Rehoming – Giving up a Pet – What are your options?

Pets are for life. They deserve our very best efforts to keep them in the family. In return for their endless love, they count on us to always be there to care for them. Pets do not understand life's bumps in the road that sometimes lead to their rehoming. We cannot explain to them why they may need to relocate. For this reason, pet rehoming should never be an easy solution to any dilemma. If all other options have been considered and rehoming is absolutely the only answer, be reasonable and responsible.

Reasonable Reasons for Rehoming

If you've come into a situation that is causing you to consider finding a new home for your dog, cat, or other pet, please consider all other humane options first. Keeping your pet in the home to which he is accustomed with the family he loves is what is most fair to him. Listed below are some common reasonable reasons for rehoming a pet and some other possible solutions.

Plan Early

If it is necessary for you to rehome your dog – plan early. Many shelters can work to find your dog a new home if you let them know as soon as possible. Many times people looking for a dog may prefer a dog that has been in a home over one that was a stray. Also, they can include you in adoption events where you can bring your dog to help find a new owner.

Responsible Rehoming Options

If the only option for you and your pet is to find a new home for your furry friend, do it responsibly. Do NOT assume that a Good Samaritan will come along and rescue your pet. It is never acceptable to let the pet go somewhere outside (such as beside the highway or on someone's doorstep), leave him in an abandoned house, give him to the first responder to a "free dog" sign, or anything else that involves the strong possibility of a bad home or injury to the pet. Listed below are responsible ways to find a new, loving home for your animals.

Be Part of the Solution

Foreclosure sales on homes, owner deaths, new births, relation problems with other pets, and countless other life changes bring pet/owner relationships to an end, leaving pets homeless. If you are looking for a permanent four-legged family member, please consider adoption. Visit your local shelter or rescue group and bring a smile to the face of a homesick pet