Utonagan Welfare

It is a sad but inevitable fact that, as a breed gains popularity and becomes more numerous, some dogs will find themselves "surplus to requirements", as it were.

All TUS registered breeders accept responsibility for their puppies FOR LIFE, so they should be your first port of call if and when you need to re-home your Utonagan. If you have some special reason why you have not/cannot contact your breeder, we will of course still help you with re-homing your dog.

There are also many non-registered breeders out there. Some have never joined the Society, some have ceased breeding and may not be in a position to take dogs back - or have just lost contact. Worse still, some have been actively ex-communicated.

And last but not least, a sadly increasing number of Utonagan find themselves in rescue centres up and down the country. What is more disturbing is that an unusually high proportion of these dogs end up being re-homed again within 2 years of being 'placed' from the rescue centre. Thus we cannot emphasise enough the value of putting your dog with a dedicated breed rescue.

With that in mind, if anyone spots a Utonagan in a rescue centre please let us know. Most rescue centres are happy to hand over dogs to a breed rescue as they know kennels are not an ideal place for any dog, no matter how hard the dedicated staff work to provide a stable and loving environment!

"Utonagan Welfare will only guarantee to contact registered breeders if one of their dogs is handed in, or reported to be in a rescue centre. Other, non-registered, breeders may be contacted out of courtesy, but this is at Utonagan Welfare's discretion."

N.B. Anyone can claim to be running a rescue service. The Utonagan Society has a network of trusted volunteers who will do their best to take in any Utonagan in need. No profit is made. We re-home with a stringent contract to prevent Utes in our care from further harm. Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot and do not recommend any other Utonagan rescue service.

Utonagan currently in need of new homes

For further details about any of these dogs, please contact the welfare co-ordinator.

In Foster Care
Kaharec Kai

Kai, is a 20 month old, neutered male Utonagan. He is a very intelligent, energetic lad who came to us as he was arguing with his male GSD companion. He had also been exhibiting separation anxiety.

Kai has been in foster care for 3 weeks now (as of the 2nd December 2007) and has made excellent progress. What he needs in his new permanent home is a fair but firm owner, who will leave him in no doubt as to who is in charge! There are some specific requirements for his new home:

Kai is very good with children, but a significant amount of time and training is needed with him at present, which will be unfeasible alongside the requirements of younger children.

His separation anxiety has been eliminated in foster care, however this is very easy to revert to in a new home. It must be remembered that one does not need to be with the dog 24/7, in fact this is counter-productive to curing the condition.

If you are an experienced, confident dog handler (knowledge of German Shepherd dogs and their training would be advantageous) with the time and inclination to apply yourself to a promising young dog, please get in touch with any queries you wish to discuss.

Re-Home
Luca

Luca is a 2 year old male Utonagan. He is an absolute sweetheart, only looking for a new home due to his owners' separation. He is fortunately able to stay in his own home for now, while TUS help re-home him.

Luca has a slightly nervous nature, but is extremely affectionate. He has a keenness to please, evident throughout his line, and is a very energetic dog who would enjoy long walks and some active training to stimulate his mind.

He currently lives with children, so is well used to them. He is crated when left, but this is more to make him feel secure as he uses his crate as a safe zone! He misses his previous canine companion and would be well suited to a home with another dog.

Any prospective new owner will be vetted by our TUS welfare co-ordinator before being put in touch with Luca's owner. as per her wishes, so please enquire to the usual email address (or phone number, which can be found on the committee page).