By Bridget Domenighini
Many people who love their pets dearly find themselves in situations where they are considering relinquishment to a shelter or other animal welfare organization. These reasons often include:
- Owners are moving, new place will not accept pets
- The pet is sick or injured
- Owner cannot afford basic care
- Dog grew to be bigger than initially expected
- Dog or cat has behavior problems
- Owner is going into assisted living facility
If you have found yourself in a situation where you are considering relinquishing a pet, ask yourself if your pet is the issue, or if the issue is with your family, financial situation, or living arrangements. The answer to this question can help you determine the best outcome for you and your pet.
If you determine the problem lies with a behavioral or medical problem with the pet, and you have tried or know you cannot afford to address the situation properly with a vet or a trainer, the animal may not do well in a shelter, either. For example, if you have a dog that has severe separation anxiety in your home, to the point where she mutilates herself, she may be worse in the high stress shelter environment. It is important to consider your pet’s quality of life if relinquished to a shelter, and her adoptability with her issues. A dog whose issue is that it barks if left alone in the yard is obviously more adoptable than a dog that is incredibly aggressive toward children.
In some situations, the kindest thing for animals with medical or severe behavioral issues is euthanasia. The owner can be present, and the dog will not have to suffer through the trauma of being left alone at a shelter, just to be overlooked by adopters due to her issues. This applies to elderly pets, as well. If your dog is a senior, consider how difficult it will be for her to adjust to a new home after all those years with you by her side.
How to Choose a Shelter
Many people have ideas or thoughts about what a shelter should be. The biggest difference in a physical shelter and foster-based organization is where the animal is housed. In a shelter, the dog or cat would be housed in a kennel; while in a foster-based organization, the animal would be in a home. While having your beloved pet in a home sounds great, foster-based organizations have limited space, and it may take months to get your animal into the program. Certain animals usually do better in a home, and may be worth waiting to get into a foster program. Animals who are older or have special needs are good examples.
Once you’ve decided on the type of shelter you will be relinquishing your pet to, call around to ask about adoption, transfer, and euthanasia policies. Just because you are relinquishing ownership does not mean you don’t care about your pet, and ensuring that he goes to a place that will best fit his or her needs is the kindest thing you can do when you can no longer care for him.
Preparation
Animal Shelters unfortunately frequently experience disease outbreaks, such as feline upper respiratory infections and kennel cough. Your dog or cat will have a better chance at adoption if it stays healthy. Having your pet vaccinated at least two weeks prior to relinquishing it to a shelter can help protect him while he’s there. Spayed or neutered animals are also able to be adopted more quickly because they don’t have to stay at the shelter extra days for surgery. Sometimes, owners cannot afford to make these preparations, but anything you can do helps. If you can’t afford to neuter Fido, at least make sure he is up to date on his vaccines, and has been treated with a flea preventative.
The Relinquishment
Call the shelter you have chosen to verify hours of operation, and ask about the best time to bring your pet in. As you’re packing your pet up to bring him in, make sure you have a detailed medical history, including rabies tags and microchip numbers. It’s a good idea to have kids or other family members say goodbye to the pet at home. A shelter lobby is usually a busy place, and crying kids in addition to the pets’ uncertainty about being in a new place can just upset the animal more.
The kindest thing you can do for your animal and her next owner is to be honest when giving shelter staff information about your pet. Do not come in and say you found your dog as a stray because you are embarrassed to have to relinquish her. If an animal is brought in as a stray, shelter staff are required to hold the dog longer before placing it up for adoption than they are if it is surrendered by an owner, causing your dog to sit in a kennel for an extended period of time. Shelter staff are not there to judge, they are there to help, and they can’t help if they don’t have all of the information. If your dog needs a special diet, let staff know. If he has specific behavioral issues, let staff know. Don’t just talk about the bad stuff; if your dog is house broken, an obedience master, and your two year old son’s biggest fan, let shelter staff know! These are all things that can help him find a new family.
If you cannot keep your animal, or if you see an animal who looks abandoned, neglected, or in distress, please call local animal control or law enforcement. Your call can mean the difference between responsible, humane care for the animal, or a lifetime of suffering. Peoria County Animal Protection Services can help if you lose your pet, or see an animal injured or in need. Call PCAPS at 309-672-2440 for information, or to report animal cruelty or abuse.