Place Your Aussie

If you are reading this page we recognize that you may be feeling as though you are at the end of your rope with your dog.  In an attempt to help owners keep their dog, ARPH has collected a valuable list of resources that will point you toward resolutions to the most common problems that Aussie owners experience.  Please visit Keep Your Aussie.  Another page that might help you figure out some of the more common problems is the website of one of our reps in Newfoundland, Canada.  Please visit Lisa Giroux's page to see K9 Station Training Tips.

If you would still like to place your Aussie, here's a quick rundown on how things work:

• You fill out the form located on the Place Your Aussie page on ARPH's National website.

• ARPH sends out the form to the reps in your area.

• The rep chooses a foster home from his or her volunteer list that will best suit your dog.  Sometimes this might take a little while depending on the circumstances, but we try to move as quickly as possible. 

• When a foster home is located and it's time for the handover, we ask you to sign a release form which transfers ownership to ARPH.

• The dog then goes to the foster home, where he or she is allowed to settle in fully (usually a couple of weeks) so that we can get to know the dog really well. 

• We get the dog vetted if necessary.  If the dog is still intact, he or she must be spayed/neutered (we do not allow dogs to go to their permanent home unless they are spayed/neutered).

• After all of the above is complete, we can start to try to find a new home for the dog.  Potential adopters are thoroughly screened, including a comprehensive questionnaire, reference checks, and a home visit.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be put in touch with the new home?

We discourage this practice as it causes anxiety for the dog and also potentially the new owners.  The dog needs to settle in and accept the change; visits from the previous owners appear to bewilder the dogs.  We can, however, let you know that the dog has been placed and into what general type of home (for example, he lives in the city in a home with a husband, wife, two kids ages 10 and 7, another playful medium-sized dog and three cats).

Is there a chance that you will euthanize my dog?

If your dog displays behaviour that we deem to be dangerous, and that will not respond to training/behaviour modification, then yes, there is a chance.  This does not happen often but it is a reality of our responsibilities as an organization.