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REHOMING A CRITTER

You may be considering the surrender of your critter to the Dubuque Regional Humane Society. We understand this is a very difficult time for you and we ask that you take some time to read over these materials and resources to consider all of your options.

 

Surrendering your animal is a serious decision and should only be made after exploring other alternatives and a complete understanding of the process and potential outcomes.​

Ask yourself (honestly): Why are you surrendering this animal?

My landlord/homeowner will not allow

It is possible, with planning and perhaps a few compromises, to find pet-friendly housing almost anywhere.

  • Visit www.rentwithpets.org, which is a great resource that thoroughly outlines how to find a pet-friendly home.

Me, or someone in my family, is allergic to the animal

Small mammals that need hay on a daily basis can sometimes cause serious allergies for their humans. There are alternative hays out there that have less allergens in them! For instance: instead of Timothy Hay for rabbits and guinea pigs, using an Orchard Hay is much easier on the sinuses.

I cannot afford to own my animal anymore. 

In today’s economy, this has become a common reason that people need to give up their pets. However, animals really do not need to be an “added expense” if you can learn to balance their expenses. Not all of your animal’s necessities need to be purchased at the same time, and sometimes not even in the same month.

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If you are still having trouble affording the things that your animal needs, and this is the only reason why you have chosen to surrender, consider asking for help from friends or family members.

  1. Here is a link to some helpful resources for affording your animal that focuses on medical care and food: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/resources/having-trouble-affording-your-pet

Steps to take if you must surrender your animal

There are a number of steps that you should actively explore before making the final decision to schedule a rehoming for your animal to the Dubuque Regional Humane Society.

 

The first step is to try to find a new home for the animal on your own:

  • Talk to friends, family members, neighbors, local veterinarians, and others you trust to try and find someone willing to take your animal. As a last resort, advertise online or in the newspaper.

  • Never abandon your animal outdoors. Just because some of these small critters live outdoors as wild animals (rabbits are a common example) does not mean that your domesticated animal can survive outside.

  • Screen potential new homes carefully. Do not be afraid to deny someone if you just do not “feel right” about them. Trust your instincts. You can ask for veterinarian and personal references and ask to see the home the animal will be living in.

  • Always ask for a fee from the new home. Never give your animal away as “free to a good home” because this can attract the wrong type of person.

 

When you’ve found a potential new home for your animal:

  • Personally visit the prospective new home yourself to ensure that it is a safe and healthy environment that is suitable for your animal.

  • Have your animal spayed/neutered (if applicable) before placing them with their new family to help reduce pet overpopulation.

  • Require them to allow you to speak with their veterinarian team to make sure they take their animals to regular vet visits or have a vet that sees small, exotic critters.

As a final step, if you have no other options, please fill out the Surrender Form below. The Dubuque Regional Humane Society will review the submission to see if we can assist you. ​

  • It is important that you understand the implications of surrendering your animal to the DRHS.

  • We exist as a resource to people who have explored all other alternatives and have done the work to alter and vaccinate their pets. However, we received 5-10 calls a day for surrender requests.

  • Our space and resources are limited. As a result, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to place your animal up for adoption. There is a possibility that your animal may have to be euthanized if we determine that he or she is un-adoptable.

  • Please understand that we want to help your pet find a good home, and we appreciate you taking the time to try all alternatives first before surrendering.

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