Owner Surrender Program
Relinquishing Ownership
Making the decision to surrender your dog is never easy, and we understand that life can take unexpected turns. Our goal is not to judge, but to ensure every dog entrusted to us has the best possible chance at a safe, healthy, and permanent future.
Owner Surrender Fee: $600
Three Stooges Rescue charges a $600 owner surrender fee for all owner surrenders.
This fee helps offset only a portion of the costs associated with caring for your dog. As a nonprofit rescue, we receive no government funding and rely on adoption fees, donations, grants, and surrender fees to continue saving lives.
Your surrender fee helps cover expenses such as:
- Veterinary examinations and medical care
- Vaccinations and parasite prevention
- Spay or neuter surgery (if needed)
- Heartworm testing and treatment
- Microchipping
- Food and daily care
- Behavioral evaluation and rehabilitation
- Adoption marketing and placement
The reality is that caring for a rescue dog is expensive.
A routine veterinary visit alone can cost $300 or more, while treating a heartworm-positive dog can exceed $2,000. Even after medical needs are addressed, the average cost of basic care—including food and monthly preventatives—is a minimum $100 per month, per dog.
Unlike many organizations, we do not euthanize healthy or treatable dogs because of time or lack of space. Some dogs are adopted within days, while others remain in our care for months—or even years—until the right family comes along. Throughout that time, we continue providing food, medical care, enrichment, training, and a safe place to call home.
The surrender fee helps ensure that every dog receives the care they deserve from the day they arrive until the day they leave for their forever home.
By surrendering your dog to Three Stooges Rescue, you are helping provide them with a second chance—and giving us the resources to continue providing that same opportunity to the next dog in need.