When it is no longer feasible to keep a Great Dane for whatever reason, many people explore options other than rescue to re-home their pet. These won’t necessarily be in the best interest of your Great Dane!

If you are considering taking your Dane to an Animal Shelter, be aware that life in a shelter can be very stressful for a Great Dane with the possibility of other anxiety-related problems developing. Great Danes do not react well to a shelter environment.

Re-homing with a friend/neighbour or selling through advertising, may seem like a good idea but you will have no control or legal options over what happens to your Dane once it is transferred. People and circumstances can change – and not always for the better!

We have re-homed in excess of 6,000 Great Danes over the years and have developed multiple procedures/resources to ensure that the best interest of any surrendered Great Dane is always foremost.

Summary of steps to Surrender your Great Dane:

  • Contact Us to discuss surrendering your Dane.
  • Fill in a Surrender Intake Questionnaire (SIQ). We will verify receipt of this by email.
  • A volunteer will contact you  by phone to review the details submitted on the SIQ.
  • A meeting will be arranged with your Dane to verify its adoptability.
  • If suitable for re-homing, your Great Dane will be transferred into a suitable foster home.
  • Time parameters for transfer to foster may vary depending on the availability of a suitable foster home.
  • When you transfer your Great Dane into our care, you will be required to sign a Surrender of Ownership.

Please note:

  • We do NOT take in Danes that have had multiple human aggression issues.
  • A donation will be appreciated to help defray our costs for vetting and/or food while in foster care.
  • We will require your cooperation in returning phone calls or emails throughout the Surrender process.
  • We will require one, or more photos of your Dane.
  • When completing the SIQ, you will have the option to send digital photos from your computer. These will accompany your SIQ when it is submitted.

If you are still actively exploring other options to find another home for your Dane;

Do not submit a Surrender Intake Questionnaire until you are committed to surrendering your Great Dane to Danes in Distress. When we receive this, various resources are immediately committed to finding a Foster/Adoptive home, and another Dane may have been deprived of these if you change your mind.