Owner Surrender Requests
We understand that there are situations in which re-homing a pet may be necessary, and we know it is not an easy decision. Unfortunately, due to the high number of homeless pets in local pounds, we may not have the space available to help you re-home your pet. However, we will try to help you as much as we can by providing information on ways to re-home your pet.
Why can’t I just drop my pet off with you?
As a pound rescue organization, we are very limited in the number of owner surrenders we can take in. We consider pound animals to be a priority because they are only given 3-5 days to be claimed by their owner, and if left unclaimed, are at risk of being euthanized. Our shelter is small, with only 9 dog kennels, 26 cat kennels, and a small kitten room to support the many stray animals of Cass and Clay counties, and unfortunately that doesn’t leave much, if any, space for the animals whose owners can no longer care for them.
What can I do to re-home my pet?
One of the first things we ask, is why are you giving your pet up? If you are experiencing behavioral issues with your pet, and this is the reason for needing to re-home them, we can refer you to trainers or provide you information on curbing the behavioral problems, when possible.
If this is not a behavioral problem, here are some tips to re-homing your pet:
We always suggest asking friends or family first - someone you know may be willing to take on your pet, and it will give you peace of mind knowing your pet is going to someone you know.
You can try websites like Adopt-A-Pet.com that have a rehoming service, which promotes your animal in a similar way that shelters promote animals for adoption.
If you bought your pet from a breeder, check your purchase agreement to see if the breeder requires the animal to come back into their care. Even if they don't, ask them if they have any recommendations for rehoming the pet.
If you decide to post an ad online, we recommend that when someone comes to meet your pet, that you ask all the questions you need to, until you feel comfortable. This is your pet and you need to make sure that you will be providing him/her a loving future home.
If your dog is purebred, you may consider finding a breed rescue to help you re-home your pet. You can research breed rescues online (ex: Sheltie rescue in Minnesota) to see if your dog might be able to be accepted by a breed rescue.
- Try other shelters and rescues. There are shelters/rescues across the region and we can't speak on behalf of other shelters/rescues in regards to whether or not they may have space. We offer this suggestion as a last resort simply because many are full, so you may get turned down several times before finding a shelter/rescue with room or a waiting list.
If you are trying to re-home a pet that has aggressive issues – please, speak to your veterinarian first. Aggression is not something to take lightly, and passing an aggressive animal on to someone who is not prepared could result in severe injuries or worse. Your veterinarian or an experienced dog behavioralist, can tell you if your pet is a candidate for being re-homed. Aggressive dogs should not be re-homed if they are a danger to humans or other domesticated animals, for the safety of all involved.
