Surrendering Your Pet

People feel they must give up their pets for a variety of reasons. At the Sacramento SPCA, our goal is to see companion animals remain in their homes as cherished family members.

We often see companion animals surrendered at our shelter for behavior problems, lack of time, or because the owner is moving to a place that doesn't allow pets. If these situations are the reasons you are considering surrendering your animal, we do ask that you read the following information on our web site to see if your pet can better fit into your lifestyle.

For example, if you keep your dog outdoors only, you are probably seeing behaviors like jumping, barking, digging, chewing or escaping the yard. Dogs are social animals. When they are isolated and alone in the backyard, they deal with their anxiety by acting out in ways you don't like. By letting your dog inside when you're home, allowing it to sleep indoors at night and by following a few training tips found on this web site, your pooch can turn into a relaxed, well-behaved member of the family.

Perhaps your cat is not using the litter box and you are tired of cleaning up after him. We offer a lot of information on how to help your cat once again use its litter box and live happily ever after in your home.

If you are moving, it is possible to find animal-friendly housing. We like these housing tips offered by the Humane Society of the United States.

Can You Make it Work After All?

Please visit our section on pet care and behavior tips and see if you can help your pet better fit into your lifestyle. We also have specific information on dog behavior and cat behavior.

If You Must Give Up Your Pet:

The Sacramento SPCA depends solely on donations to fund operations. We ask a minimum $30 surrender fee, but encourage larger contributions as the cost for caring for a shelter animal is over $15 a day.

We cannot accept any dangerous animals. We will do our best to find your pet a new home. However, in every animal shelter, there is too little space and too many animals and your pet could be euthanized.

We encourage you to find a new home for your pet on your own following these guides:

• Petrescue.com's tips on finding homes for animals
• BestFriends.com's booklet on re-homing a found animal