07/03/2025
** FREE TO GOOD HOME ** NOT**
Every responsible dog owner should know that getting a dog is a life-long commitment. From the moment you open your heart and home to a loyal dog, you’re in it for the long haul, through sickness and health, ups and downs, good and bad days, through snuggles on the couch to picking up the pieces of yet another pair of shredded shoes. You have done your research and ensured you can meet your dog's needs and found the right breed for you, who fits into your lifestyle, and you can provide a loving home, take care of his nutrition and veterinary needs. A dog is and should be a lifelong commitment.
Still, even responsible dog owners can sometimes find themselves searching for a good home for their beloved pet. Unexpected circumstances, illness, injury, death, economic & financial challenges, emigration - things happen. We here to help, all we ask is that you give your dog a fair chance, don't leave it to the last minute to contact us if you need to rehome your border collie, your best friend deserves better. Sometimes we full and can't help with collie crosses and have a waiting list of dogs coming into rescue. Did you know that over 500 collies came into rescue last year at Border Collie Rescue SA? We find them, even if it takes a bit longer their happy ending tail. Paw, please work with us.
The sad reality is that we, the SPCA, many other animal welfare shelters and animal rescues are busting at the seams at the moment, there are so so many animals surrendered and only a handful of adoptions. It's hard out there, nobody can rescue all. It is getting increasingly difficult to get financial support and finding good homes.
We see many owners are turning to social media, post a free to good home post on their local community group, the free pet's social media fb groups, advertise in newspapers like gumtree, junkmail thinking that they’re doing the right thing for their dog to find a new home. No home check is often done, the dog given away is out of sight out of mind. We often tagged and always offer to take the border collie in only to be told the dog is already rehomed.
Last week we took in that free to good home collie, his original owner died of cancer, his second owner could no longer take care of him due to health challenges and he was posted free to good home, we offered to take him in a the time, but our offer was declined a "happy home" was already found. This home a third home turned out to be not a good home, a fourth home, pushed from pillar to post at a golden age of 12 years he is at long last with us in rescue. Neglected, skinny, flea infection, no hair on his back. A golden oldie fighting an illness and his neglect at our vet. His free to good home journey finally ended.
Our promise is to do all we can to give him a chance for a loving golden retirement home, we don't give up on him, that we promised him already. Paw, please hold all paws we can change the world for this so deserving boy. Even if we will not be able to make a difference, if he has no chance, we are there for every border collie in need. Sometime no matter what we cannot win the fight and based on our vet's recommendation we have to hold them gently when we have to make the heartbreaking decision of a collie gaining his wings.
🐾Please if you need to rehome your dog, don't leave it to the last minute, for example emigration takes a long time.
🐾Don’t advertise “Free to good home" on social media. Try to work with a rescue who helps you find a real home, consider donating to assist them, a bag of food, a small donation really helps them do the work they do.
🐾Spay/neuter the animal to avoid attracting backyard Greeder's who will breed with your dog, their concern is money not welfare for your dog.
🐾Ask each prospective owner for his/her veterinarian’s name as a reference and check it out.
🐾Ask for identification of the new owner. Write down the information, or scan/photocopy it if possible.
🐾Ask for a phone number and explain that you’d like to check on how the animal’s doing. An honest person will gladly share the information with you, a Greeder a not well-meaning person will run.
🐾 Ask to visit the place the home where your pet will live before your release the pet to the new owner do a Homecheck.
If as a dog owner you truly care about the life and well-being of your dog being re-homed, taking the steps above ensures a second chance if a rescue cannot assist. Try always to work with a reputable rescue organization and support the work they do, contact them in time.
Please warn dog owners of the dangers of giving away their dog for free, they can end up in dogfights, breeding, laboratory testing, being neglected, abused etc. The act of giving animals away for free, while maybe well-intentioned, can lead to many challenges and your animal sadly paying the price.
As we sadly discovered, not everyone will listen. We hold all paws for our golden oldie boy, we got you! No matter what we here for you!
