Re-Home Your Pet

We understand that sometimes, pet guardians find themselves unable to continue providing care for their pet. When this difficult situation arises, the best thing you can do is try to re-home your pet so they won’t have to enter a shelter. Entering any shelter environment is extremely stressful for pets and should be avoided if possible. Surrendering your pet to a shelter should be a last resort, not the first option.

With dedication and effort, many people find success re-homing their pet on their own. Here are some tips on re-homing your pet.

Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet.com

Ask family and friends
Ask friends, family members, or other trusted individuals for support and explain the situation. They may be interested in adopting your pet, or able to temporarily foster him/her while you’re in the process of finding a permanent home. Do you have a certain friend or relative who has bonded strongly with your pet when they have visited your home? Contact them first!
Search within your networks
Begin searching for your pet’s new home within your networks: Your workplace, community association, religious organization, neighborhood, or any other group you are affiliated with; you can do this by advertising in an internal newsletter, sending out a mass email, or posting flyers with a description and photos of your pet.
Use Social Media
Use social media. Post your pet’s photo and description to your Facebook page and local pages you like. Many people find success creating Facebook pages for their pets.
Post a classified ad

Post a classified ad to be viewed by the general public, either online or in a printed publication. Popular options for Albuquerque residents include Craigslist and Albuquerque Journal.

Contact Breed and Rescue Groups

Contact breed & rescue groups. There are numerous pet rescue groups, many of whom are foster-based, working to help pets find new homes and keep them out of the shelter environment.

Be sure to screen the family interested to ensure a safe, loving, permanent home for your pet. It is crucial to evaluate your pet’s individual needs and create a list of specific questions to ask interested parties. Most importantly, you will want to ensure that your pet will be treated humanely and provided with basic necessities. It is reasonable to request a brief home visit and rehoming fee to guarantee that your pet finds the right new home. People who are seriously seeking a long-term companion animal will likely welcome your efforts to ensure a great new home for your pet. Responsible pet owners will undoubtedly have many questions for you too, as they will be interested in obtaining detailed information about your pet’s behavior, temperament, and any medical concerns to determine whether or not they can commit to providing lifelong care for the animal.

Sometimes, individuals find it necessary to surrender their pets due to unexpected life changes or unforeseen circumstances. We understand that this is a difficult decision to make, and can help your pet find a new home.

Animal Humane is a managed-admissions facility, and pets are accepted by appointment only. To learn more please visit our Admissions page. 

Policies

Dogs

The admissions process will take 30 – 45 minutes. Our trained and certified Adoptions Team performs a behavior assessment (SAFER® assessment) on every dog and puppy to determine their temperament. If the dog being surrendered fails our assessment, we will not be able to admit them into our care and will provide you with alternate suggestions.

Cats

The admissions process will take 30 – 45 minutes. Please bring your cat in a carrier if possible; however, we do not accept surrenders of cats or kittens in traps. We do not admit feral cats or feral kittens. For information on our feral cat TNR program, click here.

Fees

We are a private nonprofit organization that receives no city, state or federal funding. We rely on revenue we generate to care for more than 4,500 shelter pets annually. On average, the cost for a 21-day stay is $400 per pet. Admission Fees help us to offset these costs. To admit a pet into our care for re-homing, we require the following fees:

  • $45 for the first pet; this includes both strays and owner surrenders
  • $15 for each additional pet
  • For litters of kittens/puppies: $40 for first pet and $5 for each additional pet

Pet admissions are accepted by appointment only.

To schedule a pet admission appointment, please complete the appropriate form on our Admissions page. 

Admissions Department Hours:
Monday – Thursday:  10 am-noon & 1-4 pm

Admissions are accepted at our Main Campus only: 615 Virginia St. SE.

Stray pets may be admitted on a walk-in basis as space allows.