Last Resort: Things to Consider Before Surrendering a Pet

When you bring a pet into your home, you make a commitment to that animal to care for it for the duration of its life. Sometimes, though, circumstances change and render us unable to properly care for the pets we love. There are lots of things to consider before surrendering a pet, though, and BEEVet Animal Hospital is here to help you think of them all.

Pulling Out All the Stops

Responsible pet owners understand that doing everything they can to keep a beloved pet in their home is important. Not every situation is preventable, though, and sometimes surrendering a pet cannot be helped.

The most common reasons that pets are surrendered include behavioral issues, financial changes, home life disturbances (think divorce or a move), or the inability to provide a pet with a good quality of life. 

Sometimes these things can be overcome, though. When bringing an animal into your home:

• Try to understand the time and financial commitment you are making
• Learn breed and species-specific behavioral tendencies 
• Understand what exercise and grooming requirements are required 
• Contact us to help you understand behavioral concerns as soon as they occur
• Provide appropriate environmental enrichment to decrease the odds of behavioral issues
• Keep up on wellness care to identify and combat potential problems early
• Consider how life changes might affect your pet so that you might anticipate how to make it less stressful for them

Giving up your pet is a big decision and should not be taken lightly. Before you upend your pet’s life, be sure you have exhausted all of your resources. 

When Surrendering a Pet is Imminent 

In rare instances, surrendering a pet is unavoidable. Even then, though, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. 

When your pet needs to find a new home, it is important to do everything in your power to set them up for success. Be sure to:

• Allow yourself plenty of time before a final decision must be made so that your options are plentiful
• Make sure your pet is an attractive candidate for adoption by spaying or neutering, updating vaccines, grooming, and providing appropriate parasite prevention 
• Thoroughly interview any individuals interested in your pet and consider a small adoption fee to prevent handing your pet over to a less-than-savory person
• Take on some responsibility and reach out to family and friends for possible solutions
• Touch base with foster groups and breed-based rescues to make connections and explore possible solutions to your problem
• Disclose your pet’s full medical history, providing veterinary records where possible
• Fully describe any behavioral problems that you have been dealing with
• Schedule an appointment for surrender versus just dumping your pet at a shelter to help ease the transition and set your pet us for success

Surrendering a pet is not a decision to be taken lightly. If you think you might need to rehome your pet, please let us know. While we don’t always have a home for your pet, we are happy to help in any way possible so that your pet can be placed in a loving home to care for them like you want them to be.