen floor one morning. Her only health issue to that point was a slow thyroid.

People surrender dogs for all sorts of reasons, including allergies, moving to an apartment building that does not allow pets (they should make a pet-friendly building a priority!), moving out of the country, and many other reasons. If you can take an owner surrender dog, it is a good option, because you can confer with the former owner about likes, dislikes, and habits. We have also received all sorts of items from the owners, ranging from collars and leashes to bowls, beds, crates and more. They are all for the benefit of the pet, of course, and as our family has grown, they have certainly come in useful.

The most important reason for grabbing an owner surrender is to keep them out of the shelters, where they can get kennel cough and become seriously and even fatally ill. Kennel cough, also known as Bordatella, is so virulent in New York City at the moment, that if you wish to take your dog for a doggie play date, for example, they insist on a certificate showing the dog is in good health and has had the vaccination in the last six months. It is an easy vaccination for your pet now-it is a nasal spray. So do what you can to keep the dogs out of the shelters and keep your dog’s Bordatella vaccination up to date, especially if they hang around with any other dogs.