Rehoming Your Pet

As a life-saving shelter, Angels of Assisi cannot accept every animal brought to our shelter. We utilize every tool at our disposal, and will not resort to euthanasia to control the number of pets at our Adoption Center. Therefore, we will accept the surrender of owned cats and dogs by appointment only, as space allows.

We understand that sometimes it’s just not possible to keep a pet, but before making the decision to give up your pet, please consider all of your options. When you surrender a pet to any shelter, the transition can be difficult. Shelters are stressful environments for even the most well-adjusted animal.

Before you make the final decision to surrender your animal, please do these things:

• Consult a trainer or behaviorist for help with common behavioral problems.
• Talk with your veterinarian to rule out possible medical issues your pet may be experiencing.
• Look for an alternate place to live that accepts pets.
• Talk with friends or family to determine if they would be able to commit to taking care of your pet.
• Re-home your pet to a new home yourself. This transition will be much easier for your pet and will allow you to know that he is going to a good new home.

REHOME

Are you looking for a new home for your pet? If so, considering posting your pet to Rehome! They can help you safely find a loving forever home for your pet. All you need to do is to set up your pet’s profile in less than 10 mins. Once complete, your pet’s profile will be posted on Adopt-a-Pet.com and be seen by millions of visitors each month!

Animal Shelters should be the last resort for dogs and cats. There are many community animals that may need shelter more than one that has a home already. Before emailing our Adoption Coordinators to set up an appointment, we ask that you:

• Exhaust all options before deciding to bring a pet to the shelter.
• Do what you can to re-home your pet. Check with family, friends, and co-workers.

HELPFUL TIPS TO RE-HOMING A PET:

• Spay or neuter your pet. We offer low-cost spay and neuter surgeries through our Community Pet Clinic.
• Make sure your pet is healthy and current on vaccinations. Affordable vaccinations are offered through our Community Pet Clinic and mobile pet health clinics.
• Work with your pet to make sure he is friendly and comfortable with different people and situations.
• Allow your pet indoors, so that he/she can learn better social manners.
• If it is a behavior issue, there are a lot of resources on the internet to assist you. Email our Dog Behaviorist and Trainer if you need advice!

ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF REHOMING YOUR PET:

• List your pet on Adopt-A-Pet.com.
• Network your pet on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter.
• Post your pet on your local NextDoor app.
• Use Local Classifieds, like Craigslist to find a new home for your pet (with a rehoming fee).

SURRENDERING A PET TO THE SHELTER:

If you are unable to re-home your pet after considerable effort, you can arrange to surrender your pet to Angels of Assisi.

• Call the Adoption Center at (540) 344-8707 or email the shelter at adoptions@angelsofassisi.org to schedule an appointment.
• Be prepared to take about 30 minutes while at the shelter to answer questions about your pet. This will assist us in placing them in the best home possible.
• Please bring all veterinarian and/or vaccination records that you have.

Surrendering your pet to our shelter means you are giving up all rights to that animal. We are not required to notify you of any development regarding health or status. Nor, will we give the animal you surrendered special treatment over another animal. You may use our website or call the shelter for updates.

Angels of Assisi does not accept stray animals from the public. Guardians who have lost their pets need a central location to find them, and that is the local municipal agency (pound). Under state law, stray animals must be held for a mandatory stray period in order to provide guardians adequate time to locate their lost pets. Angels of Assisi must fully utilize all available shelter space to save as many lives as possible. This is best achieved by allowing animal control agencies to perform the function of impounding stray pets as is required of them by law. If you have found a stray pet, please contact the animal control for your locality, contact information is provided below.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO SURRENDER YOUR PET TODAY:

If you opt not to wait for space to become available at Angels of Assisi, you may want to consider other options.

1. Find a new home for the pet yourself with friends, neighbors, family or co-workers.
2. Place your pet temporarily with friends, family or possibly a boarding facility until space becomes available at Angels of Assisi.
3. Surrender your pet to your county or city animal control. Agencies may vary, so please ask them about their policies surrounding adoption and euthanasia of owned pets. A shelter should be your last resort.

Contact Information: