26/06/2025
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
Weโre heartbroken to announce that due to overwhelming demand and limited resources, we are temporarily unable to accept private surrender requests.
Every day, we receive 2โ3 requests to surrender German Shepherds, sometimes even double or triple that number. This doesnโt include the constant calls for help from pounds, shelters, and other rescue groups, we simply donโt have the resources to keep up.
While we do our best to support those facing genuine hardship, many requests come from people who didnโt fully consider the long-term commitment of pet ownership. Sadly, it seems pets have become disposable, a trend, something for โright nowโ rather than โforever.โ We fear that rescue groups and shelters in their plight to help animals, have made it all too easy for people to give up their pets and use rescues as a rehoming service, and we now have over 200 dogs waiting to be rehomed.
At the same time, adoption rates have plummeted. Weโre receiving a fraction of the applications we saw before COVID. More dogs and fewer adoptions create a heartbreaking cycle thatโs burning out our team. Weโre exhausted. Weโre hurting. We need to pause and regroup before we can continue.
We need to reset. Our mission has always been to rescue vulnerable dogs - those at risk of euthanasia, those without homes, those who truly need saving. We are German Shepherd Rescue Victoria, not a rehoming service. Itโs time to return to our roots.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ.
Weโll continue working through existing requests but will be scaling back intake. Our focus will shift back to rescuing German Shepherds from pounds and shelters across Victoria.
๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ๐:
โข Contact a qualified trainer or behaviourist for support. https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/Owners/Find
โข Reach out to your local council and shelter for desexing programs and other resources.
โข Contact the German Shepherd Club of Victoria, which offers a dedicated rehoming service. https://gsdcv.org.au/rehoming/
๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ?
โข Become a foster carer - especially if you donโt have other pets.
โข Adopt - help us find loving homes for the dogs already in our care.
โข Share our posts - every share helps us reach new adopters and supporters.
We know this is hard to hear. Itโs hard for us to say. But weโre doing this because we care deeply for the dogs, for our team, and for the future of rescue. Thank you for standing with us.
www.gsrv.com.au
