We know that once you have determined it is necessary to re-home your pet, it is very important to find a home that will provide the love, care and attention that your pet needs and deserves and that will be a good match for his/her personality.  Here are some tips for finding a good home:

1.   You select the new home for your pet

õ First, talk to people who you know--- friends, relatives, and co-workers-to see if they would be interested in adopting your pet.  If you purchased the dog/cat from a breeder, contact the breeder. Most reputable breeders will take the animal back.

õ Prepare a flyer about your pet and post it at your veterinarian’s office, at local shelters and at other pet related businesses that permit you to post it.  The flyer should include:

1. A recent photo

2. Important information about your pet, such as name, age, gender, health, vaccination status, whether or not the pet has been on monthly heartworm preventative,

3. Any special needs/requirements for the pet (e.g. should be only                                dog in home, must have insulin injections, etc.),

4. Behavior (including whether or not the pet is good with dogs, cats, kids), 

5. Information on any issues your pet has, such as “not housebroken”, “not trained”, “chases livestock”, etc),

6. Your contact information and the adoption fee.  (Note:  an adoption fee of $50 is reasonable and affordable.  If a family cannot afford an adoption fee, then you should question whether they would be able to afford the ongoing cost of food, supplies and veterinary care for the pet.  We discourage “free to good home” adoptions unless you know the adopter well and know they will provide an excellent home.)

õ We do NOT recommend advertising your pet in local newspapers or on the internet, unless you are willing to do a thorough phone screening and home visit of each person who calls and expresses interest in your pet.  Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who search newspaper ads and the internet to find pets so they can sell them to research facilities, dog fighting rings, etc.

õ Conduct an Introductory Visit.  Once you find someone who is interested and who you feel might provide a good home, take your pet to meet them for an introductory visit at their home.  If the person is not already known to you, then do not go alone--take someone else with you to do the home visit.  During the introductory visit:

1. Get to know the people (if you don’t already know them) and observe how they interact with your pet. Make sure they have the time, resources and experience to appropriately care for your pet.

2. Check out the home environment to determine if it is suitable for                       your pet. (e.g. fencing is secure for dogs, cleanliness, interaction with other pets in home, etc.). 

3. Ask questions, and if you have concerns, discuss these with the                     potential adopter. 

4. Do not place your pet in a new home until you are satisfied that the potential adopter will provide the kind of home for your pet that you are looking for! If the people/home are not acceptable and you are uncomfortable rejecting the home in person at the time of the introductory visit, you can state, “we are continuing to consider people who are interested in adopting our pet, so will let you know once we make a decision”. 

õ Once you find a suitable home:

1. Provide the new family with your pet’s veterinary records, bed, supplies, and any medications taken by your pet.

2. Develop a written Agreement.  This Agreement should include the statement that the new family agrees to provide proper care and treatment of your pet, to notify you immediately and give you the opportunity to reclaim him/her if they can no care for your pet, and a statement that you agree to relinquish the pet to them.  The Agreement should be signed and dated by             both parties. 

3. Notify your veterinarian that you no longer have the pet. 

4. For dogs, notify El Dorado County Animal Services of the name and address of the new owners for dog license purposes. 

5. If the dog or cat is microchipped, notify the microchip company   of the change of owner and address.

2.  Take your pet to a local shelter and they select the new home

õ If you need to re-home your pet immediately and/or do not have the time or desire to select the new home, then take your pet to the El Dorado County Animal Services shelter in Placerville.  Other shelter options (for cats only) include the Animal Outreach cat shelter in Diamond Springs and the El Dorado Humane Society cat shelter in Diamond Springs.  Call these shelters first to determine if they have room for your pet. 

õ Be sure to bring the pet’s veterinary records and any medications to give to the shelter. 

õ It is also a good idea to provide them with a written description of the pet’s lifestyle, food, likes and dislikes and any health issues. (e.g. eats California Natural dry food, has lived indoors most the time, is housebroken,  gets along well with children/dogs/cats, is on allergy meds,  etc.)

õ These shelters generally charge a relinquishment fee or request a donation to help support the care of the pet while they are at the shelter.   The shelter staff work hard to provide good care for your pet while they reside there, and to find a good new home.

We hope this information is useful and will help guide you find the perfect new home for your pet!

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