Pet Rehoming

The guidelines below can increase your pet’s chance of quickly finding a new home without having to come to the shelter.

Before Rehoming

By taking a trip to the veterinarian before finding a new home for your animal, you can reassure potential adopters that he/she does not need medical attention and is healthy. Spay or neuter your pet and make sure he/she is current on vaccinations. Make sure you have an updated copy of veterinary records; this will be an added bonus for the new owner.
Highlight the lovable things your pet does and activities he or she enjoys. A mid‐action shot of your dog jumping into water is a great way to showcase their love for swimming. A photo of your cat with his favorite toy will help potential owners see their fun loving personality. Even a photo of your dog walking nicely on leash or lounging on the couch might help you find the right match.
Point out your favorite qualities and the reasons why you adopted. Explain why the animal needs a new home and what kind of environment he/she would need to make the transition flawless. Make sure to outline their likes and dislikes, desirable traits and tricks, and any extras that animal lovers would look for (dog park dog, lives peacefully with cats, great with babies, may be best as only pet in the home, etc.). Try to go into detail about your pet’s personality and why anyone would be lucky to have them as a part of their family.

You could try writing from the pet’s point of view for a great way to catch a new owner’s attention: “Hi there I’m Duke and I’m looking for my forever home! I’m a pretty active outdoorsy guy, and I really love playing fetch with my Frisbee. I’m not really in to sharing my owner so I would prefer to be the only pet in the home.” Remember to keep your description detailed and share positive information about your pet too!

Use email and social media to spread the word about re-homing your pet. Send information to all of your friends and family and ask them to forward it on to everyone they know. You can also post ads on Craigslist, Facebook Rescue Pages, and various rescue websites. Some rescue organizations will post courtesy postings for individuals trying to re-home a pet. Do a basic internet search to find these resources. A good site to use is Adopt-a-Pet.
Post fliers with your pet’s information and photos throughout your community to attract potential adopters (see example flier below). See if you can post a flier at grocery stores, pet stores, dog day cares, vet clinics, groomers and retirement communities. Try placing an ad in the local newspaper too.
Set up a meet in your home only if you feel comfortable. Otherwise choose a calm neutral environment for them to meet with the animal. Ensure that the environment will not cause additional stress to your animal, and secure enough they will not escape. You can always reach out to your local humane society to see if they can assist with the meeting.

For dogs, try to meet somewhere your dog loves like your backyard, the dog park, or go on a walk around the neighborhood. Watch to see how your dog acts with the new person. Make sure everyone that will be living with the dog is at the meeting so you can ensure it will be a good fit for everyone. If the potential adopters have another dog(s), it would be a good idea to do a pet meet as well.