I need to surrender my dogs for free?
The SPCA of Texas only accepts returns of animals initially adopted from the SPCA of Texas by appointment. To request an appointment, you can email intake@spca.org. If you need to surrender a pet not adopted from the SPCA of Texas, contact your local animal control.
You can also try these other options:
- Rescue organization: Better if the pet is older or would not attract people to adopt it
- Humane Society: Will decide on how adoptable the animal is
- Austin Animal Center: An open-intake shelter serving Austin and unincorporated Travis County
Animal shelters in California often charge a surrender fee to help cover the costs of caring for and rehoming animals. These fees can range from around $10 to $100 or more, depending on factors such as the type of animal, its condition, and the services provided by the shelter.
If you need to surrender your dogs for free, there are several options you can explore:
- Local Animal Shelters or Rescues: Many animal shelters or rescues accept surrendered pets. They may offer free surrender services, especially if they are non-profit organizations. Contact local shelters or rescues to inquire about their surrender process.
- Animal Control Services: Some municipalities provide animal control services, including accepting surrendered pets. They may have protocols in place for accepting animals free of charge.
- Online Platforms: Websites and social media platforms such as Craigslist, Facebook, or local community groups might have individuals willing to adopt your pets for free. However, ensure that you screen potential adopters to ensure your pets go to a safe and loving home.
- Pet Adoption Events: Look for pet adoption events in your area. These events sometimes have organizations that accept surrendered pets or can help facilitate adoptions.
- Friends or Family: Reach out to friends, family, or acquaintances who might be interested in adopting your pets. They may be willing to take them in for free.
When surrendering your pets, providing as much information about their health, behaviour, and any special needs is essential to ensure they find a suitable home. Additionally, consider asking for references or conducting interviews with potential adopters to ensure they can responsibly care for your pets.
What a shame. Take your dogs to the shelter and explain your situation. I am sure they will help you.
I would try to find a home for them myself. Call your vet to see if he can rehome them, or he may know someone who can take them. I bought mine from the local vet. The pound would be the last place I take them, but that may be your last alternative. People around take in dogs and work on finding food homes for them. I’m so sorry you have to lose your dogs.
I have no money to put down my dog; I want to do it myself but don’t know the best and most painless way to do it; please, what can I do?
I don’t know a lot about your situation, but I have euthanized several cats myself. I didn’t do it to save money but because they hate car rides and trips to the vet. I don’t want their last moments to be scary.
A bullet to the back of the head where the skull meets the neck will cause immediate cessation of communication between the brain and vital organs (death). This happens when the projectile destroys the brainstem, which controls the vital organs.
I don’t recommend this unless you are very comfortable with firearms and confident in completing the task effectively. I don’t know anyone who does this other than me, so it’s only for some.
I do this only when the animal is terminally ill (kidney failure, for example) and after their quality of life has dropped drastically to the point where I feel I would want death if I were the pet.
I bring my pets into the backyard and allow them to walk around if they can. I stayed with them the whole time, giving attention and talking gently. After a short while, they go to sleep, and then I shoot them in the back of the head. For a cat, a high-powered air rifle is sufficient. A larger animal would require a more powerful weapon.
Another consideration is where you live. I live on the edge of a small town in farm country, I know most of the police, and I’m on a first-name basis with the chief. I’m probably not going to get arrested for a slight firearm discharge.
This beautiful girl is the last friend I euthanized. I found her in my yard in the snow. She slept in my bed by my knees most nights. She’s buried in a patch of wildflowers.
How do you give your dog away?
Decades ago, as a pastor, Dolly was my sweet Standard Schnauzer. Dolly was a lover and a clown, an attentive companion and comforter to many parishioners who came to the rectory.
When Dolly was five, an unexpected transfer meant I had to find my best friend a new home. It was the most challenging part of moving.
Fortunately, Dolly was well-known in the community. When I put out the word that she was up for adoption, there were at least 6-7 who volunteered to take her to a new forever home.
I decided to pick the person who needed Dolly the most, figuring that long-term would make her the happiest.
Relatively late in the interview, I got a call from Ethel, an older lady I didn’t know. When Ethel was sitting in the living room, Dolly came in from outside, went over to be petted, and promptly lay quietly at Ethel’s feet. She never did anything like that, and I had no idea what it meant.
Ethel told me she had arthritis in her knees, and her doctor had told her to keep moving. I was also a psychologist at that time, but it didn’t take much training to see that Ethel was mildly depressed.
I asked Ethel to come outside with Dolly and me to see what would happen. Dolly stuck to her side like glue. Instinct said Dolly had picked Ethel.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
We came back inside. I solemnly warned Ethel that Dolly had to be walked twice a day, at least a little, preferably more whenever possible, and asked if she could promise to do that. Ethel said yes; if Dolly needs it, I can do it. I was sold, and obviously, so was Dolly.
I asked Ethel to come over every day for a week to take Dolly for walks and maybe some sit-down time together in the nearby park.
During that week, I explained my new assignment to Dolly in great detail and her new one. Her job was to take Ethel for walks to help her arthritis and to stay close to help her heart.
I remember when Ethel came in her old blue Buick to pick Dolly up and take her to her new home. They both seemed happy. I went inside and shed a few tears as I started packing.
Ethel kept in touch for several months, giving me reports on her new best friend. I comforted myself, knowing how being so helpful would make Dolly the happiest of dogs.
If you need to surrender your dogs but don’t have the money, there are several options you can consider:
- Contact your vet: Reach out to your veterinarian and explain your situation. They can help rehome your dogs or connect you with someone who can take them in.
- Animal Humane Society: The Animal Humane Society is an organization that accepts all animals regardless of their health, age, breed, or behaviour. They work to find loving homes for the animals in their care. You can schedule a surrender appointment with them by calling their Pet Helpline at 952-HELP-PET (952-435-7738)
- Riverside County Department of Animal Services: If you reside in an unincorporated area of Riverside County or one of their contracted cities, you may be able to relinquish your dogs to one of their shelters. However, eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis, so it’s recommended to call (951) 358-7387 before bringing your pets to a shelter facility
- Rehoming resources: There are resources available to help you rehome your dogs. You can create flyers with photos and descriptions of your dogs and distribute them in your community. Additionally, you can post your dogs on various websites and social media platforms to reach potential adopters. Honest conversations with potential adopters are essential to ensure a good fit for your dogs. Never abandon your pets.
Remember, surrendering your dogs should be a last resort. Explore alternatives such as contacting friends, family, or local rescue organizations for assistance. They can provide temporary foster care or help you find a new home for your dogs.
I don’t believe it costs anything to surrender them. Although, I don’t know that side of it. Are they a specific breed or a mixed breed? There may be more help for you than you know.
I looked into the cost of surrendering a pet to a local shelter. I don’t know the statistics, but I found there is a cost to surrendering a pet where I live. I was honestly surprised. I was also told many places do not have a surrender fee.
For example, if your dogs are a particular breed and you call the rescue for that breed closest to you, I would be shocked if there was a surrender fee. All you have to do is google the breed’s name and zip code. It’s something like this: Lab rescue near me in 24455.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
If your dogs are a mix of breeds, there is likely an adoption group that offers all kinds of dogs and cats of all ages. And you can find a group like that the same way. They typically don’t charge a surrender fee, either.
These two options will provide you with better help than your local shelter. I am genuinely sorry you are going through this. I caution you about giving your sweet dogs to anyone you don’t know, not with a rescue group. There are nightmare stories about what were supposed to be good people taking dogs and using them for purposes that I cannot even talk about.
A rescue will find a forever family for your dogs, and you will never have to worry about them for a single minute. Even though you will have the pain of losing them, you can rest assured they will be well cared for the rest of their lives. Applicants are entirely vetted. Make sure you ask about this when you call them.
What do you mean by surrendering your dogs?? Getting a pet is a lifelong commitment, so if you’re referring to rehoming, you’re wrong, but I don’t understand. Is your dog sick and needs to be put out of suffering?? in that case, there are places to help. Maybe you can even ask your vet if you can work out a payment plan. I wish you all the best with your fur babies.
Money? Call SPCA. Many local shelters exist. Sometimes, family or friends can take them as well. These dogs are YOUR responsibility! YOU OWE THEM in trade for their unconditional LOVE and Loyalty to YOU, the BEST possible outcome for them to live as happily as possible.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
None of us can judge you for having to surrender your pet. Only you know what is going on in your life or your financial status. I want to lead off with that statement because so many people want to vilify someone who has to do this. Sometimes, you have no other option. I’ve never heard of any shelter or rescue that would force you to pay to surrender your beloved pet.
No reputable place would consider the pet’s best interest seriously, especially if there are no alternatives but the pound, being released to the streets ( that you don’t intend to do), or euthanasia (another thing you are not planning to do).
If you can find a family member, someone you know or someone who can prove they will take in your dog and give it a warm, loving, second-chance home, that would be ideal. Suppose you cannot find a situation like this. Please do not advertise him somewhere that is accessible to a good home.
Too many unscrupulous types haunt these sites looking for pets for free to sell to labs, dog fighting creeps, to dump somewhere or other situations no beloved pet deserves to find themselves in. If you have any local shelters or fosterers in the area that can take him, that would be another good move.
The ASPCA, Humane Society, Animal Rescue League, and other national and international rescue organizations operate shelters, adoption centres, and pets with special needs and senior status. They will go far to find every pet animal they receive a 2nd chance home. A local Vet, even if not your own, is also a good possibility.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
They often do some pro bono work for shelters and have connections and ideas for you to try. Some even know their clients well enough to have a list of people who’ve lost a pet and are seeking a new one or clients they know are willing to take emergency placements. ( like fostering, some fosterers even take permanent fosters for difficult-to-place pets). Quite often, fosterers work actively to get their fosters into good homes, amongst lists of reliable people they maintain—every possible option.
Work every possibility as hard as you can before even considering the local pound. He won’t have much chance there. Even if he’s attractive, extremely healthy, young, or purebred, they only keep animals a short time before euthanizing them due to lack of space, sometimes as little as 5–7 days.
There are volunteers and even employees with kind hearts in these places who will do their best to help those who deserve a great shot at a 2nd life get out of there, and shelters tour the facilities frequently looking for those beautiful pets who end up they’re through unfortunate circumstances, to take them out of there. Because pounds take in every animal’s health otherwise, there is a risk they can get sick there.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
But there is some hope even in that situation. Wherever you do, place your beloved dog and take any of his remaining food, clean bowls, bed, toys, and possessions with you. It will help him adjust, and the shelter won’t have to provide them with their supplies. If he has a collar and tags, leave them on and bring his leash; they will need to walk him for exercise.
Before you go, spend some last time with him, petting, grooming, playing, or doing whatever you can. You will be saying goodbye, and doing most of it in his familiar home is better. The shelter will be busy and noisy; there will be little time to do more than a quick pet and whispered goodbye before they lead him away.
It will be painful, I’m sure you know that, and you will mourn his loss deeply, even when it’s unavoidable. But at least you will know he is safe, that you’ve done everything you can, with all your love, to give him another chance to have a new, loving, happy home as soon as possible. God Bless, and good luck to both of you.
How do you give your dog away?
Giving up a pet is often an AWFUL thing to do. I think the vast majority of pets given away are victims of owners who are lazy, selfish, immature, or any combination of words that translate to WRONG. However, sometimes, it is the best thing you can do for a pet. Life doesn’t always care how much you want and love your pet; sometimes circumstances make it impossible to continue providing your friend with a safe and happy home.
There are lots of ways to find a good home for your pet. Unfortunately, many times, good intentions fail, and beloved pets end up being neglected, abused or even killed. First, ask friends and family to take your pet. DON’T hand your friend over to a stranger who heard about a “free dog” from grocery store gossip or a friend of a friend.
If you care about your pet, take the time to meet the person who wants her, ask for references, and SEE the place where she will be living. Anyone unwilling to prove they will care for your dog probably won’t.
If that isn’t possible, asking your veterinarian for help is a good idea. He knows your pet, and almost everyone he contacts at work is an animal lover. Vets will be well equipped to match your pet with people who will love and care for it. Another good idea is to find a no-kill shelter that can take your pet in and guarantee that it will be kept until they place it in a suitable home. It can be difficult; many no-kill shelters are either full or require payment.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
Last week, my parents asked for my help finding a good home for their dog, Gracie. They are getting on in age, and lately, they have been having difficulty bathing, playing with, and even remembering if she has been fed yet. I struggled with the request. I know Gracie. I LOVE her. I live in town on a half-acre plot and already have 3 dogs. I knew I couldn’t take her, even though I wanted to. I couldn’t bring myself to put Gracie’s future into the hands of ANYONE who hadn’t passed my review, so I tried something completely different.
I posted an ad for Gracie on FaceBook. I spent a few hours researching how to write a compelling singles ad, wrote up something that would have caught my attention, and then sifted through my photos of Gracie and picked my favourites. Then, I posted the ad and pictures on a local group.
A page dedicated to buying/selling/giving away pets. Within an hour, my computer was FLOODED with messages from 28 people responding to the ad. There were quite a few who baulked at providing references, a few who were fake, two that I am convinced wanted a “bait dog” for dog fighting (I HATE that!), and others I didn’t feel good about. I whittled them down to my top 3 picks and put them in touch with my parents so they could decide who they wanted to give her to. I can’t stress enough how important it is to check references and pay attention to your instincts when picking a new family for your pet!! Less than 48 hours after I posted the ad, Gracie was in her new home, in love with her new owners and sleeping at the foot of her new 12-year-old boy’s bed. I made new friends for myself in the process!
How much money would it take for you to give up your dog?
No amount, when I got divorced, I made up my mind to do whatever it took to keep the dog, not only for my sanity but so my kids would still have him. I bought an old trailer and stayed in a field for a few years till I got on my feet.
What can I do if I can no longer care for my dog?
My wonderful dog, Koa, was captured by a local Humane Society because he was reported running loose on a country road. We met at a shelter for dogs and cats, and it was an instant bonding experience for both of us.
I live in an isolated area, off a country road, and have no fencing. Koa decides on his boundaries and often disappears for an exploring mission. However, he always comes when called, so his loyalty is to me. He also is far better than the most accurate clock in the world at knowing when 1730, his feeding time, has come. He will appear at the door (the storm door, since I keep the inner door open almost all the time). Much to my dismay, he refuses to live indoors but clearly regards my home as his.
So, after I’d had him for a year, I thought about my advanced age and knew I had to make provision for him when I could no longer care for him. My only child lives far away, and his family has no pets. Also, I don’t think they want any pets, so it wouldn’t be fair for me to ask them to be responsible for Koa.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
However, I have a young friend, the daughter of a dear friend of mine, who has passed away. In recent months, she and I have become close, and I very much admire and love the three dogs she’s adopted into her family. Her dogs include a gorgeous—but temperamental—tri-colour Australian Sheep Dog, a mixed and adorable long-haired unknown breed, and a pit bull female. That pit bull and I have somehow established a powerful bond, and she lies at my feet whenever I visit their home.
Months ago, before she and I re-established a friendship we’d let lapse so many years ago, I asked her and her husband to visit me one evening. As I explained, once they arrived, I wanted them to meet Koa so they could decide whether or not they would be willing caretakers for him should I become hospitalized or die.
It was a thing of beauty to watch. Koa will always go to greet people, unfortunately trying to jump up on them to establish that he’s the friendliest dog they’ve ever met or to let them know he’s a dominating kind of beast. I can’t decide which is the case, but my friend turned her side to him and told him to get down. He immediately sat, good boy and his tail wagged along the floor.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
So, I’ve notified my son (executor of my will) that Koa will be going to my friend because there will be an immediate need for my dog to be taken by her so he can be fed and cared for. The next step will be to choose a quiet day (when she isn’t expecting visitors, etc.) and take Koa over there so he and her pack can mix and mingle to ensure a huge mistake is not in the offing.
I’ve done all I can think of to ensure my dog will be taken care of as soon as possible after I pass away. There are few things sadder than seeing a once much-loved dog sadly sitting in a cage at an animal shelter, missing the master or mistress, and headed straight for the painless death and crematorium that follow unwanted dogs who end up in a shelter.
Edit: I forgot to mention that my friend’s daughter looked through websites and discovered my dog is a Berger-Pickard. I’d never heard of the breed, but it’s French in origin, and these dogs were once used as shepherds for flocks of sheep. Who knew? It’s also the breed of dog used for a little-known movie, Because of Winn-Dixie, about a lost dog adopted by a minister and his daughter.
It doesn’t cost any money to surrender a dog. The problem is getting them to a responsible rescue organization or finding a good home yourself. Whatever you do, don’t advertise “Free to Good Home” because that could be their death warrant.
People doing medical research, satan worshipers, animal abusers, etc., look for those ads so that they can get pets for free to minimize the cost of their despicable endeavours. Since most people are not versed in good adoption techniques, getting them to an experienced, reputable rescue group is best.
What do you do if you can’t afford to take your pet to the veterinarian?
I should have added more context to the question upon asking.
Five years ago, When I first became the owner of my beloved dog, I had a spacious home, an excellent job, and held policies for both health & life insurance for him. Then, without warning, circumstances changed; I found myself homeless & unemployed.
Luckily, I had friends who could take him in. He’s a large breed dog and would be hard to place in a city where real estate is priced so obscenely that most choose to rent tiny apartments. If I had turned him over to humane services, they likely would have chosen to euthanize him ~ would that have been the better choice for a temporary situation? I think not. Additionally, while I could not maintain his health insurance coverage, I continued to provide for his special dietary needs, immunizations, registrations & the like…. Often choosing his needs over my own.
While I now have another job & place to reside, his allergies have begun acting up & the expense of testing is outrageous— almost $2000, which I do not have.
So you see, the problem isn’t that I’m some idiot creature who doesn’t deserve to have a pet; it’s that shit happens & not everyone has an extra few grand sitting around in their bank account. I was unaware that some vets offer payment plans or reduced fees & the like, which are options I will be pursuing.
Thank you to the few who reserved judgment & offered real answers
What do I do if I don’t want my dog anymore?
You have a problem, and you deal with it. I understand; I have 2 dogs, just a year old, and 3 cats…
I have had dogs and wanted another dog or two after moving and settling in. After my last dog died of old age in 2016, I started thinking about what kind of dog would come next: big dog, little dog?? German Shepard, maybe; one in our dog school class stole the show every week. I wanted that dog! But, when I had to move in 2018, I hired a guy who had Tiny dogs—and loved them. I should get tiny dogs; I am getting older.
After I moved and got life settled, my building caretaker, George, showed up one day with the cutest puppy ever, Kate. Then, a few months later, while walking Kate, a lady pulled her car over and gave me a 4-month-old German Shepard puppy for free.
I love my dogs.
One night, I was talking with a young friend, and she said the usual, “Your dogs are good for your health, you can walk them around, and good for safety, considering the neighborhood.”
My reply was full of sarcasm and half-truth… “well, we live in a ghetto, where most people are afraid to go out after dark, so I am not sure having dogs really keeps me safer, or does it make me go out into the night more than I should. And as I approach little old lady status, who has already broken bones tripping while walking dogs at 35 years old, I fear one day their nicknames will be Broken hip #1 and Broken hip #2.”
In the back of my mind, I wonder if my GSD would be happier at a friend’s house. He has a 10-year-old kid; they are athletic. That boy needs a dog. That dog needs a boy. I could solve the problem and find him a new home—problem/solution.
I need to surrender my dogs for free?
But, today, I am keeping him. He loves me hard. It is in his genetics to love his person. He would be sad at a new home for a day or a month. Then, he would fall in love with them.
Suppose you want to re-home your dog. Do it with love. Not every pet ends up being the right fit.
Want a cat? I ended up with 3. My soon-to-be ex-husband asked me to keep 2 for the weekend at the end of September. I still have them. At 55 years old and having been self-employed my whole life, I started working at Home Depot this week because I have 5 pets that need to go to the vet. It is too much.
Good luck with your problem.