Max is a 1 1/2 yr old intact male purebred husky, Siberian I think, who was registered with AKC and another organization that starts with N. His original owners had his papers, but we do not have them. When he was 9 months old, my bighearted but misguided stepson "rescued" him from his first family in MA where he had been relegated to living in the basement after his puppy cuteness wore off and was going to be delivered to a shelter. I stood opposed to this, not because Max didn't need and deserve rescuing, but because I knew enough about my family and the breed to know it would be disastrous to try to keep him. Suffice it to say, I was right. Max currently lives in my in town house in central Maine with my husband, nephew and stepson. His daily life looks like this:

6:00 - 7:00 am: Sees husband and nephew come out of closed bedrooms and follows them around the house as they prepare to go to work. He is given a dish of kibble (which he does not eat), a bowl of water and a bowl of milk (which he loves). On many days, neither will take the time to bring him out to potty before leaving the house.
7:00am - 1:00pmish: Wanders around the house alone, going to the bathroom where ever and whenever he chooses, spends alot of time laying outside stepsons closed bedroom door waiting for him to wake up.
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Follows stepson around house as he prepares to go to work, may or may not get to go outside for potty.
2:00pm - 6:00pmish: Wanders around the house alone, going to the bathroom where ever and whenever he chooses, spends alot of time laying beside front door waiting for husband/nephew to come home.
6:00pm-7:00am next day: Enthusiastically greets husband/nephew at door and is treated to about 15 minutes of affection and some chicken tenders, may or may not get to go outside for potty before watching both go into bedrooms and close doors. This is the high point of his day! For the rest of the night, he lays outside my husbands bedroom door. He will get to see my son walk thru front door and go directly to bedroom when he comes home from work around midnight.

This is a sad, sorry existence for any dog to say nothing about such an energetic, enthusiastic pack oriented breed!

I do not live there, I live an hour away. My husband spends weekends with me so Max doesn't even get to enjoy his company (or chicken nuggets) for 15 minutes a day on Saturday & Sundays. I no longer will even visit my in town home because it has become nothing more than a giant litter box that simply infuriates me! This entire situation is completely unacceptable and after 9 months of empty promises to do better, I have finally decided that I have to take action despite my boys protests that they won't get rid of Max because they "love" him. How selfish! I will NOT bring Max to live with me because I happen to be a realistic person. We are not a good match for each other. I do not have the energy, physical stamina or strong alpha presence required to meet his needs. I am intimidated by him and that is a recipe for an even greater disaster.

This poor dog needs to be rescued from his rescuers and I am earnestly seeking your assistance in finding him a suitable rehoming situation. I can take him to the nearest shelter, and God knows that would probably be a step up for him. However I am aware that, particularly with this breed, the likelihood of success diminishes with every subsequent rehoming and I am loathe to see him subjected to yet another good intentioned but thoroughly misguided human being! He is absolutley gorgeous, very intelligent, quick to learn new things and eager to please when he feels like it or thinks it will result in people food. I firmly believe that any issues: toileting, mouthing, trash picking; are all directly related to the people not the dog and can be turned around quickly with the right person and situation. He lives with cats, and although he harrasses them out of boredom, he gets along well with them. He has frequent exposure to my young grandchildren, and although it makes me nervous due to his mouthing, I have never seen any aggression issues. On occassions, he has been exposed to other dogs and has always played very well as he is just so excited and happy to have companionship. He displays submissive behaviors with one female dog that he sees periodically, so I am confident that he can successfully integrate with a pack. Max NEEDS an experienced husky person to save him!!! Please, PLEASE, help!!!

A quick search led me here. They are a rescue group in MA specifically for huskies. If you can't surrender Max to them, they will most definitely be able to help you find some other resources. I would say a rescue group is going to be best. Then they can get him in a foster home, and rehab him before he goes to a new home.

http://www.pshr.org/

Oh my, sound's like a pretty hectic situation!

If I were you, I would contact the nearest Husky Rescue. They will be able to find him a home and with the right family. Sound's like this guy just needs some training and good exercising!

I would also avoid giving him milk, this could cause him an upset stomach and could be the reasoning for him using the bathroom in the house so much. Also, crating him for the time being could help a great deal.

I'm guessing there are more rescues, but this was the first that popped up. There is also a great one in NJ called Husky House, and one in PA called Delaware Valley Siberian Husky Rescue. Both are excellent. I'm sorry to hear about Max. I'm glad you are taking the initiative to give him a better chance at life.

Thank you both for your quick replies! I spent all day yesterday searching for Husky related organizations where I might be able to call or post about him and just discovered this one today on a craiglist ad. I will look up the husky rescue organizations you recommend ASAP, and put some feelers out in those directions. However, I am really hoping to find an individual or family with other huskies and interest as I'm going to have some MAJOR opposition from the men in my life around making this change happen. I think if they could meet the person/people and get a feel for the fact that this will truly be a better life for Max, perhaps their love for him will win over their selfishly motivated inclinations to keep him.

@Kelly: Max has a crate that he occassionally chooses to lay in with the door open, but they will not crate him while he is alone in the house or at night because he howls nonstop the entire time. My house is right intown so this causes issues with the neighbors. As for the milk (and chicken nuggets), I have told my husband the same but I may as well be talking to a wall. To his way of thinking this is giving the dog a treat.

I honestly think a rescue is actually probably a better option for him. They will foster him in a home and teach him how to live with a family, potty train him, and get to know his personality well enough to place him in a forever home. They will screen and evaluate potential adopters, visit their homes, and discuss their lifestyles to make sure he is a good fit. They have the luxury of being picky about finding the perfect family for him since they are not in a rush to place him. It is also the fastest and safest way to get him into a better situation.

Yes, definitely look into a rescue and they will have foster families who are use to these problems and can fix them. Maybe the foster family who ends up with him might love him so much they will keep him. Where in central Maine does your husband and family live?

Husky N Lab Rescue out of Alton, Maine (I believe that is pretty central as well)
http://www.huskynlabrescue.org/

OK, so far I have checked out the Pariot Husky rescue in MA that Jen suggested, they are strictly a referral service so if you surrender a dog they go to the Sterling Animal Shelter as crates become available to house them. I'm never going to be able to sell that as a better situation to DH and boys. Not sure I can quite sell it to myself. But I did leave a message for them incase maybe they know of a potential home placement. I'm currently looking at the Husky Lab Rescue site in Maine that Laura suggested, but they seem to also be a referral service that deals exclusively with kill shelter transfers from down south and gets them into foster situations up north...called them as I was writing this and got voicemail, so left a message.

@Erica: Max and company live in Auburn, I'm in the Farmington area.

Ugh, I'm so close and REALLY wish I could help and at least take him for awhile but I think boyfriend would kick me out of the apartment. I would say keep looking around for rescues in ME, MA, NH, and VT at least those will be close.

Ha ha! Same here. Try huskyhouse.org. They will often work to arrange transport if you can't go that far. I know they are very diligent about working to rehab and foster dogs before they adopt them out.

Dogs are so much more reliable than man anyways, Erica! I'm just fooling around. Going to check out HuskyHouse now.

Trust me I know, if I had to choose between my boyfriend and my dogs it would be my dogs ANY day. My concern is that when I bring this husky home, me and my newly now three huskies will be homeless! hahaha

But good luck! I'm sure you will find something that works for everyone!

Kmackey wrote:

Dogs are so much more reliable than man anyways, Erica! ;)I'm just fooling around. Going to check out HuskyHouse now.

Ha!

Did HuskyHouse work out at all? I work for Delaware Valley, and while we don't normally take in dogs from that far north (we stay in MD, DE, NJ, and eastern PA) if you're really in a bind and can get the dog down to us we *might* be able to help. I can't promise anything, but I'll at least send it up.

Hi Meredith, thanks for asking. I went to their site and clicked on their contact page...it lists no numbers to call but had an owner surrender link which I opened and this is what is said:

"Husky House adheres to a strict policy on owner surrenders. We can courtesy post your Siberian, if proof is sent in that the dog is updated on shots and fixed. If the dog is not updated on shots and fixed, we will NOT courtesy post your dog. If we do post your dog, the owner will have sole responsibility of placement of the dog. Husky House's role is merely to advertise the dog. If you do not receive a response within 7 days, we will not be able to help you with posting your dog on our website. We do not deviate from this policy. While most of the time we will not accept owner surrenders into the rescue, they will be reviewed on a case by case basis."

Max is not fixed, although I have been talking to my husband and son till I'm blue in the face about the need to make that happen for nine months now. So a courtesy post is out of the question at the moment. I stopped short of filling out the application for the rescue shelter.

When I worked for Siberian Husky Rescue of Florida we had the same policy about courtesy posts on dogs. Can you show those web pages to your husband to convince him to get it done?

Well, it's like this Meridith, my husband is not yet aware that I am actively seeking a solution. I know I was probably pipe dreaming, but when I started on this quest yesterday I was really hoping that I would find some local husky organizations, make a few inquiries and miraculously find some nice folks who would say, "Hey, we've had Huskies for years and would love to have Max join our pack". In my fantasy, they would go on to tell me all the wonderful things Max would enjoy in his new life with their family and how since they were local, my boys would be welcome to go visit anytime they liked. Than, and only than, did I intend to make a soft serve appeal to my boys hearts about how this would REALLY be the right thing to do for the dog and how it would be way too selfish for them to deny him this new opportunity.

Foolish thinking, I know. And as I've gone around to the various rescue sites today, the point has come home to me time and again that there are just so many animals out there in far more dire circumstances than Max has. He is not in a kill shelter, being starved or beaten. It just makes me feel unable to take that plunge all the way to a rescue surrender or other shelter. We have plenty of animal shelters in our areas, but as everywhere else they are overloaded with animals and underfunded. Which brings me to the place where I know that my family just needs to get their poop together and be more responsible about taking better care of this dog!!! That's the only real change that needs to occur. Unfortunately, I am not there to police and enforce it and after 9 months of making threats and extracting promises (that do not get fulfilled)...here I am at this juncture.

I went to college in Maine and have a lot of friends up there. I've sent out a Facebook plea to see if any of them can help.

What is it with guys and their dogs' "manhood"?

I hope things work out.

Wow, thank you Kim! I really appreciate your effort I know, right? Everytime I bring the subject up, my husband grabs his own package and winces, LOL! You went to Orono, right? I think I saw that on another post of yours I read in this forum today. How long ago was that?

Yeah, I went to orono. Graduated in 2000.

This may seem silly, but I remember my dad doing this when I got my first dog at 15. He made up a contract dictating the care and circumstances of my responsibilities and the consequences of what would happen if I didn't live up to what we agreed. He was trying to teach me responsibility since I was a bit of a free spirit back then (still am, but a little better now). I was totally committed to that dog before I got her, so it was never an issue, and looking back, I'm not sure he would have truly enforced it either, but I'll never know. If I were you, I would include restoring your townhouse (replacing carpets if needed) in the contract once Max is potty trained. They are being totally selfish and unreasonable. I don't know you or your family, but from my vantage point it sounds like they are completely belittling you, ignoring your needs, not listening or respecting you or your property, and taking advantage of you. If my husband acted that way toward me I would be hurt and angry. It seems like it's not just about Max in some ways.

Maybe you could come up with something like that, and give an ultimatum to sign and agree or the dog is going in your car to a rescue immediately. If they laugh in your face, get some treats and a leash and take Max out to your car. But you have to be ready to actually follow through, because it sounds like they WILL call your bluff. Then if nothing changes by the date you chose then surrender the dog to a rescue and no kill shelter, who will most likely place the dog with a rescue anyway. You could also simply deliver a written notice with your terms and set a date. You may also have some recourse if the townhouse is in your name, but you probably don't want to go there because then the dog would probably go to animal control. If you are truly afraid of Max, you could have a rescue rep and an officer come out to mediate the surrender as its technically your property. But that sounds like that may create scars in the family that may never heal.

I don't think you should compare your situation to other dogs out there that are in dire need of rescue. Max may not be being physically abused or in a truly horrific situation, but his life sucks. You know that and are doing the right thing by trying to make it better, and if that means calling a rescue, then you shouldn't hesitate because you think there is a dog that needs it more. Max needs it, and that's all that matters, I feel like you might be using that as a justification (again don't know you personally, so I apologize in advance if that is way off the mark). You may not be able to see Max's scars, but they are there, and they are getting deeper. His issues will get worse, and if he is living in a urine soaked environment, eventually his feet will get sores and the ammonia will damage his lungs and he will get sick. The longer he lives like that, the worse his issues will get and the harder it will get for him to adjust to a new family and learn his place in the world. He is a relatively young dog, with a long life ahead that could actually be really great. I really commend you for trying to do the best thing for Max and your family and I don't envy your situation. Good luck with everything and let us know how it turns out.

I wish I could I also put this on facebook and try to keep him close but I cannot think of any of my closer friends that I would feel comfertable recomending for husky ownership but I will keep and eye out and think a little bit and let you know!

How old are your sons if you dont mind me asking? And maybe tell them that your looking to rehome him unless they start taking him out and spending time with him.

@ Jen - You certainly have a firm grasp of the situation in total. Thank you for sharing the view from your vantage point and your gentle honesty!!! I LOVE your suggestion of a contract as it gives me a way to bridge the gap from the path of least resistance to a more direct approach. I will begin drafting one today so I can put it into effect on the 1st of the month and you bet it will include reparations to my property.
@ Erica - Even at my age, I still believe in the occasional miracle. So I am going to do what I always do in difficult situations...pray like it depends on God, but work like it depends on me. If I put this information out in enough directions, it may just yet hit the ears of the person who can offer my "fantasy" solution. You never know who could end up being the conduit for that through casual conversation...might just be you.
@ Eric - I don't mind you asking at all. My "children" are as follows: Stepson (who Max actually belongs to) will be 18 in a few days, but where matters of responsibility and selflessness are concerned his maturity level is significantly younger. My Nephew (in-law) is 21 but I hold him blameless as he has neither authority nor responsibility for any of this situation and yet he is the person who generally provides for any of the needs Max does get met. My husband is 45 but where matters of his only son are concerned, his maturity level is also significantly younger. I'm sure you're picking up what I'm putting down here.
@ All who took the time to reply - You are the most genuinely caring group of people that I have had the pleasure to meet in a long time. After posting yesterday I gritted my teeth in anticipation of the onslaught of condemning responses I expected to receive. Thank you all for NOT meeting my expectations! Instead you have offered solid advice, thoughtful insights and pointed me in some good directions. And while I was not yet ready to walk down those paths, this has given me the clarity to form a plan of action that I can live with on all levels. I will stop posting further until I have something to report directly related to Max because I don't want to take advantage of your kindness and let this thread shift from a husky related topic to a family dynamics therapy session. I AM going to put that contract into effect with CLEAR expectations, deadlines and consequences so that one way or the other, Max's life will be radically improved by the end of August. I think that is a realistic timeframe to offer for significant change before taking drastic actions. I will let you know how this resolves.