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Rehoming your Pet
First of all, the animal you rescued needs to be neutered or spayed. For low cost/free options go to the Sacramento Area Animal Coalition at sacanimal.org.
Then you can list them for adoption on petfinder.com
You can also make up adoption fliers with cute pictures and a bio on the dog and post them at local vet offices, PetsMart, lunch rooms at work, church bulletin boards, etc. Do the fliers in the first person to make it personal. For example: Hi, My name is Clifford. I am approximately two years old . . . I am housebroken . . . . I love to play with other dogs . . . . etc. etc.
Do not give the dog away. Always ask for an adoption donation of around $80 to $100. People value something more if they pay for it. You will also avoid people taking a dog to sell for research and dog fighters looking for bait dogs by asking for an adoption donation.
Do home checks with every dog that you place, but it is even more important that you do a home check with a pit bull for the dog's safety.
(Remember that many people without good intentions have down pat all of the right things to say when talking to people looking for good homes. Also pre-screen people on the phone. Then meet a potential adopter at a park down the road from your house or somewhere neutral the first time you meet them. At this point, have them fill out an adoption application. Always tell them to think about it overnight or over the next couple of days, and if it seems like a good match, then we will go from there. Never let someone take a dog the first day they meet them. This helps deter impulse adoptions. Then if it seems like a good match, make an appointment to take the dog to them, do a home safety check and have them fill out the adoption contract. Try to place the dog when you know the person is going to be home for the next couple of days, like on a Friday night, and when they don't have a lot of activities planned so that they can focus on bonding with their new pet.
All Star Dog Training 916-339-0744 and Common Sense Dog Training at 916-772-1364 both offer a free phone consult or free lesson for a foster
dog or rescue dog if you need any help in that area.
Below is a good link that has adoption applications and adoption contracts and lists things to be aware of when placing a companion animal:
http://www.theanimalspirit.com/adopt.html
A Note About Pit Bulls and Am Staffs
It generally takes a long time to find a good home for a pit bull. Unfortunately, many people that might be a good home for a dog are filled with misconceptions about the breed, and often the people who want to
adopt a pit bull are not the kind of people any of us would want to have a dog. There are good homes out there. It's just that placing a pit bull is generally not a quick process.
Many pit bulls will still have animal aggression even if raised in an appropriate environment. That is not to say that they all do. There are many pit bulls without aggression toward other animals. Just be aware that there is a higher incidence of genetic animal aggression due to the selective breeding process in the development of this breed. MOST pit bulls are also very human friendly due to their selective breeding process. (Any dog that showed even a hint of aggression toward a human in the midst of a dog fight was immediately culled and destroyed. Those
cowardly pit fighters wouldn't have a dog that they couldn't easily handle in the pits.)
You can visit pbrc.net to list your dog, and to find assistance with spay and neuter.
~Patty Letawsky, Canine Behavior Consultant