TLDR: My daughter had a baby. After much emotional discussion, all agreed that their 4-year-old rescue pit is too unpredictable to live with a baby in the house. I am keeping the dog until we find her a home, but am having no luck placing her.
More details: They got the dog when she was a year and a half from a rescue in the state they lived in at the time. There were all sorts of background checks and vetting, they even had to sign a contract stating they would contact the organization first if things were not working out (presumably so the agency would work with them to find placement).
Things did work out until baby arrived, now the dog needs a new home. They contacted the rescue place and found them extremely unhelpful in helping them find placement. They could not, it appears, care less.
I’ve contacted local rescues and all I get back is ‘we can put her on our list’.
I’m not sure what to do next, but I am sure that I cannot keep her.
I am not optimistic, but if anyone has any insight or strategies for resolving this I’d love to hear them.
I’ve helped place a number of pets via Facebook. Post pictures along with the dog’s story. Mention all the positives you can (housebroken, all vaccines current, comes with crate, obedience trained, spayed/neutered, comes with 100 pounds of food, etc). My friends always share pleas like this, so the audience becomes huge. Last year I drove a friend’s cat to its new home in West Virginia.
I don’t think you’ll have much luck with rescue groups. The reason for that is, I think, rescue orgs are in the business of rescuing dogs (and cats) whose lives are in danger. They’re chained to a trailer in a trailer park, or living with 100 other animals in a hoarding situation… things like that. Someone gets pregnant and can’t be bothered to get a trainer to figure out how to properly raise dog + baby together would likely be viewed as simply irresponsible, not a dog whose life is in danger.
Please do not list a pibble on Craigslist. THAT puts the dog in great danger of being “adopted” and then used as a bait dog (which means it’ll be thrown into a confined space with pit bulls who are trained to attack other dogs and that dog will probably die a horrible death).
My advice is to get a reputable trainer and work with the dog. Work with the baby also, as it gets older, so it learns how to approach and handle dogs safely. Is the dog well socialized? Has it been exposed to children before? How did that go?
Last resort: just take it to the shelter. It has a better chance of being adopted and finding a responsible owner than it does on friggin’ Craigslist.
The Facebook suggestions are good ones (your page and the iheartpitbulls page). Your vet also good. Also, check with your local humane society. They may have suggestions for how to find a home for her, or even let you post her on their page, without surrendering her yet.
Where are you located? That might help Dopers hook you up with local resources.