When you have to Re-Home your pet.

Sometimes life throws us curve balls and we are left with no choice but to find a new home for our pets.

Working in an animal shelter, there are often many different reasons I hear why people can no longer keep their furry friends.......allergies, lack of time, change in lifestyle and sickness just to name a few.

There are many different ways of trying to re-home your pet before deciding the euthanasia is the only way to end the relationship.

Here are a few ideas:

Animal Shelters

Check out your local SPCA, Humane Society or Municipal Animal Shelters to see if they take pets in for surrender for adoption. These animals would be placed in a kennel type setting or into a foster home, depending on how the organization is set up, and the staff will find a suitable family to match your dogs or cats needs.

Breed Rescue Groups

There are many breed specific rescue groups for purebred dogs and cats. These groups are very familiar with the particular breed that they rescue and their idiosyncrasies. They often have a network of foster homes that house these pets until a suitable match is found for their forever home.

Free Advertising

Consider advertising in the FREE section of your local newspapers. You can also post ads in your local grocery stores and vet clinics. When placing a pet yourself with a new family be sure to check them out and ask for references ( ie/ vet clinic, pet sitter or trainer that they use).


In any situation when trying to find a new home for your pet the most valuable information you can give the shelter, rescue group or foster parents is the TRUTH! Explaining in detail any medical or behaviour issues your pet has can give your pet the best chance at finding a new family. It allows the new family to fully understand the extent of attention and care your pet will need and helps them in picking the most appropriate addition to their family. This will also help to lessening the chance that the pet will be bounced around to multiple homes which is stressful on the animal.