We, at the Central Coast Northern Dog Rescue, CCNDR, never like to see a dog surrendered, but we do understand that sometimes it must happen. Our primary mission is to rescue and foster the northern breed dogs that are adoptable by our criteria, and are in danger. We evaluate every northern breed dog carefully, and attempt to make the best decision we can in regard to the future of that dog.

Generally, we respond to shelters, the SPCA, and local agencies first, when deciding what dogs we evaluate and rescue. These facilities often have limited space and capability to handle dogs, and we act as quickly as we can given limited resources, to rescue a dog we have determined to be adoptable.

When we are approached by a private person who wishes to surrender a dog, we consider many factors, and lised below are some of them:

1. Is there any way that the dog can remain in the home in which it is loved, rather than our trying to find another home to love it?
2. Did the dog come from a breeder who might take the dog back?
3. Can the dog remain in the home, and be placed from the home rather than taking a precious space in a foster home?
4. Can the dog go to another rescue group that specializes in that breed, or has a mission to help that breed as well?
5. What is best for the dog in the immediate future--is the dog safe, healthy, and adjusted to its present circumstances?

After examining all of these factors, we carefully consider what advice we might best give the owner, or person who now has the dog. Sometimes the dog was abandoned, and the present holder of the dog isn't the former owner. California law requires that the dog be advertised for 30 days, and that every attempt be made to locate the owner before it can be considered truly abandoned. CCNDR usually does not take these dogs during that time. If the dog cannot remain in the home of the person who found it, we recommend it go to the nearest SPCA or appropriate shelter.

When the surrendering party is the owner of the dog, and wishes to surrender the dog to CCNDR only, our policy is to assess a $100 surrender fee. This fee helps to provide medical care for the dog, and meet placement expenses we will incur in trying to find a home for the dog.

We do provide a surrender form that helps us to assess the dog. The dog still has to have a thorough evaluation by a representative of CCNDR to be certain that it is a dog we can foster and place. There are some dogs we simply will not accept, and there are sometimes when we cannot accept a dog because we have too many fosters already. It is always best to discuss a surrender with CCNDR well in advance of any immediate need to surrender a dog. Many times, we can make recommendations for placement, and avoid a surrender and subsequent placement.