Rehoming your pet
If you’re facing the heartbreak of having to surrender or rehome your beloved pet, you are not alone. Many situations, outside of your control, can lead to rehoming – the best thing you can do now is to take steps to set your furry friend up for a great future with a wonderful new owner.
Research shows that home-to-home adoption can be more successful than surrendering your pet to a shelter or pound. As pet shelters are often overwhelmed with homeless animals, there is no guarantee that your pet will be adopted.
The Australian Pet Welfare Foundation carries out research into the factors affecting pet welfare, and advocates for change to the systems and policies that lead to healthy, treatable animals being killed. Through those learnings, we have developed guidelines to help loving pet owners maximise the chances of their pet finding a new forever home.
Give yourself plenty of time
To give your pet the best chance of a new forever home, it’s important to give yourself enough time to complete the steps below. It might take time to find the right home and family for your pet – one that is loving and suited to your pet’s individual needs and personality – but it will be time well spent.
Get your pet adoption ready
To increase the chances of finding a home and the success of the new placement, it’s important that your pet is:
Spayed or neutered
In good health and up to date on vaccinations
Clean and groomed
House-trained and reasonably well-behaved
Prepare a pet profile and a general history
Your pet’s profile needs to be positive, feature the best things about your pet and give people an idea of your pet’s personality:
Accurately describe the appearance, breed, size and age of your pet
Include the pet’s name and a high-quality photo - a cute one that helps show their character!
Mention if your pet is desexed, microchipped and has a vaccination history Include all medical history and veterinary paperwork
Describe his/her nature and appealing qualities
Define any limitations the pet might have (e.g. not good with small children) Include a fun story about your pet’s positive and quirky characteristics
Don’t forget your phone number and the times you can be reached
Share your pet’s photo and profile
Facebook and Gumtree can be effective places to advertise your pet - just make sure you do your own checks or ‘due diligence’, particularly if you're rehoming a purebred animal. Your best bet is to share your pet’s profile, and a photo of them looking clean and relaxed, with trusted family and friends, your vet, a local shelter with connections to fosters and post on reputable online pet adoption sites.
Identify the ideal home for your pet
Make a list of what you feel is most important for your pet. What kind of environment does he/she need? What kind of people would suit his/her personality and energy levels? Once you have an idea of what you’re looking for, it will be easier to manage enquiries and get the results you want for your pet.
Arranging a meeting and home check
If you have time, arrange two meetings with the potential new owners. The first one for them to meet your pet and see how they interact, and the second for you to see their home. Additionally, you could ask for references.
Keep in touch with the new owners
Ideally, tell the family they can call you if the adoption doesn’t work out. Let them know you want to keep in touch and will call them in a few days to see how things are going.
How you can help?
Donate today to help the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation (APWF) increase support for pet owners and tackle the issues that lead to pet relinquishment.
