Have you tried contacting the breeder/rescue that you got your Akita from?

This is the first thing you should do.  Most responsible breeders will take their Akitas back,  no matter how old the Akita may be, or at the very least assist you in finding a new home for the Akita.  Nearly all reputable rescue groups and many municipal shelters require that you return the dog to them.


What you should consider before advertising your Akita as "free":
Please visit Bunchers for the shocking truth about what often happens to animals advertised as "free to good home".


What you should consider before taking a dog to the shelter:
Please visit "A Dose of Reality"  to understand what happens to your dog at the shelter.


WHAT ARMAC CAN AND CAN'T DO FOR YOU:

Due to extremely high call volumes — we field over 800 calls per year from owners/shelters/humane groups needing to surrender dogs — we are temporarily limiting the types of phone calls we will accept:

1. We will return phone calls from the following people and groups as soon as possible. If a machine answers, please be sure to leave both day and evening numbers.
   1. people interested in adopting an Akita
   2. people interested in fostering an Akita
   3. former and current adopters of ARMAC orphans
   4. shelters, humane societies, and rescue groups
   5. people who are having health or behavior issues with their Akita(s), who want to solve these issues, but not give up their dog(s).
   6. people who want an evaluation of their dog for health or temperament

     2.  We are not accepting owner surrenders at this time.  We will be happy to help you place your dog, but just have no room available to take your dog.  We will return calls to owners who can keep their dog until it finds a home.  We can post these Akitas on our website (see below) and advise on the screening of homes and dog placement. First, please read this article from the Akita Rescue Society of America:

• Placing Your Akita

For posting on the web site: a dog must be neutered or spayed, have current vaccinations, be free of heartworms, and have no bite history. Proof of current shots, heartworm check, and spay/neuter can be faxed to 301-347-3048, or scanned and e-mailed to info@akitarescue.org. At the same time, please e-mail a digital photo and write-up. Your write-up should include: dog's name, date of birth or approximate age, weight, how well the dog gets along with other animals (cats, male dogs, female dogs, big dogs, little dogs), how much exposure the dog has to children and what their ages are, whether the dog is food or toy possessive, whether the dog is housebroken, crate trained, or obedience trained, how well the dog walks on lead, whether the dog rides well in a car, whether the dog is an escape artist, whether the dog has separation anxiety or is destructive in the house (and if so, how and when). Also describe any physical problems and past surgeries. Important: include a contact name and phone number or e-mail address. Any information you provide may be posted on our web site. We reserve the right to edit text and photos before posting. By submitting a write-up and/or photo to us, you are implicitly granting us the right to alter or publish them on our web site and possibly on other web sites that list animals in need of homes.

We strongly advise you to have all potential adopters read the following articles from our web site:

• Akita Information
• Akita Temperament
• Akita Temperament Revisited
• Introductions
• Transitions

We urge you to be very careful in your placement and investigation of potential new owners. See Pet-abuse.com for a sobering look at what can happen with a poor placement.  And keep in mind that these maps show only the cases that were brought to the attention of the authorities and prosecuted — there are many, many more that are not reported.

Regarding biting dogs: our insurance does not allow us to rehome a biting dog, and generally, neither does a surrendering owner's. If your dog has bitten frequently or unprovoked or has killed or severely injured other animals, please consider euthanasia. If you insist on placing the dog on your own anyway, you could still be held liable if the dog bites a human or severely injures or kills another pet while in his new home, even if the new owner was informed about the dog's aggression and bite history.