Community Resources

Dog Training

Two of our volunteers/fosters also work as dog trainers. They can help with basic obedience, breaking unwated behaviors, or learning various positive reinforcement strategies. The trainers specialize in the least invasive and minimally aversive methods of training. Be sure to mention if your dog is a Mitten Mutt!

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• Megan Barnard ~ Owner of B's Downtown Dogs, LLC

  • Located in Essexville, MI​

  • 989.326.0691 or BDowntownDogsLLC@gmail.com

• Kayti Chartier

  • Located in Bay City, MI​

  • 989.941.7788 or KaytiChartier@gmail.com

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Surrending Your Dog

For the most part, MMDR only takes dogs from shelters. On rare occasion, we will consider owner surrenders. Please complete the questionnaire linked HERE. Completing this questionaaire does not mean we will take the dog, simply that we will consider it. If we were to approve your dogs, it would be going into a volunteer's own home as  foster, so we ask that you be completely honest and thorough in your response.

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At this time, we do not have any pet-free fosters, so we cannot consider any dog-aggressive surrenders.

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Rehoming Your Dog

Sometimes it makes sense for a dog to be directly rehomed instead of surrendured to a foster home, staying there for a short while, and then being adopted out. In these types of situations, MMDR simply acts as a "middle man." The types of dogs that we will consider for direct rehoming must already be spayed/neutered and cannot have any sort of aggression to humans.

The direct rehoming process:

1. Submit an owner surrender form. 

2. Part of that form asks for you to email photos. When you do that, please indicate that you are interested ​​in directly rehoming.

3. A volunteer will email you back letting you know if you have been approved.

4. If approved, you will be asked to email us an adoption write up and vet records. All of the following should be included in the write up:

   1. Does the dog get along with other dogs, kids, cats, etc

   2. Is the dog housebroken or crate trained?

   3. Does the dog have any behavioral or health problems?

   4. Does the dog require a fenced in yard?

   5. Does the dog walk well on a leash? Enjoy car rides?

5. The more details that you can include, the easier this process will be.

6. Any applications will be sent to you and you will be responsible for communicating with potential adopters. We can help with applicant vet reference checks if needed.

7. If your dog is rehomed, we ask that both parties consider donating to MMDR as an acknowledgment of our volunteers' time

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