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office at 317 W. 48th St. in south Minneapolis. Everyone is welcome -
you don't need to be an ARC member to attend.
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If an animal's life is in immediate danger, please call 911. Read this
section for more information.
If you can no longer keep your companion animal and need to find a home
for him or her, please read the information in this section.
I
Can't Keep My Companion Animal
What Can I Do?
Do you feel you can no longer keep your companion animal and need to find a new home for him or her? This page provides the information you need to help find a good home and ensure that your companion will be well cared for in the years to come.
Before You Make That Drastic and Final Decision
You may be dealing with a behavior problem, or someone in your household
has allergies, or you are having trouble finding housing that will accept
your companion. These situations can be frustrating, and you may feel
that giving up your companion is the only solution. But before you take
that drastic step, be aware of the resources that are available to help
you deal with these problems.
Behavior Problems
If you are dealing with a behavior problem, talk to your veterinarian.
Many problems are due to a treatable medical condition. For example, a
housetrained animal may begin urinating in the house due to a urinary
tract infection. Your vet will be able to rule out a physical cause of
the problem and may also be able to refer you to an animal behaviorist
in your community who has the expertise to help with your companion's
behavior problem. Several web sites also have helpful tips on solving
behavior problems:
Best
Friends Library of Pet Care Tips
Animal
Humane Society Online Pet Behavior Library
Animal Ark No-Kill
Shelter
Call the AHS Behavior Helpline at (763) 489-2202 twenty-four hours a day and leave a message describing your companion's behavior problem. Volunteers will return the calls, typically within a week. They may give advice, send literature, and/or refer you to a veterinary behaviorist in your area.
Health Problems
Does someone in your household have a health problem such as an allergy
that makes it difficult to keep your companion? Has a physician actually
recommended you give up your companion? Before taking such a drastic step:
Read PETA’s Living
With Allergies to Animals and the Humane Society of the United States's
Allergies
to Pets tip sheet.
Housing Problems
In a recent study, "moving" and "the landlord won't
allow" were among the top reasons for giving up companion animals.
If you are moving and are having trouble finding animal-friendly housing,
or are experiencing other animal-related housing difficulties, visit this
HSUS
web site and read the San Francisco SPCA Tenant's
Guide to Keeping Your Pet.
Finding a Safe and Loving Home for Your Companion
Finding a responsible home for your companion animal is the least you
can do for an animal that has doubtlessly given you trust and unconditional
love. When you look for a new home for an animal, please be sure the animal's
best interests remain your top priority
A "good" home means a home where the animal will live for the rest of his or her life, where he or she will receive attention, veterinary care, and proper nutrition, and be treated as part of the family.
Please do not turn your companion loose "out in the country." This is one of the cruelest fates any companion animal could meet. The suffering and fear they will endure is heartbreaking.
Breed Rescue Groups
For purebred dogs, there may be a breed rescue organization in your area
that will accept the animal. Call the ARC office at (612) 822-6161 for
a list of Minnesota breed rescue clubs.
Newspaper Ads
For other animals, try a carefully placed newspaper ad in your local paper.
Always charge a fee of at least $50 for adopting the animal. This will
eliminate people who resell cheaply acquired animals to research, or use
"free to good home" animals for training dogs for dog fighting.
The brutal, illegal dog-fighting business looks for free kittens, puppies,
and older dogs that fighting dogs can kill for practice.
ARC recommends visiting any prospective new home to get a feel for the environment. Screen potential homes carefully. If anyone refuses to allow you to visit their home, do not place the animal with them. Don't be afraid to ask questions, impose conditions, or say no. The San Franciso SPCA’s Surrendering Your Pet: The Last Resort has a great writeup on screening people who answer your ad and a list of questions to ask during a telephone interview: Ask for a form of ID. Record the number, name, and address for your records and require the new owner to sign an adoption contract. As part of the contract, require the new owner to contact you if he or she decides at some point to give up the animal. Follow up in a few weeks to see how the animal is doing.
Shelters
Another option is to contact the local no-kill
shelters (but be aware that these shelters are usually full).
Humane Societies
If the no-kill shelters are full, you can try local humane societies.
However, be aware that animals surrendered to humane societies are often
evaluated for adoptability, and there’s a good chance the animal
will be killed - especially if the animal is older, or too nervous or
fearful during the evaluation.
Pounds
We do not recommend surrendering an animal to your local pound or animal
control facility. Surrendering an animal to a pound or animal control
facility is generally a death sentence for the animal and in Minnesota,
municipal pounds must surrender animals to research institutions who ask
for them. Most municipal pounds do not put any effort into adopting out
animals and generally, animals are only held for 5 days before being killed.
Euthanasia
Finally, only as a last resort, if your companion is chronically ill,
terribly shy, or has critical behavioral problems, you may be considering
having him or her euthanized by a veterinarian. Many people leave these
animals at shelters, avoiding the reality of what will happen to their
"best friend." It may be easier on your conscience, but your
companion will suffer for it by being thrown into a strange place, only
to die there because he or she is unadoptable. Placing such an animal
in a new home is difficult. Your companion may be traumatized by the shock
of a new home or even abandoned by the new owner once his or her problems
are discovered. If you choose euthanasia, as a final kindness, you should
remain in the room to comfort your old friend during his or her passing.
No one should die alone or with strangers.
Serial Pet Dumping
If you do give up your companion animal, please think long and hard before
you consider getting another one. Make sure that what caused you to consider
giving up this animal will never, ever happen again. When you took in
this animal, you took responsibility for a living creature. You may have
to accept the fact that you just are not able to have a companion animal.
Please, do not become a serial pet dumper!!
Pound
seizure is the sale of cats and dogs from a pound or shelter to research
labs. Only two states --Minnesota and Oklahoma, still have laws requiring
that publicly funded pounds and shelters turn over unclaimed animals for
experimentation. (On 3/27/10 Utah eliminated mandatory pound seizure.)
The ultimate fate of these former companion animals is death. But before
they die, they may suffer greatly. Visit End
Pound Seizure Minnesota to sign the petition and find out more.
Petting
zoos at malls and fairs allow children to feed, ride, or have their pictures
taken with the animals. Children who visit petting zoos often bring home
much more than their parents bargained for as petting zoos are notorious
for infecting children with potentially lethal bacteria such as E.
coli and salmonella. Click here
for a fact sheet with more details on petting zoos.
Hearing
a lot about violence in schools? You can do something to help: Cut out
dissection! Every year, millions of animals are killed and shipped off
to schools, where young people are given scalpels and told to slice up
the animals’ bodies. What does dissection teach? Not much, except
that it’s OK to chop up animals.
Contact ARC for advice on how to object to dissection at your school. Or call the toll-free Dissection Hotline for information and support for students, parents and teachers who object to dissection.
