Southern Siberian Rescue does not accept owner turn-ins. We pull our foster dogs from shelters when they are facing euthanization. We are also limited in our foster homes and save those homes for Siberians facing death in shelters. We have a referral page where we list personal dogs that need to be re-homed. If you would like to take advantage of this exposure, please fill out our referral questionnaire and email it to SouthernSibes@yahoo.com. Once approved, we will list your dog. We will need updated pictures, medical information, age, weight, and a brief write up on your dog’s personality and temperament as well as contact information for you. You will be the one responsible for determining if a home is appropriate or not; we are merely a tool to help you with exposure. We recommend that you DO NOT list your dog as “free to a good home” in the newspaper as there are individuals/groups out here that prey on that to gather dogs for research. We do recommend that you obtain both vet and personal references on anyone that inquires on your dog AND call those references. It is our experience that many people do not keep their dogs up to date medically. Also, you should take your dog to the potential adopters home to see how and where the dog will live, in addition to making sure your dog gets along with any existing pets. Not all dogs get along and it is very stressful on dogs to be swapped from home to home. SSR has a “shortened” application for such circumstances and we are happy to email it to you upon request.

If you have found a stray, please contact your local animal control or Sheriff’s office first. It is a felony to steal a dog in North Carolina so rescue cannot take this dog into their program. We too have to wait for a dog to go through “stray-hold” (a period of time determined by individual shelters and counties allowing for an owner to find and re-claim his/her at large dog.) Please list the dog as found with your local shelters, humane societies and veterinarians. Please take to a shelter or vet to have scanned for a microchip or look for a tattoo. Many newspapers will allow you to place an ad for free as well. Post flyers in the area that the dog was found in the event someone is looking for him/her. Do keep one or two identifying things private so you can use those to determine if someone is calling about the particular dog you have. Siberians can travel long distances in a short period of time so we recommend notifying shelters and vets in a 20 mile radius. Many lost Siberians have been found 7 to 10 miles from home. If you cannot keep the dog at your house and need to turn it into your local shelter, please email us at SouthernSibes@yahoo.com with the name, location and phone number of the shelter so we can follow up to see if he/she was re-claimed.

Not all dogs are good with young children. If you are expecting a child or having difficulties with your dog and your child, please consult a trainer and/or behaviorist that can properly evaluate your dog and work with you on training tips and how to safely integrate your dog(s) with your children. We support and recommend Jen at jens@familypaws.com. You can visit her website at www.familypaws.com. This is Jen’s business and she is great at it so please email her with any questions and/or concerns you may have.

Please call your local animal control and advise them of the situation. They are the only authority that can make the decision on whether it is a valid complaint or not. By North Carolina law, a dog needs constant water, shade and a means to get out of the elements (wind, rain, sun, cold.) Animal Control will come out and evaluate the situation and give the owners a warning and/or suggestions on how to properly care and provide for the dog, based on the counties code. They will follow up to see that the owner’s have made the suggested changes, or deem the situation neglect or abuse. Rescue cannot help. It is a felony to steal a dog in North Carolina so we can’t remove the dog from the property. We do not take owner surrenders either as all of our foster dogs are pulled from shelters. We have no legal authority over someone’s personal dog. Please do not take these matters into your own hands either because you are opening yourself up to felony charges as well.

How do I recognize responsible rescues? (pdf)

Top ten reasons people turn their pets into shelters (external site) Southern Siberian Rescue is not responsible for content off our site.