Frequently Asked Questions

A: Your dog is a part of your family and we strongly suggest you do everything possible to keep your terrier with you. Unfortunately, thousands of Jack Russells are relinquished each year to shelters and rescues, where they face a very uncertain future. Many of these relinquishments are due to behavioral issues that are often solvable. Behavior problems that you can work to address without re-homing your terrier include (click the links for training advice):
Separation anxiety
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/separation_anxiety.html
Barking
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/how_to_stop_barking.html
Chewing
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/destructive_chewing.html
Coping with young children or a new baby
http://www.aarfatlanta.org/petsandbabies.pdf
Housebreaking puppies
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html
Adults and seniors
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_adult_dogs.html
Aggression
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/aggression.html and http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/dominant_dogs.html
For other behavior issues and training information, please see:
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/
http://www.ddfl.org/education/dog-behavior-tips
http://www.petfinder.com/pet-training/surviving-dog-adolescence.html
If you are having trouble addressing your dog’s behavior issue on your own, a dog trainer can be helpful. Trainers often charge a very reasonable hourly fee, and many will provide you with a free, in-person consultation to help you determine whether training will help you and your dog. Finally, the reality is that shelters and rescues are filled with dogs seeking new homes, and the likelihood that a dog with unaddressed behavioral issues will make a successful transition to a new home is slim. Please consider that your dog is closely bonded to you and your family—and therefore, with persistence and positive reinforcement, you are the person most likely to help him/her overcome a behavioral issue.

A: In this difficult economy, you’re not alone. Many dog owners are finding it difficult to care for their beloved pets. In fact, shelters and rescues are overflowing with dogs whose families were forced to give them up for precisely this reason. Unfortunately, Russell Rescue is unable to provide direct assistance to pet owners for the care of their terriers. However, there is help available and we strongly urge you to make use of every resource to keep your canine family member with you. Below you’ll find tips and contact information to get you started:
If you are having trouble providing for your pets’ needs (food, basic vet care, spaying/neutering), please see this list of low-cost resources and assistance by state
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html#Assistance_by_state. You can also get tips on how to work with your vet to obtain the care your pet needs http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html. If you have lost your home and are moving into an apartment, you can search online for apartments within your price range that accept dogs.
This page http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/animal_friendly_apartments.html serves as a clearinghouse for information on renting with pets.

A: The harsh truth is that few adoptive homes are available to senior dogs. Dogs age 8 and over are particularly hard to re-home. Many people falsely assume that senior dogs are not the same great companions as their younger counterparts. Whatever the circumstance that is causing you to relinquish your pet—a long-distance move, a new baby, a lack of time, or just about any other issue—none will be more traumatic for your senior terrier than losing his or her family. Please seriously consider any way to make your living situation work for you and your pet. The odds that your senior dog will find a new loving home to live out his days are small indeed.

A: As an organization composed entirely of volunteers and funded solely by private donations, we unfortunately are not able to help every needy Jack Russell. However, as our resources permit, we take unwanted terriers into our network of foster homes. We receive a large number of emails about online postings. If you are contacting us regarding a dog you have seen or heard about online, you can help us address the situation in a timely and effective way by answering the following questions: Is the information about the dog current? On what website did you find the posting? Have you contacted the facility or individual that currently has the dog to verify the information in the posting?