Pet Rehoming and Surrender
Having to give up a pet for whatever reason is heartbreaking -- for both the owner and the pet. If you've found yourself in this unfortunate situation, helping to find a new home for your pet is the best thing you can do for them.
Please do NOT abandon your pet
Leaving or abandoning your pet in public places for someone else to find can have disastrous consequences. Likewise, surrendering them to the city shelter does not guarantee its safety and opens your pet up to the possibility of being euthanized if they are not adopted quickly enough.
Do what is best for your pet
Your pet is your responsibility for its entire lifetime; therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that they have a safe place to call home when you have to give up ownership of them.
Search for a new home
Before you start putting your pet up for adoption:
How to find a new home
Evaluate the New Home
Once you have found potential adopters for your pet, you will need to evaluate if they are indeed a suitable match.
MHC's Pet Surrender Waitlist
We understand that some circumstances can lead to the tough decision to find a new home for your pet. If you are the legal owner of your pet and you have exhausted all efforts (listed above) to re-home your pet, you may apply to be put on our waitlist for surrendering your pet to our care as a last resort.
MHC is dedicated to ensuring the compassionate care of every animal entrusted to us. We are a no-kill shelter. However, with limited space availability, our pet surrender waitlist operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to the most critical situations.
IMPORTANT: You must provide proof of ownership. Documentation must list your name as the animal’s owner. Examples of acceptable documentation include, but are not limited to: vaccination or medical history, transfer of ownership paperwork, licensing information, microchip registration, or purchase or adoption agreement. Failure to provide adequate proof of ownership will prevent you from being placed on our pet surrender waitlist.
Fill out the form and submit to [email protected] to be added to our waitlist.
Please do NOT abandon your pet
Leaving or abandoning your pet in public places for someone else to find can have disastrous consequences. Likewise, surrendering them to the city shelter does not guarantee its safety and opens your pet up to the possibility of being euthanized if they are not adopted quickly enough.
Do what is best for your pet
Your pet is your responsibility for its entire lifetime; therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that they have a safe place to call home when you have to give up ownership of them.
Search for a new home
Before you start putting your pet up for adoption:
- Make sure your pet's vaccinations are up-to-date.
- Make sure your pet is spayed or neutered.
- Have a copy of your pet's medical history and microchip information (if chipped).
- Have your pet groomed.
- Have a photo shoot and take great pictures of your pet.
- Write an honest yet appealing bio for your pet. Detail their background, medical history, behavior. Include positive traits that you love about your pet. Creating realistic expectations will ensure that your pet will find a permanent home.
How to find a new home
- Tell everyone. Tell your friends, family and people you work with that you're looking for a new home for your pet. People you know are more likely to empathize with you and your situation so they are more likely to open up their homes to your pet. Bonus: you already know these people so you will have an idea what kind of pet owner they will be. Also, they probably already had a chance to meet your pet. They can also help spread the word to their own networks.
- Contact the place from which you acquired your pet. Contact breeder/ shelter/ rescue group or wherever you acquired your pet and let them know that you are planning to rehome. They might be able to connect you with folks who are looking to adopt a pet.
- Contact No-kill shelters and rescue organizations in your area. Rescue groups cannot always provide shelter due to lack of space but they can help connect your pet to potential adopters. Even if they have no spots available, they can help advertise your pet as "available for adoption". This would mean that your pet would have to remain in your care until you find them the right home.
- Contact breed rescues. If you have a purebred cat or dog, you may be able to find a rescue organization that specializes in helping pets of that breed.
- Poster up. Place signs at local Veterinarian's Office, Pet Supply Store, Grooming Shops, Grocery Stores, Churches, Gym, School etc. Include a color photo and description along with your contact information.
- Advertise. Post an ad in the local paper.
- Post on Facebook! Post photos of your furry kid on the internet and any info you can about him/her: age, name, friendly/timid, likes other dogs, likes cats, likes people, neutered/spayed.
- Never list your pet dog as ‘free’. Unfortunately, dog fighting is a real threat. Free pets are sometimes picked up and then used as bait animals to train fighting dogs.
Evaluate the New Home
Once you have found potential adopters for your pet, you will need to evaluate if they are indeed a suitable match.
- Be picky. Please be particular as to whose hands you put your beloved pet into. Do a home check to see if they have a suitable environment for your pet. Just as adoption centers do, ask important questions that will help you evaluate if they are the right match for your pet. Sample questions to ask:
- Their housing situation (renting vs. owning), renters need landlord's approval and verification prior to adopting
- Type of housing - Sometimes the size of home matters, i.e. for big dogs, a house with a big yard would be best
- Number and ages of children in household
- Number and type of other pets they currently own (if any)
- Previous experience with pets
- Their activity level, lifestyle, and expectations for a new animal
- Allow for a period of adjustment. Just because you've turned your pet over to a new home doesn't mean you can wash your hands off of them entirely. In the following weeks, until you feel confident about leaving your pet completely in the new owner's hands, check up on your pet and see how the new owner and your former pet are getting along. The new pet owner may have some follow-up questions about your pet. As well, sometimes new pet owners can have a change of heart and realize that they do not want a pet after all or they cannot get along with your particular pet. Do your due diligence and make sure that your pet is completely settled into his/her new home. If not, you may want to take the lead on finding another home for your pet.
- Be patient. The process can and will take time. You don't want to rush things and have your pet suffer in the end.
MHC's Pet Surrender Waitlist
We understand that some circumstances can lead to the tough decision to find a new home for your pet. If you are the legal owner of your pet and you have exhausted all efforts (listed above) to re-home your pet, you may apply to be put on our waitlist for surrendering your pet to our care as a last resort.
MHC is dedicated to ensuring the compassionate care of every animal entrusted to us. We are a no-kill shelter. However, with limited space availability, our pet surrender waitlist operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to the most critical situations.
IMPORTANT: You must provide proof of ownership. Documentation must list your name as the animal’s owner. Examples of acceptable documentation include, but are not limited to: vaccination or medical history, transfer of ownership paperwork, licensing information, microchip registration, or purchase or adoption agreement. Failure to provide adequate proof of ownership will prevent you from being placed on our pet surrender waitlist.
Fill out the form and submit to [email protected] to be added to our waitlist.
