Giving Up Your Pet
Sometimes life becomes a challenge to keep your pet, but there are many resources available to help keep your family together.
Landlord issues?
Is your landlord saying you have to get rid of your pet, even though you have had your pet for months or years? Know your rights!
Moving and can’t seem to find housing?
Need a pet-friendly hotel room?
Hours at work changed?
Hire a dog walker or a cat sitter! Your pet will thank you. A few extra hours alone at home is better than one night in a shelter alone. Find a dog walker or pet sitter in your area at Rover.com or email us at info@petsalive.org. We may be able to recommend one.
Need help with pet food?
Would a bag of food or kitty litter help you keep your pet with its family? To help keep pets in their homes, we have developed the Pet Chow Pantry. The pantry provides temporary assistance with dog food, cat food and cat litter (when available) to needy families struggling financially.
If you’d like to obtain cat or dog food through our pantry, please refer to our Pet Chow Pantry page for information.
Dog behavioral issues?
Sometimes all it takes is a little training for you and your dog. A good trainer trains you, not your pet.
Cat behavioral issues?
Did kitty stop using the litter box, is scratching your furniture, showing aggression or other behavioral issues? Check out this resource to help your kitty overcome such behaviors.
Rehoming on your own
Talk to friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors, your veterinarian, your groomer – they may know someone who might be interested in adopting your pet.
Create a listing on all three of the following sites. They are set up for individuals like yourself, with the main goal of keeping family pets out of shelters and in homes.
Dog only site
Think you need to surrender your pet to Pets Alive?
Before asking to surrender your pet to Pets Alive, please review all the alternatives above. If you have exhausted all options above and feel you have done everything, please complete the appropriate surrender applications below.
Like all shelters, Pets Alive has limited space and cannot take in every pet we are asked to help. We review every surrender application we receive and help those we are able to, but we do not have unlimited space and resources. You will be contacted with further questions or instructions if we feel we may be able to help with your pet.
If you do not hear from us with further questions or to set up a behavioral evaluation appointment within fourteen days, this means we are unable to help. We wish we were able to respond or help everyone who reaches out to us, but we receive 100-plus requests a week and just do not have the manpower or resources to do so.
Application to Surrender your Dog
Please email a photo(s) of your dog and include your name in the body of the email to intakedogs@petsalive.org
There is a $275 surrender fee for dogs, and surrenders are by appointment only.
Application to Surrender your Cat
Please email a photo(s) of your cat and include your name in the body of the email to intakecats@petsalive.org
There is a $150 surrender fee for cats, and surrenders are by appointment only.
Application to Surrender your Barn Yard Friend
Please email a photo(s) of your barn yard friend and include your name in the body of the email to intakebarn@petsalive.org
Surrender fees vary by animal and are by appointment only.
Application to Surrender your Horse or Donkey
Please email a photo(s) of your horse or donkey and include your name in the body of the email to intakebarn@petsalive.org
Surrender fees vary by animal and are by appointment only.