Great dogs come with great responsibility, and when it comes to owning a Great Dane the responsibility can be daunting. Great Dane Rescue Leagues around the country, work tirelessly on behalf of these gentle giants, ensuring owners know exactly what they're promising when they bring a Great Dane home and caring for animals that have been neglected or cast aside.

According to published information on league websites, a big problem is people who buy puppies on impulse, without researching the breed first. A cute puppy grows into a giant dog that is "simply not compatible with their family."

"Too big... chews too much... costs too much... poops too much... " are all common complaints from owners surrendering their Great Dane. Volunteers note that with a bit of research ahead of time, all of these complaints would have been addressed prior to adoption.

"Many dogs that come into our program are sick, injured or have suffered abuse but there are just as many happy, healthy, well-adjusted Great Danes that find themselves facing the euthanasia needle because of hardships faced by their families," said rescue volunteer Jamie.

Great Dane Rescue Groups around the country don't necessarily run shelters, but they do work with local shelters to save Great Danes on "death row." Once received, unwanted Danes are tested and treated for a variety of issues, microchipped and placed with a trained foster parent until adoption. This ensures that each Dane's health and temperament are evaluated prior to placement, leading to an increased chance of successful adoption.

"All foster homes crate train, work on basic obedience and work on housebreaking," Jamie noted.

Adopting a Great Dane is not a complicated process, but it is not as easy as making a phone call and adopting a dog an hour later. This ensures the right animal is placed with the right home. The leagues operate websites and message forums for potential and current owners and an adoption application form can be downloaded from any site.

According to published information on league websites, ensuring owners know what they are in for BEFORE adopting is key to avoiding unwanted Danes later. With this in mind, volunteers participate at periodic "meet and greet" events in which the public can come face to face with Great Danes and learn more about them, as well as events such as "DaneFest" that raise money for the cause. This year, DaneFest raised $8,000 for the organization, money that helps pay the veterinarian bills that come from saving abused, neglected and abandoned dogs.

"It started out as a 'family reunion' for adopting families," said Jamie. "We decided it was just too much fun to keep to ourselves!"

In addition to placing animals with loving homes, Great Dane Rescue Leagues of North America, are always in need of donations and volunteers.