Re-Homing A Pet

The following information is provided to you to help you re-home your pet(s).

PROJECT FOREVER HOME INFORMATION

Providing alternatives to surrendering your pet to a shelter is the goal of Project Forever Home. These include re-homing your pet from your home and obtaining behavior assistance, among other alternatives. If after exhausting these options you still need to find another home for your pet, this page contains information to help you.

RE-HOMING SERVICE INFORMATION AND POSTER

A component of Project Forever Home, the Re-Homing Service, offers tools for you to find a responsible and loving family for your pet without causing him or her the stress of entering the shelter system. The service is designed to help people whose pets are already spayed or neutered. If your pet is not spayed or neutered, please contact our spay/neuter clinic at 228-863-3354, Ext. 129 to schedule his/her surgery. Having your pet neutered will make it easier to find him or her a new home and improve his or her chance of forming a lasting and successful relationship with the new owner.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI PERFECT MATCH FORM

Our “Perfect Match”  forms (for dogs) (for cats) are included to show you how to evaluate potential adopters and give you guidance on the types of things to look for when finding your pet a new home on your own.

ADMISSIONS INFORMATION

Once you have exhausted all the resources available through Project Forever Home, your last option will be surrendering your pet to the shelter.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI’S OWNER SURRENDER AGREEMENT

Filling out this form honestly and completely will help us determine the best type of home for your pet. Please include likes and dislikes (food, litter box, ect.), behavior issues or anything else a new family should know. Bring this form (for dogs) (for cats), along with veterinary records and animal care fee(s) when you bring your pet to Humane Society of South Mississippi. HSSM asks for animal care fees upon surrender of your pet. These fees allow us to provide high quality care to your pet during his/her time in the shelter.

Project Forever Home seeks to provide alternatives to pet relinquishment.

The Humane Society of South Mississippi takes in anywhere from 20-100 animals a day during our busy months. If you plan to turn your own animal in at a shelter, please reconsider.

The Humane Society of South Mississippi has the following resources available to assist you with keeping your family pet:

REHOMING

Ask around to see if you know anyone (friends, family, co-workers, etc.) who is looking for a new pet, or take advantage of free resources such as bulletin boards throughout the community. It is better for your pet if you are able to re-home him or her yourself. The shelter can be a very stressful environment.

PET BEHAVIOR HELP

For help with behavior issues and concerns, contact your veterinarian for references on trainers and behavior modification specialists who may be able to help you work through the issues you are having that are causing you to give up your pet.

PET MANNERS CLASSES

Ask how to sign up for a class designed to help pets. Many local pet-related stores offer training classes and as mentioned above, your vet may be able to direct you to a reputable trainer.

PET-FRIENDLY HOUSING GUIDE

If you are thinking of giving your pet up because you have to move into an apartment or other residence that does not allow pets, Visit our Lost/Found Department for a list of apartments and other housing that permit pets.

FOSTER CARE

If you are turning in a sick animal or a mom and her litter, are you willing to keep that animal until he or she is well or the litter until they are old enough to fend for themselves? Join our Foster Care program. We provide all the food, medications and vaccinations, and when they are adoptable, we will work with you to find them a new home. Call 228-863-3354 ext 113 or email tsartin@hssm.org for more information on helping the animal you’ve found get better and able to go into a new home!

TRAP NEUTER RETURN (TNR) FOR FERAL CATS

If you have stray cats in your neighborhood that cannot adapt to living in the home environment we will provide you information on our Trap, Neuter, Return program, which is a FREE way for you to help the homeless cat population by using our low-cost spay/neuter resources. The Humane Society of South Mississippi can also assist you with trap rentals and free spay/neuter services for feral cats. Call 228-863-3354 Ext. 129 for our Spay/Neuter appointment line.

Remember: Cats are territorial. If you simply bring in your stray cats to be “disposed of” new cats are going to move into your area. BUT if you bring in a manageable number of stray cats as part of our Trap, Neuter, Return program, we can fix them and give them rabies shots for FREE. They will no longer reproduce AND they will hold their ground, not allowing any more cats into the area.

The Humane Society of South Mississippi accepts pets from 10-6 Monday thru Saturday, appointments are recommended. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please call 228-863-3354 Ext. 124. Trained staff will contact you within 48 hours.

Consider finding your dog or cat another home instead of surrendering him to a shelter because it will be less stressful for your animal, allows you to play a part in uniting him with a new family, and makes additional space available for pets whose lives are at risk.

BEFORE YOU START LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME FOR YOUR PET, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

Get help with behavior problems such as chewing, housebreaking challenges, excessive energy, ect. Call your vet and ask for referrals to correct the problem. By working to solve behavior problems before you find your pet a new home, you’ll help ensure a good, lasting home for your pet.

You do not have to give up your pet just because you’re moving. Moving is stressful even in the best of circumstances, so give yourself extra time to find a residence where pets are allowed. When talking to landlords, be honest and offer to introduce your pet(s) to the landlord. Many property owners will allow well-behaved pets, particularly if the owner behaves responsibly. Providing your pet’s veterinary records, graduation certificate(s) from obedience classes, and references from past landlords can help to show a prospective landlord you are a responsible pet owner. For a list of many (but not all) landlords and apartment complexes that allow pets, please visit our Lost/Found Department for the Pet-Friendly Housing Guide.

TIPS TO FINDING THE RIGHT NEW HOME FOR YOUR PET:

First, be sure your pet is spayed or neutered and is up-to-date on all of his/her vaccinations. This will make it easier for you to find a new home for your pet. Next, follow these guidelines. Be thorough and patient- finding the right home takes time, but it’s worth it for your sake and the sake of your pet.

Create a great poster for your pet, that can be used either in print or online. For a template, click here.

  • Take several color photos of your pet. Show off your pet’s cutest and most endearing qualities.

  • Write a story about your pet. Include the reason your pet needs a new home, the kind of home he or she needs and would do well in, and some “human interest” information- for example, your pet’s funniest behaviors, his/her favorite things to do, or the thing you love most about your pet. Many people write the story from the animal’s perspective, for example, “Hi, my name is Sabrina…”

  • E-mail out to friends, family, or coworkers. Give your photos, story and e-mail to everyone you know asking for their help. Advertise through your workplace e-mail or your community bulletin board. Placing your pet with someone you know will ease the transition for you, the new owner and your pet.

  • Make a re-homing poster. Use the Humane Society of South Mississippi re-homing poster as a guideline. Make several photocopies of the poster and then attach an original photo to each poster. Place the re-homing posters in veterinary offices and pet supply stores near and far, where people who take good care of their animals visit often. Consider using a bright colored sheet of paper, rather than printing on white.
  • Charge a fee. Most people who want a pet for the right reasons are happy to pay something for the animal and a fee will discourage most people who have malicious intentions.

  • Advertise. Place an ad in your local newspaper, listing the most important characteristics about your pet and the kind of home your pet needs. This will cost a little more, but will save you time and aggravation evaluating applicants. Advertisements with photos get more attention.

HELPFUL HINTS ON EVALUATING POTENTIAL ADOPTERS:

  • Interview potential adopters carefully. Use HSSM’s  pre-adoption questionnaire  as a guide.
  • Review the “Perfect Match” forms. Go over this document (for dogs) (for cats) with each applicant to see if the applicant’s lifestyle is compatible with your pet. Does your pet fight with cats? Is your pet high or low energy? Make sure he/she fits into the lifestyle of the applicant’s family, and your pet is what they’re really looking for.
  • Along with the adoption questionnaire, you might consider the following:
  1. Verify the name and address with a driver’s license.
  2. Call the person’s landlord and make sure he/she has permission to have a pet.
  3. Ask to see the person’s veterinary records on all his/her current or past pets to see if he/she takes care of their animals.
  4. Get references (friends, neighbors), and call to see if they can vouch for the person’s ability to care for their animals.
  • Take the time to consider applicants. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into making a decision you do not feel right about. Your judgment is your best guide.
  • Follow up. Call to see how your pet is doing in his/her new home. A responsible owner will welcome your concern for the animal.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO SURRENDER YOUR PET?

You have a number of choices, the last of which should be surrendering your pet to a shelter. If you have exhausted alternatives to relinquishment (including trying to work through challenges, or trying to find a new home for your pet yourself with friends, neighbors, family or co-workers), here is how our admissions process works.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT

The Humane Society of South Mississippi will accept the surrender of owned cats and dogs by appointment or as a walk-in. We encourage you to make an appointment as lines can be long and each animal takes time. Please be advised we are NOT a no-kill organization.We request an Animal Care fee upon your relinquishment of your pet into our care. This fee will go toward the cost of caring for your pet once he/she enters our shelter.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

For everyone’s safety, all dogs must be leashed and all cats must be in a carrier.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE

  • A staff member will greet you and walk you through the process and paperwork
  • Upon relinquishment, we request an Animal Care Fee in order to be able to provide your pet with high quality care during his/her stay in the shelter. Accepted forms of payment are cash or credit/debit card.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO SURRENDER YOUR PET TODAY

If you are unable to wait for an appointment, you may surrender your pet to your county or city animal control or simply come in to HSSM’s Lost/Found area. Agencies may vary, so please ask them about their adoption practices and their policies surrounding the surrender of owned pets. A shelter should be your last resort.