How to List a Pekingese for Adoption in the United States

What adoption criteria should you set for a Pekingese?

Decide before applications arrive, so you can say no fairly. For most Pekes, sensible criteria are:

• A cool home. The Pekingese Club of America says the breed tolerates cold well but not heat; ask for air conditioning in hot regions.
• The right household. The AKC says Pekes might tolerate children but are not suited to children who roughhouse. Pekingese Rescue Network says it does not adopt to families with children under six.
• Time for grooming. The AKC advises at least an hour of brushing a week, and PetMD says most long-coated Pekes need a groomer every six to eight weeks.
• A vet budget. Flat-faced, long-backed dogs can need airway, eye or spine treatment; ask how the adopter would pay.
• Indoor living with short, cool walks rather than long runs.

How much should a Pekingese adoption fee be?

Fees at Pekingese rescues have ranged widely: one Maine rescue quotes $100 to $500, and Pekingese Rescue Network has listed seniors at $450 to $750. The AKC puts typical shelter fees at $50 to $300. Set yours to reflect the vet work done and say what it includes.

A fair fee also discourages people who want a free dog to resell or breed. Owners rehoming their own pet often ask less; Adopt a Pet suggests a reasonable rehoming fee is often around $50 to $150.

What should you include when you list a Pekingese for adoption?

• Age, sex, weight, color and whether the dog is spayed or neutered and microchipped.
• Breathing: quiet, snores at night, or noisy after short walks.
• Eye and back history, any surgery, and current medication.
• Teeth, coat condition and how the dog accepts brushing and eye wiping.
• Behavior with children, visitors, other dogs and cats, and whether it barks or dislikes being left alone.
• The fee, what it covers, your area, and that the adopter must collect in person.

You can post a Pekingese adoption ad for free on PetzLover; it appears on the Pekingese adoption listings page, where people can save a search for new dogs. Keep your phone number out of the ad text and ask applicants to message you first.

How do you screen Pekingese adopters?

1. Send a written application covering the home, household, other pets, work hours and past dogs.
2. Ask for two adult references who are not family and a vet reference, as Pekingese Rescue Network does, and call them.
3. Ask renters for proof that pets are allowed.
4. Visit the home, or ask for photos of where the dog will live and sleep and how the yard is secured.
5. Arrange a meeting with everyone in the household, and watch how they handle a small dog.
6. Ask how they would cope with a hot day, a groomer bill or a sudden back problem.

What should a Pekingese adoption contract say?

• Names and addresses of both parties, the dog's description and microchip number.
• The fee and what it covered.
• What you disclosed about health and behavior, signed by the adopter.
• A return clause: if the adopter cannot keep the dog, it comes back to you, as Pekingese Rescue Network requires.
• No breeding, no sale and no transfer to anyone else without your consent.
• Indoor living, cool conditions, regular grooming and vet care.
• Consent to a follow-up call or visit.

How do you hand over a Pekingese and follow up?

1. Check local rules first. Many states set a minimum transfer age, often eight weeks, and most require rabies vaccination; tell the adopter when the next shot is due.
2. Hand over in person, by car. Several airlines, including Alaska, refuse Pekingese in the cargo hold.
3. Give the vet records, care and grooming notes, and any medication.
4. Transfer the microchip registration on the day; the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup shows which registry holds the chip.
5. Check in after a few days, a few weeks and about three months, the usual settling period.

If you are an owner rather than a rescue, see how to rehome a Pekingese responsibly, and consider replying to people who have posted a wanted ad; see how to respond to a Pekingese wanted ad.