Finding a new home for your beloved pet

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Do you feel you can no longer keep your pet and want to find a new home for it? Perhaps you are dealing with a frustrating behavior problem, a housing issue or your child has developed pet allergies. Before you take the painful step of relinquishing your beloved pet, please look into resources available to help you deal with these overwhelming challenges.

Behavior Problems
If you are dealing with a pet behavior problem, consider first consulting with your veterinarian. Many problems may be due to a treatable medical condition. For example, a housetrained pet may begin urinating in the house due to a urinary tract infection rather than a behavior problem. Your veterinarian will be able to rule out any physical cause of the problem and may also be able to refer you to an animal behaviorist or trainer in your community who has the experience and expertise to help address your pet's behavior problem.

There are also several sites on the Internet that offer helpful tips on solving pet behavior problems. In fact, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) Pets for Life campaign information gives suggestions for dealing with many common pet behavior problems. You can access their website at: http://www.hsus.org/ace/352.

New England Veterinary Behavior Associates are a local resource for behavior problems. For more information about their services, you can visit their website at www.petbehaviorproblems.com or call them for an appointment at (781) 862-5060.

Other popular resources for behavioral problems are books such as Twisted Whiskers: Solving Your Cat’s Behavior Problems, written by Pam Johnson-Bennett; and Dogs Behaving Badly: An A-To-Z Guide to Understanding and Curing Behavioral Problems in Dogs, by Dr.Nicholas Dodman, The Dog Who Loved Too Much by Dr. Nicholas Dodman.

Health Problems
Do you or a family member have a health problem (for example, an allergy or an infection that weakens the immune system) that makes it difficult to keep your pet? Has a physician actually recommended you give up your pet? Before taking such a drastic step, read our information on how you can help an allergic or immunocompromised person keep their pet without sacrificing their health or comfort in our article, “Tips for Asthma and Allergy Sufferers”

Finding a Good Home for Your Pet
If you ultimately decide that you cannot keep your pet, you have several options.
Your best resource is your local “No Kill” animal shelter. Most shelters screen potential adopters to make sure that they will be able to provide a safe, responsible, and loving home for your pet. You can check the shelter listings on our website.

If you have a dog of a specific breed, there may be a breed rescue organization in your area that will accept him and work to find him a new home. Purebred rescue groups are usually run by people with in-depth knowledge of a specific breed. Rescue groups keep adoptable animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. To locate a rescue group that specializes in your dog's breed, contact your local animal shelter, go to www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm. You can also call The HSUS at 202-452-1100 (ask for the Companion Animals section), and they may be able to help you locate a breed-rescue group near you.

In some cases, breed rescues only work with animal shelters and may not accept pets directly from owners. Be sure to find out as much as you can about the rescue group, and always carefully screen a breed rescue organization before relinquishing your pet. You should make sure the current animal residents appear well cared for, that the group screens potential adopters, and that the group offers post-adoption support services. Do not be afraid to ask questions.
If you decide to try to find a new home for your pet yourself, rather than relying upon a local animal shelter or rescue organization, be sure the animal's best interests remain your top priority. Finding a new home for a pet can be difficult. A "good" home means a home where the animal will live for the rest of his or her life, where he or she will receive attention, safety, veterinary care, proper nutrition, and be treated as part of the family.

If you choose to find a home for your pet yourself, follow these guidelines:
• Charge a fee for your pet when listing it in the paper. Ads that say, "free to good home" can attract the wrong kind of adopters. People value what they pay for. Pets obtained for free are less likely to be spayed or neutered by their new owners (why bother with vet bills?), and more likely to be abused and/or discarded, because "there are plenty more where that came from!" A recent study at one animal shelter yielded the startling statistic that 51% of all owner-surrendered dogs had been purchased for less than $100; 41% of all owner-surrendered dogs had been obtained "Free to good home."
• Advertise through friends, neighbors, and local veterinarians first; then try the newspaper, if all else fails. Your chances of finding a good home are increased when you check references with someone you know.
• Visit the prospective new home in order to get a feel for the environment in which your pet will be living. Explain that the pet is part of your family and that you want to make sure she will be cared for properly and that you want to see how the animal responds to the new home. Screen potential homes carefully.
• Don't be fooled. If anyone refuses to allow you to visit their home, do not place your pet with them. Individuals known as "bunchers" routinely answer "free-to-good-home" ads, posing as people who want family pets when, in actuality, they sell pets to animal dealers. Dogfighters have also been known to obtain domestic animals for baiting through "free to good home" ads. These people are "professionals" who may even bring children or their mothers with them when picking up pets. Also, “collectors” or “cat hoarders” take in orphaned dogs or cats, watch the "free to good home" ads, either don't believe in spaying and neutering or run out of funds for the vet bills. These collectors actually think they are "rescuing" the animals! More and more free pets come to them--they're very convincing; and they truly do love pets--and the ones they have keep reproducing, until the collectors are overwhelmed. In the best circumstances, animal rescue organizations are called.
• Always be mindful of your own safety when you go to interview potential adopters or if you allow a prospective adopter to enter your home. It is good to bring someone along with you when you conduct a home inspection for your pet’s new home or if you allow someone into your home.
• Carefully consider all the elements of the new home: Will your pet get along with small children? Is the family planning to keep the dog chained outside as a watchdog? Will the cat be kept only as a mouser? Does the family have a veterinary reference? Do not be shy about asking questions. Your pet's life and happiness may depend on it.
• Ask for a valid form of identification (preferably a driver's license). Record the number for your records and require the new owner to sign a contract stating the requirements of adoption upon which both parties agree. As part of the contract, require the new owner to contact you if he or she decides at some point that they must give up the pet. You can download HSAR’s adoption agreement from our “Forms” section and use it as a guideline for developing yours.
• Have your pet neutered or spayed and vaccinated before he or she goes to the new home. This will make the animal more adoptable and help stop irresponsible breeding and will reduce its vulnerability to disease.
• If your pet is chronically ill or has behavior problems, it may be difficult to find him a suitable home. A new owner may not be willing or able to deal with these issues, and it may also be difficult for the pet to adjust to a new home. The decision to humanely euthanize such a pet should not be made without thoughtful input from a veterinarian, a behaviorist, and the family, based on how well they believe their companion would adapt to a new home.
Interview Questions for Potential Adopters

It can be hard to know the right questions to ask the potential adopter of your pet. Oftentimes, the way that they answer the questions can be more informative than what they actually say. Some people may be resistant to answering your detailed questions, but the best candidate is someone that wants to convince you that they can provide love and care for your pet. Here are some questions that we recommend:
• Why do you want this animal?
• Have you had an animal of this breed/type before?
• What general experience do you have with this type of animal?
• Have you ever trained this type of animal? What type of training methods would you use?
• Do you own or rent your home? If renting, does the landlord permit pets? (Feel free to request a copy of the lease and permission to contact the landlord).
• (In reference to a dog) Do you have a yard? Is it fenced? How securely?
• What other pets do you have? It is important to find out what type and how many pets someone owns to make sure the dog or cat will make a good fit. It is also very important to know whether someone has experience with pet ownership. We want to make sure that the adopters are familiar with basic animal healthcare and great programs such as obedience training for dogs. Also, just because someone thinks a puppy or kitten is cute doesn’t mean they’ll make a good parent. It is important that they understand how much work a puppy or kitten will be.
• If you have pets, do they live indoors or outdoors? We don’t want to place an animal in a home if it is going to be kept outside all of the time. Generally, it is acceptable if the dog or cat is going to be mostly indoors and occasionally outdoors. If this involves a cat, be conscious of whether the cat has been de-clawed. A de-clawed cat will not be able to protect itself against the natural environment, and could get badly injured. If a cat is de-clawed, it is important that the adopting family understand that the cat should remain indoors. Dogs prefer the company of others, so they may dig or bark excessively when left alone outside. We want our animals to be part of a family.
• What other pets have you had in the past and what became of them?
• Do you have children? Grandchildren? How many and what ages? Puppies are famous for chewing. Make sure that a family with young children is aware that puppies may chew toys, shoes, fingers, etc. This is part of a puppy’s natural teething process. Although puppies mean no harm, this may be unacceptable behavior to someone that is not familiar with animals. A family with small children may also want to reconsider adopting a large dog. Younger children may not be able to handle a larger, stronger dog, and a big, powerful tail may inadvertently knock over a small child.
• How much time will you spend per day with this animal? What is your daily routine like? This question is most important for young dogs. Animals may suffer from separation anxiety, which could lead to behavior deemed intolerable by a pet owner, such as digging and chewing. It is not fair or healthy for a dog to have to wait more than 8 hours to relieve itself. Obedience and potty training will be much more difficult for a dog that is left alone for long periods of time. Make sure potential adopters understand this. Generally, 8 hours is the absolute maximum amount of time a dog should be left alone, but there are a few exceptions.
• If the dog must be left during your work day, will you hire a dog walker or enroll it in doggy day care?
• Have you ever had your pet declawed? Do you plan to declaw your cat?
• Who will be the primary caretaker of this animal?
• What activities and exercise do you plan for this animal?
• Can you afford the care this animal will need or will it cause financial hardship?
• Who is your veterinarian? May I call your vet for a reference?
• Do you have a fenced-in yard? This is most important for active dogs that will need greater amounts of time outdoors. Although we prefer that dogs go to homes with fenced yards, it can be overlooked if the dog will be walked several times during the day.
• It is recommended that you know the adopter or receive a good reference regarding the adopter. Unfortunately, there are many people that are looking to adopt your pet for use in research, fighting, or who are simply not financially or otherwise capable of taking care of an animal. Asking for veterinary references is a good idea. You are also welcome to call the shelter to check if we have records of abuse or neglect for that individual.

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