Contacting Dog's Past Home?

Greenmagick said:
I would want updates, the sooner the better. I would prefer multiple in the first couple weeks/months actually as that would help me feel really good about my decision when I would most likely be questioning it the most still
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This. If I really had a hard time rehoming a dog bc of a situation like that I think the updates would help me comes to terms with it. Showing that they gave him an awesome family and how much you love him will solidify that they made the best choice they could for him in the given situation. That type of closure is priceless.
 
I'd definitely want updates. I'm sure that, even when you carefully screen, there's still that little 'what if..' voice that makes you worry whether they're being treated properly. I think pictures and updates would be relieving.
 
I would contact them, just a couple of pictures and a simple little note would go a long way I think. My mom used to get annual updates on dogs she pulled from kill shelters to rehome.

I still wish that we'd received pictures of my heart dog, who we had to rehome. I was only 11 or 12 but I still think about that dog every day. I'm sure she's probably passed now and I'll never have a picture of her (I didn't have a camera for the few short months I had her) :(
 
Little late to the party.

Summit was a bounce. He was adopted by an older couple and lived with them for 2.5 years. Then the husband was diagnosed with cancer and with surgery and treatments they couldn't handle two large dogs. They took them back to the kennel to board and then made the difficult decision that the dogs would be better off with other people. We got Summit. They had given the adoption group their e-mail and that was given to me. I sent them an e-mail to let them know we had adopted Summit (formerly Dexter). They sent me all of his medical records and told me all about him.

They were incredibly sad that they never heard from the people who adopted their other dog. So I make sure to stay in contact. I send photos from time to time. About 6 months after we got Summit we went to a greyhound event and invited his former owners to come and see him, which they did. It was really great. We all really enjoyed it, and I think they were really grateful to get to see him again. His previous dad passed away last year, but I am still in contact with mom. She follows our blog and Facebook so she sees most of our new stuff, but I still send her photos from time to time since a lot of the blog now focuses on Kili.

If the owner has expressed interest in knowing about the dog's new life... absolutely include them if you are comfortable with that. I think itis terrible for a dog to just disappear out of someone's life if it was for circumstances beyond their control. It would hurt me a little to see my dogs with someone else but it would hurt more for them to drop off my radar completely.
 
I have my old dogs spanky and miley's new owners on Facebook. Its nice knowing they are happy. IMy mom made the choice to rehome them and it was nice being told they were doing well.

I sent arya's old owner an update already.
 
Linds said:
...For those that had to rehome a dog, what would you like for the person who got your dog to do?...
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I would have loved to have gotten updates from the people who took my grandmother's Poodle (we took her in after my Grandmother died).
 
I'd absolutely want updates!! I love getting updates from dogs I've fostered.... Or even hear about dogs that my parents have re-homed :)

On that note, I contacted Bailey's previous owners to let them know how is she is doing (she had gotten her CGC) and I sent a pic. I never heard back from them at all, so I didn't contact them again.
 
I've not had to rehome a dog, but I did rehome a horse. It wasn't a situation where the rehome was forced by circumstances, I just felt there was a better home out there for him for various reasons, and if that home had not come along I would have kept him.

The family that has him now lives in the area and is friends with a few friends of mine. I saw his owner recently and she spent 20 minutes gushing about him and telling me all about his life and how he's doing. I was absolutely thrilled to hear about it!
 
I wish Lucy's owners kept in touch. I miss her so much.

Dixie's owner is our vet so we hear about her a lot lol!

So yes, I would send updates. :)
 
I'd definitely want updates and pictures if the new family was willing to share.
 
I've sent Gabby's previous owners updates through the rescue. They really seemed to appreciate it.
 
I still get updates on two of the fosters I adopted out, Kiba (now Saul) and Seabee (now Lucy). I love getting the pictures and since both dogs were ones I considered keeping, I am always happy to hear how well they're doing.
 
I think if I were to rehome a dog, I'd like at least one update a few weeks-month after settling.
Even one per year after that, sort of like a "Christmas card" type of thing wouldn't be unwelcomed.


I've sent a few updates to the shelter where I got Rigby. Even though they likely go through enough dogs that she wasn't overly memorable...but it makes me feel better.
 
I would send updates - if I had to rehome someone (dog, cat, horse), I'd want to know how that animal was doing, just for peace of mind. I think I'd worry if I never heard from the people again...

I still send updates/photos to the people who rescued Riley's litter. It wasn't quite a rehome as they knew they couldn't keep the puppies but they've always been happy to see how Riley is doing, (especially since the woman who took Riley's sister let her run loose and she was killed by a car at five months. :( )
 
I wish I could tell Shamoos previous family how well she's doing. I know her owner died/couldn't care for Moo anymore but someone else may have loved her and would love to know.

Do it.
 
Having rehomed/placed/adopted out several dogs from my household in the past, I definitely vote for updates. They are awesome and usually make my entire day!
 
I agree with the idea of making an update blog, so that they can choose to see updates whenever they feel comfortable with it :)

When I was 11, I convinced my dad to adopt a little border collie mix puppy from a litter a family friend found on the side of the road. ~5 months later they moved up to Colorado and rehomed her which I don't talk about often because it was so upsetting. In later years I tried to find and contact the new home, but couldn't find them. I would feel so much better if I knew that she had lived out a happy and well cared for life.

I enjoy updating Rowan's old foster mom :)
 
I'd send a note to say he's settling in well and you will update them later, and then send photo updates about 2-4 weeks after that :)

The reason I say that is that any contact should be on your terms. As romantic as it sounds to keep in touch with a family, sometimes it can become a chore and a pain in the arse and they can overstep the boundaries you want.

If it all goes well, you can keep in touch with them regularly, if they can't handle it or become overbearing you can withdraw easily.... I do this a lot, but not with dogs!
 
Another vote for updates, and you may even say if they would prefer not to receive them just to let you know and it won't hurt your feelings, otherwise you'd be happy to send them every so often.

I am FB friends with the owners of my very, very favorite shelter dogs that I would have adopted in a second. I love seeing them on my feed. Shambles play dates with one of my ultimate favorites. Shambles' "breeder" or whatever that technicality is obviously gets constant updates via FB. I have no idea where every one else came from before the shelter/rescue. Magpie was a seizure, so I wouldn't want to contact her previous family if I could. Smalls is old enough no one works at the shelter she came from that would remember her. The rescue Jack and Jonas came from is full of lunatics and I avoid them at all costs now that I know, and ignored the few updates I did send. I tracked down the breeder Jonas came from before he landed in a mill and they didn't give a ****, just tried to sell me his sister right away. I hate the SPCA Elsa came from with every fiber of my being so.
 
I think in the long run, they'd appreciate the updates. My neighbor's sister had to give up her dog due to illness and received updates. She absolutely loved them. The love never dies no matter what. And she was thankful her dog was settling into such a nurturing environment.
 
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