I see the above sentence many times in an advertisement or a social media discussion. Rehoming a dog means finding a new home where your dog will be safe and loved. This is different from surrendering your dog to a shelter or rescue because you're helping your dog go from your home right into another home.
When a dog owner decides to rehome their dog for free, here is what can happen to their dog:
Re-sold’ to anyone at “Trade Days” across the U.S
Sold for medical research. The horror stories of the experiments on dogs are not foreign to the public
Enslaved as a “bait dog” for fighting dogs
To be used by unscrupulous breeders to produce puppies for profit.
When free, it devalues the dog to the new owner
Better alternatives:
Surrender your dog to a shelter
Surrender your dog to a breed-specific rescue
List the dog with a reputable adoption site (Pet Finder, Adopt-A-Pet)
Share with friends, family & co-workers that you are needing to find a home for your dog and ask if they know anyone looking for a dog that would be a responsible owner
When a person is interested, ask for references (veterinarian, neighbor, etc.). Then follow-up with reference
For many of us, our dogs are our family members, would we give away our child to a perfect stranger in hopes it all works out?
Contributor Acknowledgement
Much appreciation to our volunteer G.S. for sharing her time and thoughts. Though now an empty nester, her beloved Fred and Ginger's memories will live on.