Pet Rehoming

Home To Home

Seattle Humane recognizes that all shelter environments cause stress in animals, and the best outcome for a pet looking for a new home is one that avoids this step completely. As the economic impacts of COVID-19 continues to put a financial strain on many families across the nation, it is immensely important to Seattle Humane that resources be made available to keep pets in their homes. If that is not enough, then swift action is necessary to ensure these pets spend very little time in a shelter environment, if at all.

That is why Seattle Humane has launched a Home To Home program, which is a direct-to-adopter tool for people looking to rehome their animals. In just a few simple steps, pets can find a loving new home without ever seeing the inside of a shelter. It’s free to use for both guardians and adopters, and gives animals needing a new home the best of both worlds: their current guardian can find the best fit, and their adopter can learn all about their personality and preferences first-hand.

To learn more, visit our Home To Home website at sh.home-home.org.

Rehoming your pet is a difficult decision, but sometimes situations arise that make it seem like the only choice. Because you love your pet and the bond between a person and a pet is strong, our first solution is to try to find a way to keep your family together. We’ll work with you to find a way to keep your pets and can offer help with common issues like behavior problems or moving.

We understand, however, that situations arise that make it impossible for you to keep your pet. In that case, we’ll do our best to help you rehome your pet.

For more information about training or other solutions for keeping your pet, please call us at (425) 641-0080. We will be happy to assist you or refer you to others who can help.

Surrendering your pet for rehoming

An appointment is required to surrender your animal. Seattle Humane requires intake appointments so our staff and volunteers can collect medical history and behavior traits about each incoming pet.

To fill out a surrender application online, click one of the links below:

Dog Animal Surrender (Please complete a form for each pet.)

Cat Animal Surrender (Please complete a form for each pet.)

Small Mammal Surrender (Please complete a form for each pet.)

Questions about the surrender process? Need additional help? Contact our Pet Resource Center at (425) 649-7561 or [email protected]

Continuing Care Donation

We request a continuing care donation when an animal is admitted to us. The average cost of care for an animal that is brought to Seattle Humane is $570, and while you are not required to make a donation, all donations are greatly appreciated and help to offset a portion of the cost of caring for the thousands of animals we receive each year.

Alternatives to Rehoming

Please consider these solutions for common rehoming issues:

Moving

The most common reason people surrender their animals is due to moving to a place where they can’t take their pets. Many people consider surrendering because they are unsure how to go about finding pet-friendly housing, how to travel with their pets or how to help them adjust to a new home. Seattle DogSpot has a FREE 53-page e-book available to anyone with an email address. Click here for this e-book on pet-friendly housing in your area For information about traveling with a pet or helping them adjust to a new home, see our pet resources page or check the pet rental guide from Dumb Friends League.  

Military deployment

Are you in the military? Going on deployment? Contact Dog on Deployment. This non-profit provides an online network for services members to search for willing volunteers to board their pets (and not just dogs!) during their owner's service commitments.  

New baby

Having a new baby is a momentous and stressful life event for everyone in the household, including your pet! For great tips on successfully integrating your baby into a home with your pet, click here!  

Behavior problems

A common reason people need to rehome an animal is if their pet is displaying undesirable behavior. Many unwanted animal behaviors can be corrected, enabling pets to successfully remain in the family. Before surrendering your animal, please consider other options or training solutions, such as the ones listed on our Pet Advice page. For more effective ways of working with common behavior issues such as resource guarding, separation anxiety, inappropriate urination/defecation or fearful/aggressive feline behavior, click here for more resources. We've also got classes and workshops to help you with dog training. 

Pet allergies

To ease allergy suffering, we recommend two simple steps: First, bathe your pet with a product such as Allerpet (a solution you apply to your pet’s coat), which is sold at numerous veterinary clinics. Then follow simple home cleaning procedures, like vacuuming and washing bedding often. Your doctor can also refer you to an allergy specialist.