Every dog that comes into our rescue stays with us until they are adopted. The only exceptions are overly aggressive dogs or one with medical problems beyond our capabilities. Your dog will stay in one of our gracious foster homes until he or she can be placed. None of the dogs we take in will ever have to know the stress of being in a animal shelter and you won’t have to worry if your dog made it out of the shelter or not.

Our goal is to find the right home for your dog so be honest when filling out the owner surrender paperwork. If your dog has good and bad traits, list them. If we place a dog with a foster family that has cats and you know your dog doesn’t like cats… this is a problem. We want your dog to have as little stress as possible. We want him to come from your home to a foster home, then on to his “forever home”. When we are aware of possible “problems” the dog may have, we are able to look into ways of “fixing” them before we find him a home. More than likely you are surrendering him for one of two reasons:

1. People problems- new baby, moving, you no longer have time, family separation, financial problems, allergies, and other things of this nature.

2. Dog problems- chewing, pottying in the house, aggression, barking, or just over all not the behavior you expect from your dog.

If you still feel like you need to give your dog up, fill out the Owner Surrender form and we will see if we are able to accept your dog into our rescue. 

PLEASE be patient. The stray dogs that are found along the road and the ones on death row in the pound have first priority. If we have the foster homes available, we will get your dog taken into the program quickly; otherwise, we may ask you to “foster” your dog until we have a spot available. By doing this, your dog will have less stress having to adjust to a new environment and a new family. The dog will be listed as being fostered with the owner.  This is a great opportunity for those owners who have a great concern for the placement of their dog because you will get to meet the new potential owners of your dog and we will take your opinion into consideration when picking the right home for your dog.

Midwest P.A.W.'s Requirements for an Owner Surrender

1. Completely and HONESTLY fill out the owner surrender application.

2.  We prefer your dog must be current on vaccines, spayed or neutered, and be heartworm negative.  If not, the owner must make a donation to Midwest PAWs to help us recover some of the cost of vet care that your pet will need in order to be adopted. (If you are unable to meet these prerequisites, please explain more about your situation on the owner surrender form).

3.  If your dog is accepted into our program, you will need to turn in his complete vet records; along with the name and contact information of your vet.

4.  Surrendering your dog's toys, bedding or special belongings also helps to ease the transition for them. 

5.  A supply of food and treats that your dog is accustomed to.

6.  Take the time to write up a list of things your dog is used to (treats in the morning, a walk after dinner, etc.).  Remember, we are trying to cause as little stress as possible for your dog. 

7.  If there is any other paperwork for your dog (microchip, AKC, or registration of any kind), please turn these over with your dog as the more information we have the better.

8.  If you have a crate, bowls, toys or anything else we might be able to use, feel free to donate these items.  They will not only help your dog, but future dogs we rescue.