Sadly, Paw Paws gets several calls daily from residents needing to rehome their pets or someone who has found a stray. Paw Pals cannot legally exceed the number of dogs and cats for which we are licensed.
Paw Pals is staffed entirely by volunteers.

When rehoming your pet, it is important to be thorough and patient; finding the right home takes time. Investing time into the rehoming process increases your chance of successfully placing your pet in a loving home that is not only a great fit but also a safe place for your pet.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO REHOME YOUR PET

• Reach out to your network: talk with your friends and neighbors. Introduce your pet to the world: Post your pet’s photo and bio to social media rehoming groups and ask friends to share the posts. Check out Lifeline Animal Project’s tips for creating your pet’s profile.
• Post your pet’s photo and bio to self-rehoming platforms like https://home-home.org or www.adoptapet.com, where owners who need to find new homes for their pets can match up with potential adopters looking for pets.
• Simple templates can be found online to create a rehoming flyer or poster. If you are the creative type, several free graphic design resources are available to create something that may be more pleasing to the eye and grab more attention. Check out sites like Canva (www.canva.com) or PicMonkey (www.picmonkey.com). You can share your rehoming flyers and posters online and in the community. If you post them around town, place posters at the library, pet supply stores, community centers, veterinary offices, and grooming salons, where pet owners and enthusiasts may visit.
• Work with your pet to make sure they are comfortable with different people and situations. While you are searching for the perfect new home, continue to work with your pet on good manners, and socialization, and maybe even teach them a new trick or two.
• A modest and reasonable rehoming fee can help you cover the cost of updating your pet’s vaccines and getting them groomed or additional supplies such as flea and/or heartworm prevention, carriers, or crates. A rehoming fee will also help you find serious adopters and increase your chance of finding a new home full of love and a safe place for your pet.
• If you are looking for additional ways to make an informed decision on whether or not the potential adopter is a good placement option for your pet, you can ask for additional information, including references from a friend or neighbor, what clinic or practice they currently seek veterinary care from, or where are they looking to establish a relationship for veterinary care, or whether the potential adopter’s current pets are received routine medical care.
• Rehoming your pet is a big decision and a difficult one at that. Take the time you need to interview potential adopters. Do not allow yourself to feel pressured into making a quick decision or a decision you are not entirely comfortable with. Your judgment is your best guide, and if you do not feel that the potential adopter is a good fit, chances are you are right.
• Being thorough will help you evaluate whether or not the potential adopter and their home is compatible with your pet’s unique needs. Does your pet get along with small children? Does your pet need a lot of room to run?
• Does your pet get along with other animals? Does your pet have a lot of energy? It is essential to ensure that your pet fits into the life and lifestyle of a potential adopter and that your pet is a good match for the type of companion animal the potential adopter is looking for.
• Establish a communication plan with the potential adopter so that you can follow up with them and allow them to contact you with any questions or concerns they may have.
• Open and honest dialogue is an important part of the rehoming process. Be sure to establish a communication plan so that you can follow up on your pet after they are adopted to see how they are adjusting in their new home with their new family.
  
  THE ADOPTION PROCESS
• Arrange a time and public place for you and the adopter to meet. A well-known spot and area is recommended for your safety. To help your pet transition into their new home, it is important to provide their favorite toys, bedding, carrier, kennel, litter box, and other familiar items. It is also nice to give the adopter any remaining pet food you have so they know what diet your pet is eating so they can either continue to provide the same food or successfully transition the pet onto a new diet.
• It is important to provide the new owner with copies of any and all veterinary records you have. To make the transfer super easy, you should offer to contact your veterinarian to send the pet’s records directly to the new owner’s preferred veterinary clinic. You may need to provide this request in writing to your veterinarian. Be sure to alert your clinic of the new ownership in the process.
• It is incredibly important that you create a written document and record the transfer of ownership to the adopter. The document should be signed by both you and the adopter, and as the previous owner, you should retain a copy for your own personal records.
• If the pet is microchipped, updating the information registered to the microchip is important. You can do this by contacting the database where the microchip is registered (such as Found Animals, Home Again, 24PetWatch) and notifying them of the change of ownership and the new owner’s contact information. Be sure to provide the new owner with the pet’s microchip information and remind them to keep their own contact information up-to-date on the registry. Microchips can be registered for free with Found Animals using their website at https://www.foundanimals.org/microchip-registry/