๐๐ป ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐จ๐ฝ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ โ๐ป
๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ญ๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฌ๐ช๐ต๐ข ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ค๐ถ๐ฆ
To anyone considering giving up their Akita:
We need to say this as clearly as possible: ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
Every single day, we receive messages from people asking us to “just come and take their dog.”
As if we have endless space. As if rescues arenโt already bursting at the seams. As if we arenโt already losing sleep trying to find safe places for dogs who are scared, unwanted, or dangerously misunderstood, or in a pound nearing the end of their 7 days holding time at risk of being put to sleep.
The truth is: we canโt just take your dog, no matter how much we wish we could.
And please, donโt be so rude and entitled when we canโt wave a magic wand and do things for you at the click of your fingers, we are all doing this work as volunteers, alongside full-time jobs, families, responsibilities, and our own dogs.
Rescue in the UK is in crisis. Adoption levels are at an all-time low. Foster spaces are full. Kennels are full. Dogs are waiting in line for help that may never come. And yet, still, Akitas are being surrendered, because someone moved house, got a new landlord, had a baby, or just
didnโt bother to understand the kind of dog they were bringing home in the first place.
Because we canโt act as quick as you want, you advertise your dog for sale or for free on the internet leaving your dog at risk of being used as bait, or bred fromโฆ you pass on your once loved pet to an uncertain fate or to an unwitting person and then block them.
Letโs be honest. You didnโt adopt a teddy bear. You got a powerful, intelligent, independent breedโฆ
An Akita is not a starter dog.
It’s not a fashion statement, A status symbol or a movie star.
It’s not โjust fluffyโ
Itโs complex
It’s a dog that needs training, boundaries, enrichment, guidance, leadership and a family who respects its unique traits.
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐๐? Then find a home that does.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐? Prepare your dog for that transition, like you would prepare any family member.
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ฟ? Train your dog (and we donโt just mean to sit and give a paw), teach them to become independent when you leave the house, crate train them, feed them well, not just some awful stuff full of colours, fillers and E numbers (and wonder why they are so hyper), meet their basic needsโฆ and ask for help before it becomes a crisis.
We know life changes. We know hardships happen and there are some genuine and tragic cases why you need to rehome a dog.
But far too often, these excuses are simply that: excuses.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป. ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
So many dogs, good dogs are being failed by the very people who promised to care for them for life.
If you’re thinking of getting an Akita because it looks majestic, noble, or โcoolโ โฆ donโt!
Not unless you’re willing to put in the work. To learn about the breed.
To train.
To adjust your life.
To make space, even when itโs hard.
Because when you donโt, we are the ones picking up the pieces.
Signed,
Every Rescue Volunteer Who has held a scared Akita, answered the calls, replied to the relentless emails, and cleaned up the mess you, left behind!
