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The
following recommendations used with permission from www.petpromise.org   giving
up a special friend...At some point, not that long ago, you were thrilled with your dog or cat. At that time you never dreamed you'd have to give him up someday. Your pet has relied on you since then to love him and protect him. Even if you can't keep him any more, your pet still depends on you to do what's best for him. Now, more than ever, your pet needs you to make the right choices for his future. See below for step-by-step instructions on finding a home for your pet. If you follow these steps, we can help you by posting the dog/cat on our website as a Courtesy Listing as long as the pet has been spayed or neutered. Your pet is your responsibility. He has no one else to look out for his interests...you are all that he has. It will take time and effort as well as patience to find him the right home but he deserves this final parting gift from you. Before you begin the process of finding your pet a new home, there are several things that you should know: about animal shelters Shelters and humane societies were created to rescue stray and abused animals. They weren't meant to be a drop-off for people who don't want their pets anymore. Shelters, on average, take in over 100 animals daily. Of those 100 animals, less than half will leave the shelter alive. There just are not enough homes for them all. Only the youngest, friendliest, cutest and best behaved dogs and cats are going to be adopted. Shelters are so overcrowded that your cat or dog could be killed the same day it arrives. Being purebred won't help your dog's chances of adoption either - almost half of the dogs in many shelters are purebreds. Dropping your dog or cat off at a shelter in most cases is signing your pet's death warrant. about no-kill shelters and rescue organizations: True "no-kill" shelters and rescues are few and far between. Obviously, no one wants to see their pet killed so the demand for no-kill shelter services is high. So high that they're forced to turn away many pets because they don't have room for them all. Often such organizations are small, private, organizations by volunteers often sheltering animals in volunteer foster homes. Like no-kill shelters, demand for their services is high, and space is limited so your pet may be turned away for lack of room. Ohio Shelters & Rescues steps to find your pet a new home Step 1. Soul Searching Do you really have to give up your pet? There's a big difference between being forced to give up your dog or cat and wanting to "get rid of him". Search your heart for the real reason why your dog or cat can't live with you anymore. Be honest with yourself (your pet's life depends on it). if your pet has a behavior problem you have three options: 1. You can continue to live with your pet the way he is. 2. You can get help to correct the problem. 3. You can try to give your problem to someone else. Obviously the first option is out or you wouldn't be reading this information. You're probably most interested in Option 3 so let's talk frankly about that for a moment. If you were looking for a dog or a cat and could select from all kinds of dogs and cats and puppies and kittens, would you deliberately choose one with a behavior problem? No, certainly not - and neither would anyone else. To make your pet adoptable, you're going to have to take some action to fix his problems. Most behavior problems aren't that hard to solve. We can help you with them if you'll give it a try. Think hard about helping to fix the pet's problem before deciding it won't work for you - because if you take your pet to a shelter it is unlikely that it will be adopted and that means that your pet will most likely be destroyed. That's the bottom line. If you, who know and love your pet best, won't give him another chance, why should anyone else? Think about that. the most common reasons people want to give up their pets: "We're moving - we can't find a landlord who'll let us keep our pet." Many landlords don't allow children either but you'd never give up one of your kids if you couldn't find the right apartment. Affordable rental homes that allow pets are out there if you work to find them. Click here Moving with a Pet for listings of housing in cities across the US that allow pets. "We don't have enough time for the dog/cat". A pet really doesn't take that much time - his requirements for attention are often less than you think. Can other members of your family help care for the pet? Will getting rid of your pet really make your life less stressful? When they look closely at their lives, people often discover that the dog isn't cramping their style as much as they think. Particularly in light of the fact that the alternative for your pet may be euthanasia at a shelter.  
A New Baby
Toddlers, Small Children & Pets Allergies Dominance--Who's in Charge? Marking Behavior (Dogs & Cats) We're Moving! Litter Box Problems Avoiding Cat/Cat Aggression--A Proper Introduction Introducing a New Dog to Your Dog Dealing with Separation Anxiety Housebreaking
the Adult Dog Step 2. Call the rescue or breeder where you got your pet. Before you do anything else, call the person you got your dog from and ask for help. Even if several years have passed, rescues and responsible breeders care about the pets that they placed and will want to help you find a new home. They may even take the pet back. If you can't remember the breeder's name, look on your dog's registration papers. If you got your cat or dog from an animal shelter or rescue service, read the adoption contract you signed when you adopted him. Step 3. Evaluate your pet's potential for adoption. To successfully find a new home, you need to be realistic about your pet's adoption potential. Let's be honest: most people don't want "used" dogs and cats, especially if they have health or behavior problems. Your pet will have the best chance if he's less than 4 years old, is healthy, friendly and adapts quickly to new situations. What kind of home do you want for your pet? A large fenced yard? Another dog or cat to play with? Children? No children? Make a list of what you feel is most important for your pet. Then get real. No home will be perfect, of course, so you'll have to make compromises. What kind of people are you looking for? What will you be willing to compromise on? Once you have a firm idea of what you're looking for, it will be easier to plan your search and get the results you want. Step 4. Get your pet ready. Your pet will be much more appealing if he's clean, well-groomed and healthy. First, take him to the vet for a check up. He'll need updated vaccinations if he hasn't had them within the last 6 months. Be sure to tell the vet about any behavior problems so he can rule out physical causes. If your pet isn't spayed or neutered, do it now! Brokers seek out unaltered purebreds for resale to puppy mills or research laboratories. That's not the kind of future you want for your dog or cat. Spaying or neutering is the best way to insure that your pet will be adopted by a family who wants him only as a best friend and member of the family. If you can't afford the cost of surgery, use one of these Low Cost Spay/Neuter Programs. Having your pet neutered or spayed is the best going away present you can give him. It may save his life!  Step 5. Advertise! Word of mouth doesn't go very far. Don't be afraid to use classified ads to advertise your pet. Done right, it's the most effective way to reach the largest number of people. It's easy to write a good ad that will weed out poor adoption prospects right away. Your ad should give a short description of your cat or dog, his needs, your requirements for a home and of course, your phone number. The description should include his breed, color, sex, the fact that he's neutered and an indication of his age. Hints: if your pet is less than 2 years old, state his age in months so he'll be perceived as the young cat or dog that he is. If he's over three, just say that he's an "adult". Emphasize your pet's good points: Is he friendly? Housebroken? Well-mannered? Loves kids? Has he had any training? Don't keep it a secret but don't exaggerate either. State any definite requirements you might have for his new home: fenced yard, no dogs, kids over 10, etc. Try to say these in a positive way - for example, saying "Kids over 10" sounds better than "No kids under 10". If your cat doesn't like other pets, say "should be only pet" rather than "doesn't like other animals". Always state that references are required. This tells people that you're being selective and that you're not going to give your dog to just anybody. This statement will do a lot to keep people with bad intentions from dialing your number. Never include the phrase "free to good home" in your ad. (You should always charge an adoption fee for your pet, even if it is only $20. Such a fee will help defer the costs of updating your pet's vaccinations.) Your ad should look something like this: "Beagle: beautiful, young adult tri-color male, neutered. Friendly, housebroken, well-behaved. Best with children over 10. Fenced yard, references required. Karen 555-1234" Schedule your ad so that it appears in Sunday's paper - the issue that's the most well-read and widely circulated. If your budget is very limited, choose to run your ad only on Sundays rather than throughout the week. Nearly every community also has small, weekly "budget-shopper" newspapers that offer inexpensive classified ads. Take advantage of them! Don't be discouraged if your phone isn't ringing right away. Most people give up too soon. It can take a month or more to find a new home, so plan on advertising for several weeks. make up flyers and post them everywhere. Newspapers are just one way to advertise. Prepare a flyer that includes a cute picture of your pet. (Click Here for a Sample Flyer in Microsoft Word that you can modify.) Your flyer doesn't have to be expensive, professional or computerized, just neat and eye-catching. Be descriptive and include a sad story that will tug at the hearts of those who read it! Post your flyers at grocery stores, department stores, vets' offices, pet supply stores, grooming shops, factories, malls, etc. - anywhere you can find a public bulletin board. If you have friends in a nearby city, mail them a supply of flyers and ask them to post them for you. Katsnkittens and Petpromise offers courtesy posting for your pet to help you find him a good home. You’ll need to provide a written bio, digital photograph, and proof that your pet is spayed/neutered and up-to-date on vaccinations. Email intake@petpromise.org for more information. OR adopt@katsnkittens.com Katsnkittens are in no way affiliated with PetPromise, DO NOT email petpromise.org thinking it is Katsnkittens. Step 6. Interview callers Please remember, you are under no obligation to give your pet to the first person who says he wants it. You have every right to ask questions and choose the person you think will make the best new owner. Don't let anyone rush you or intimidate you. It is important to make you aware that there are unscrupulous people who operate in rings to collect cats, dogs and other animals for the purpose of medical research, bait, food, and other abusive situations. The danger is that these people appear to be animal lovers and could easily fool you. They sometimes bring children to portray a "perfect family" image. Therefore, it is important to check all references, including a veterinarian reference, and do a home check BEFORE releasing an animal into a stranger's care. Follow-up checks are also necessary. To help you along, we've included a list of questions that we ask our callers. Make copies of this list and fill in their answers as you speak to your callers. 1. First of all, get your caller's name, address and phone number. Deceitful people may call you from a phone booth or give you a fake address. Ask for information that you can verify. 2. Does the caller's family know about and approve of their plans to get a dog or cat? If not, suggest they talk it over with their spouse and call you back. The same applies to people living with a companion or roommate. When one person adopts a pet without the full approval of the rest of the family, the adoption often fails. 3. Do they own or rent their home? If renting, does their landlord approve? You'd be surprised how many people haven't checked with their landlord before calling you. If you have doubts, ask for the landlord's name and number, then call him yourself. Be cautious about renters - they're quicker to move than people who own their homes and movers often leave their pets behind. Remember, you're looking for a permanent home for your pet. 4. Does the caller have children? How many and how old are they? If your cat or dog isn't good with kids, say so up front. How many children can make big a difference depending on your pet's personality. A shy dog or cat may not be able to cope with several children and their friends. Very young children may not be old enough to treat the pet properly. If the callers don't have children, ask them if they're thinking of having any in the near future. Many people get rid of their pets when they start a family. 5. Have they had pets before? If yes, how long did they keep them? These are very important questions! How they treated the pets they've had in the past will tell you how they might treat your pet. The following answers should raise a red flag and make you suspicious: "We gave him away when we moved." Unless they had to because of unavoidable problems, moving is a poor excuse for giving up a pet. Almost everyone can find a place that will allow pets if they try hard enough. If they gave up their last dog that easily, there's a good chance they'll give yours up someday, too. "We gave him away because he had behavior problems." Most behavior problems - poor housebreaking, chewing, litter box issues, barking, digging, running away - result from a lack of training and attention. If the caller wasn't willing to solve the problems he had with his last pet, he probably won't try very hard with your dog or cat either. "Oh, we've had lots of pets!" Watch out for people who've had several different dogs or cats in just a few years' time. They may never kept any of them for very long. 6. Do they have pets now? What kinds? Obviously, if your pet isn't good with other animals and your caller has them, the adoption's not going to work out. Be upfront. Better to turn people away now than have to take the pet back later. The sex, age and energy level of their other pet is an important consideration as well. 7. For dogs. Do they have a yard? Is it fenced? Your dog will need daily exercise. Without a yard, how will he get it? Can the caller provide it with regular walks? If the yard isn't fenced, ask how he plans to keep the dog from leaving his property. Did the caller's last dog wander off or get hit by a car? If so, how will he keep this from happening to his next dog? 8. For cats...will they keep the cat indoors? Indoor/outdoor cats have a life expectancy of 3-5 years while indoor only cats live 18-20 years. Outdoor cats are exposed to life-threatening diseases like FIV and FeLV and are often killed by dogs or cars. Ensure that your cat will be kept indoors only. 9. Where will the dog spend most of its time? A whole life outdoors probably isn't what you have in mind for your dog. Dogs always kept outside are sometimes neglected, lonely and may develop behavior problems. 10. Why is the caller interested in this pet? What are they looking for in a pet? Find out what kind of pet "personality" they're looking for. If their expectations don't match your pet's disposition, the adoption's not going to work. Be honest about your pet's good and bad points. 11. References: Get the phone number of their vet (if they've had pets before) and two other personal references. Call those references! Explain that John Doe is interested in adopting your pet and you want to make sure he'll give it a good home. Ask the vet whether former pets were given regular medical care, annual vaccinations and heartworm preventative. Were they in good condition and well-groomed? How long have they known this person? If they were placing a pet, would they feel comfortable giving it to this person? Step 7. In-Person Interview Once you've chosen a family (or families) that you feel are good candidates, make an appointment for them to see the cat or dog. You should actually set two appointments: one at your house and one at theirs. Going to their house lets you see whether their home and yard are truly what they said they are and whether your cat or dog will do well there. It also gives you an opportunity to call off the adoption and take the pet back home with you if things aren't as represented, if you think there'll be problems, or if you just get a bad feeling about the whole thing. (We cannot stress enough how having a "bad feeling" is a warning sign that should NOT be ignored....if it doesn't "feel" right...it probably isn't. Take your pet home!) If your pet is a dog and they already have a dog, make plans to introduce the dogs on "neutral" territory, like a park. Most dogs resent meeting a strange dog at home. They may be hostile toward the new dog or even start a fight. Cats will require slower introductions to the other animals in the household. If you are placing a cat in a new home, the cat should be kept in a separate room with its own litter box for 3-5 days and should be allowed to gradually meet the other animal family members. If he is upset or a fight starts, the new cat should be returned to the room and allowed to interact with the other pet for short periods of time until both animals get used to one another. If the family has children, ask them to bring them to the interview. You need to see how the pet will react to them and how the children treat the pet. Some allowance should be made for kids' natural enthusiasm but if these children are undisciplined, disrespectful to your pet and not kept in hand by their parents, your pet could be mistreated in its new home and someone could get hurt. Do you like these people? Are you comfortable having them as guests in your home? Would they make good friends? If not, don't give them your pet! Trust your instincts. If something about them doesn't seem quite right, even if you can't explain what it is, don't take a chance on your pet's future. Wait for another family!  Step
8. Saying GoodbyeAfter the interviews are over, give the new family a day or two to decide if they really want to adopt your pet. Make sure they have a chance to think over the commitment they're making. While they're deciding, get a package ready to send along with your pet. This package should include: |
Set aside a special time for you and your pet to spend some special time together to say goodbye. Take a walk with your dog, brush your cat. We know you'll cry. Do it now, in private, so you're clear headed when he has to leave. He may be confused about being left with strangers and you won't want your emotions to upset him even more.
There are some things you need to explain to the new family before they take your pet home:
The pet will go through an adjustment period as he gets to know his new people, learns new rules and mourns the loss of his old family. Most dogs and cats adjust within a few days, but others may take longer. During this time, they should avoid forcing the pet to do anything stressful - taking a bath, meeting too many strangers at once, etc. - until he's had a chance to settle in. Tell them take things easy at first and give the pet time to bond to them. The pet might not eat for the first day or two. I If a cat doesn't eat for over 48 hours...he needs to go to the vet. This can be a medical emergency for a cat, particularly one that is overweight as he can begin breaking down his own liver tissue. Some dogs and cats temporarily forget their training. A well-housebroken dog or cat may have an accident in his new home. This isn't unusual and rarely happens more than once or twice.
Step 9. Paperwork
Have the new owner sign an adoption contract with a waiver of liability. We've included a Sample Agreement that you can use. Keep a copy for your records. A contract will help to protect the pet and the waiver of liability helps to protect you. You don't have a crystal ball to predict what your pet might do in the future. Remember - a waiver of liability will not protect you if you have lied or misrepresented the pet to his new owners.
Tell the family they should call you if the adoption doesn't work out. Let them know you want to keep in touch and will call them in a few days to see how things are going. Tell them to call you if they have questions or problems. Be willing to take the pet back home if things don't work out the way you both expected.