We're getting ready to move.....

My fiancee and I are getting ready to move finally and we have the money, but we do have pets. Three cats and two dogs. I was able to take care of them perfectly before but not that we're moving it is causing a lot of hardship in order to get a place. Most of the places I've seen accepted cats, but the dogs are a different story. I've adopted both, a puppy and an older dog both large dogs, and I really don't wish to get rid of them. I love them too much and the puppy only knows us! However, it's been nearly impossible for us to find a place that takes them and at the same time staying where we're currently staying is a living hell. If we don't leave soon, one of us are going to break. I don't know what to do. I can give them back to where I got them before, but I'll feel guilty for even getting them but I didn't understand or know how bad our situation was going to be at the time. What should I do? Just take one and give back the other? I'm so conflicted and don't want to live with any guilt. According to the adoption terms for both I would have to give them back to the shelter which is already heavily populated. What should I do?

I would first exhaust all the options for finding a place. Are you flexible on some of the criteria? If it's a house, not a flat, landlord normally should not mind. Did you consider some less sought after areas where a landlord will be happy to have honest, reliable tenants? And finally, what if you offered to compensate for any damage caused by the dogs. Think through what can be damaged, and put it in the lease agreement that you will make it right before you move out. Or entice a landlord with some fantastic improvements that you'll do that will add value to their property. Just brainstorming, but if the garden is chaotic, unkempt, you could add value by making it a beautiful, eye catching green spot or something. Or you could tell when you move out you'll repaint the whole house beautifully, so the landlord won't have that cost. And the two of you surely can watch some youtube videos and paint the house, it's not difficult.

And if any of that doesn't work, can you find a replacement owner? You could give it to someone as loving as caring as yourself. And you won't have guilt afterwords because you've done all you could.

If it's a house, not a flat, landlord normally should not mind.

Not true. I had to move over the summer (I'm renting for a year before buying) and my salary was too high to get an apartment. It took me three months to find a house to rent because every single landlord I spoke to DID NOT want tenants with dogs. I have a 30 lb Corgi that would not cause any destruction, still got a lot of "no"s because so many landlords have had bad experiences with irresponsible dog owners where they had to replace flooring/carpeting, clean up the yard, replace vanities that dogs have chewed, etc. I almost didn't get the house I moved into because of two bad tenants with destructive dogs (I had a realtor who talked him into getting me because she was a corgi owner). I had to buy soil and patch up holes in the yard because the last tenant had a pit bull that dug in the yard.

If the OP has a small dog, she may have an easier time finding a place. But having more than one dog and if they are over 25-30 lbs, a lot of landlords are not going to be comfortable. It's more work on them to maintain the place, even if the OP offers to pay for any damage. Renting out homes is an investment and no landlord wants to hire contractors to fix any major damages after each tenant moves in.

My husband and I would love to get a second Corgi if we could, but our landlord would kill us.

I can give them back to where I got them before, but I'll feel guilty for even getting them but I didn't understand or know how bad our situation was going to be at the time. What should I do? Just take one and give back the other? I'm so conflicted and don't want to live with any guilt.

You have to let go of the guilt and do what's right for both you and the dogs. I had to rehome my parrot because my life was changing and I could not commit myself to an animal that lived for 30 years (I've raised birds for over 20 years, so yes it was hard). So yea, I know how that feels... But at the same time I am comforted by the fact that my bird's new owner has three other parrots and will give him a lot of love and care.

If you have to give one up, the puppy should go. Easy to adopt and should be with a family for a long time. An older dog would not cause as much destruction and might be easier to move it, but there are no guarantees.

Do you guys have family that can take the dogs in?

I hate double posting, but this also came up.

Just because you have to rehome a pet does NOT mean you are a bad owner- it means you are responsible because you want what is right for your dogs. Unfortunately situations sometimes change so unexpected and drastically that you don't always have a way of knowing what will happen next. My parents had to take in a neighbor's dog in temporarily for several months because of the economy, the neighbors lost their home and they had to live somewhere where they couldn't bring their pet along (they ended up refining their dog with a friend they knew later). Again, circumstances change and adjustments had to be made- and that doesn't mean my neighbors were bad owners.

So please, please do not blame yourself or call yourself a bad pet owner for giving up pets. It s and I have been down that road before with my parrot whom I had for over 10 years. But please know that Nobody will or should be judging you harshly for it. Stuff happens, but as a good owner would care so much about their pets that they will see to it they end up in a good home, with a family with time and a place who can care for the pets.

The first step is to see if anyone in your family or friends can take the pets in temporarily until you find a place that can take in dogs. But if not... find an owner who is willing to take the dogs in (and screen them).

What area do you live in? I have always been able to find places that accept pets. And yes, if you can rent a house with a yard, you can usually find a landlord who will accept pets.

For the future, you should probably consider not getting any more pets. Also, as your pets pass, don't replace them. Life is so much easier with a smaller number of pets. It's better for your pets, too, because they need lots of attention.

The less pets you have, the easier it is to get a place. And you don't have to worry about getting rid of any of them.

If you have cars, look in a more rural area for a house rental. People in rural areas usually allow pets. I rented a rural house, near a city, and I had one dog, one cat, one rat, and one human baby. The previous tenant had owned three large dogs.

Keep looking. You'll find something.

There are always apartments that will advertise as being pet friendly. So I would look diligently for that. Some will also advertise as large breed dog friendly in particular.

Not sure where you live exactly, but also talk to realtors that rent homes, look for ads with private owners renting places directly, etc. It's not necessarily easy to find one that will be friendly to all the pets, but not impossible either. See if there are places that actually help you find apartments like apartment hunters. Go to their office and talk to them. They might have info you don't.

Not sure at what point you get 5 pets and don't consider the complications that come with finding a new place. There are many that exist, but be prepared to pay out the ass on a deposit to cover two dogs and three cats. You'll have much better luck with renting a house than an apartment. I know I wouldn't want the unit below yours. Good luck. Hope for the animals' sake that you can spare them the stress of rehoming with another family.

Where are you staying now? Who wants to move and why?

it's been nearly impossible for us to find a place that takes them and at the same time staying where we're currently staying is a living hell.

What area do you live in? I have always been able to find places that accept pets. And yes, if you can rent a house with a yard, you can usually find a landlord who will accept pets.

I'm not sure where you found such luck. I live in a suburban/rural area and within 3 months, I only found two homes that were ok with dogs (30 lbs or less). And the information about yards is not entirely true. Yards raise property value which brings in higher investment/increased rent. Landlords would not want a dog that's going to tear/dig/burn the grass up in the yard unless a tenant has a very small dog that will hardly do any damage.

Going by the OP's description, it sounds like she has two big dogs- otherwise she wouldn't have this much complication of finding a rental home.