WE'VE COMPILED THE FOLLOWING LIST OF REHOMING RESOURCES & TIPS TO HELP GET YOU STARTED:
1. Make sure they’re ready for Rehoming!
We strongly recommend that you set your animal up for success before you start the rehoming process! Please make sure your cat or dog is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and has had a recent vet exam. For low cost spay neuter options and low-cost wellness plans you can contact one of the clinics listed on our veterinary clinics page.
2. Promoting your Pet
The following web sites will allow you to post your animals on their sites. Please visit each page/site to read their rules and regulations.
Other options include classified websites as well as contacting breed specific rescues if that applies to your animal. Often the best way to find rescues is be searching online and specifying the city or region you live in. We recommend that if you are considering working with a rescue organization, make sure that they are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. You can confirm any organization’s non-profit status at www.irs.gov/charities. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
3. A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Remember that with all postings, pictures are key! Full body shots of your animal are great but a photo with a clear view of the animal’s eyes tends to catch people’s attention. Make sure your photograph has good lighting and the size of the animal is clear when looking at the picture. We typically recommend leaving people out of the photographs unless the animal is interacting positively with a child. Also, make sure to highlight your pet’s best attributes! If your dog likes playing with other cats and dogs, that’s a great photo opportunity and it says a lot about your pet’s social skills! If your dog is super cuddly, post a photo of the animal lounging on a cough or cuddled up to their favorite stuffed toy. If they’re athletic get an action shot showing them playing fetch, swimming, or hiking!
4. Help Your Pet go Viral
Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are great ways to spread the word that your pet needs a new home. Post the message to your followers with a video or picture and enlist your friends to help you spread the word! Don’t forget to reach out to anyone who already knows your animal to see if you have a potential new home closer than you think!
You can post flyers at vet offices, local grocery stores, pet stores or feed stores. Many community centers have bulletin boards that you can add your flyers to as well. Make sure to leave tags so people can remove your contact information without taking down the entire flyer.
5. Screening Potential Adopters
Once you have an adopter interested, we recommend that you communicate to them the needs of the animal they want to adopt. Make sure you discuss the care of the animal and let them know about his/her current health status including how to prevent heartworms! We recommend that you charge a small rehoming fee or ask for a donation for your favorite local animal rescue.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a meet up! If you want to ensure that the animal being rehomed interacts well with their potential new family, you should ask to meet up at a dog friendly area or restaurant. This meeting should give you insight on how comfortable the animal would be with their potential new family. We recommend the initial meetup take place in a neutral setting. If the meeting goes well and you choose to go through with the adoption, offer to collect any paperwork you have for the dog and drop them off at their new home. By delivering your pet to their new home, you can be sure that the information matches what you were told and that it’s a safe and comfortable environment.
Recommended Reading:
We strongly recommend that you set your animal up for success before you start the rehoming process! Please make sure your cat or dog is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and has had a recent vet exam. For low cost spay neuter options and low-cost wellness plans you can contact one of the clinics listed on our veterinary clinics page.
2. Promoting your Pet
The following web sites will allow you to post your animals on their sites. Please visit each page/site to read their rules and regulations.
- Los Angeles Animal Services Home-to-Home - Keeping animals out of the shelters through direct home placement.
Other options include classified websites as well as contacting breed specific rescues if that applies to your animal. Often the best way to find rescues is be searching online and specifying the city or region you live in. We recommend that if you are considering working with a rescue organization, make sure that they are a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. You can confirm any organization’s non-profit status at www.irs.gov/charities. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
3. A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words
Remember that with all postings, pictures are key! Full body shots of your animal are great but a photo with a clear view of the animal’s eyes tends to catch people’s attention. Make sure your photograph has good lighting and the size of the animal is clear when looking at the picture. We typically recommend leaving people out of the photographs unless the animal is interacting positively with a child. Also, make sure to highlight your pet’s best attributes! If your dog likes playing with other cats and dogs, that’s a great photo opportunity and it says a lot about your pet’s social skills! If your dog is super cuddly, post a photo of the animal lounging on a cough or cuddled up to their favorite stuffed toy. If they’re athletic get an action shot showing them playing fetch, swimming, or hiking!
4. Help Your Pet go Viral
Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram are great ways to spread the word that your pet needs a new home. Post the message to your followers with a video or picture and enlist your friends to help you spread the word! Don’t forget to reach out to anyone who already knows your animal to see if you have a potential new home closer than you think!
You can post flyers at vet offices, local grocery stores, pet stores or feed stores. Many community centers have bulletin boards that you can add your flyers to as well. Make sure to leave tags so people can remove your contact information without taking down the entire flyer.
5. Screening Potential Adopters
Once you have an adopter interested, we recommend that you communicate to them the needs of the animal they want to adopt. Make sure you discuss the care of the animal and let them know about his/her current health status including how to prevent heartworms! We recommend that you charge a small rehoming fee or ask for a donation for your favorite local animal rescue.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a meet up! If you want to ensure that the animal being rehomed interacts well with their potential new family, you should ask to meet up at a dog friendly area or restaurant. This meeting should give you insight on how comfortable the animal would be with their potential new family. We recommend the initial meetup take place in a neutral setting. If the meeting goes well and you choose to go through with the adoption, offer to collect any paperwork you have for the dog and drop them off at their new home. By delivering your pet to their new home, you can be sure that the information matches what you were told and that it’s a safe and comfortable environment.
Recommended Reading:
- Need to Find Your Pet a New Home? (Humane Society of the United States)
- Rehoming a Dog or Cat (Best Friends Animal Society)
