Surrender Your Pet

Before You Surrender Your Pet

Please take into consideration the following when you are thinking about surrendering your pet to a shelter.

The first step is to call H.A.R.T. and speak with one of our staff members. We will discuss your pet's:

• Age: If your cat or dog is a senior, please do not think they are going to do well in a shelter. All senior animals are evaluated on a case by case basis as to whether we can take them. Personal surrendered animals, especially cats do very poorly in a shelter situation. They sit in the back of their cage with their heads stuck in the corner, or they hide under any piece of furniture they can find. Dogs are somewhat more resilient, but it is very traumatic for them also.
• Bad Behaviors: Behaviors that HART cannot accept are: Aggression which includes biting, being cage aggressive, attacking other dogs or cats, and destruction of the house. Having a cat that does not use a litter box is another call we receive on a regular basis. This behavior could have a medical reason, or it may be behavioral. Healthy cats and kittens that use a litter box can be hard to find good homes for, ones that have bathroom issues are next to impossible.
• Sickness and Chronic Health Problems: If the pet you want to surrender has chronic health problems such as thyroid, diabetes, kidney disease please do not think they will find a home. Veterinary care is very expensive and people adopting from a shelter will overlook these pets. Bad skin conditions are another thing we look at when accepting personal surrenders. These are usually ongoing and can be high contagious.

This information helps us determine whether your pet is a good candidate for our adoption program.

If your pet is accepted, an intake appointment will be scheduled.

Altered Animal Fee

Pets that have already been spayed or neutered require:

• $75 surrender fee
• Proof of spay/neuter surgery

Unaltered Dogs & Cats

Animals 4 months of age or older that have not been altered require:

• $150 surrender fee
• Surgery will be scheduled one (1) week prior to an available surgery date.

Litters of Animals

Appointments are required.

Requirements include:

• Litters $25 per kitten/puppy.
• Proof of mom’s spay must be provided at time of surrender, or mom must be surrendered with the litter. (unaltered fee applies)
• The mother must be surrendered with the litter (unaltered fee applies)
• A kitten/puppy not part of a litter is considered either Altered/Unaltered

An animal is considered a kitten/puppy, when part of a litter, if they are under 3 months of age.

Intake Appointments

Personal surrenders are accepted by appointment only and as space allows. Surrender fees are required.

Intakes are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

9:30 AM – 2:00 PM

After You Surrender Your Pet

Once your pet has been surrendered:

• It becomes the property of HART. HART does not give out any information on the pet.
• You are welcome to bring your pet’s belongings with you and they will go to the new home with your pet. Please note we do not have a large storage area so just bring a couple favorites with.
• All medical and adoption decisions become the responsibility of H.A.R.T.

What is the Bottom Line when Surrendering Your Personal Pet to HART?

If your pet is old, has health issues that require ongoing medical care, has aggression or bad behaviors, and has bathroom problems. Please do the right thing and have this pet humanely euthanized with you by its side. Do not surrender it to a shelter where your beloved pet will be frightened in the last days of its life.

HART strives to be a “Low-Kill Shelter”. If we continue to take in personal surrendered animals that we know are not adoptable, we add greatly to our numbers, never achieving our goal.

Senior pets often experience significant stress after entering a shelter. Many older cats become withdrawn, while older dogs can struggle emotionally after leaving the only home they've ever known.

Older pets are also more likely to have ongoing medical conditions that make adoption difficult. Every senior animal is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Behavior Concerns

Training and behavior challenges are common reasons pets are surrendered. Before surrendering your pet, we encourage you to work with a qualified trainer or your veterinarian whenever possible.

Unfortunately, H.A.R.T. cannot accept animals with serious behavioral issues, including:

• Human aggression or biting
• Aggression toward other animals
• Cage aggression
• Severe destructive behavior
• Chronic inappropriate elimination due to behavioral issues

Some behavioral problems may have underlying medical causes, so a veterinary examination is always recommended.

Medical Conditions

Pets with chronic medical conditions often have difficulty finding adoptive homes.

Examples include:

• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Thyroid disease
• Chronic skin disorders
• Other lifelong medical conditions

Each pet is evaluated individually.

Our Commitment

H.A.R.T. is proud to be a low-kill shelter dedicated to saving as many adoptable animals as possible.

To continue fulfilling our mission, we must carefully evaluate every owner surrender to ensure we have the resources to provide proper care and successfully place pets into loving homes.

Please be honest with our intake staff regarding your pet's health, behavior, and history. This information helps us make the best decisions for your pet and for future adopters.

Every year, H.A.R.T. helps hundreds of animals find their forever families. Your honesty helps make those happy endings possible.