Pet Rehoming



Rehoming your pet is a difficult decision and we understand you may find yourself in a situation where you feel that you have no other options. Before making the decision to rehome your pet, please review our Pet Retention Resources for assistance with many of the issues that cause pets to be rehomed or surrendered. Whether you’re experiencing financial challenges, moving or housing issues, allergies, house-soiling, behavioral issues, or one of many other challenges, we may be able to help you find a solution that allows you to keep your pet.

Sometimes situations are beyond your control. If you have reviewed our pet retention resources and find that you are still in need of assistance with rehoming your pet, there are a few options available.

 

Rehoming through Home To Home


home to home logoRegardless of the facility or quality of care, a shelter is a strange and unfamiliar place for any animal. Remaining in their home will always be less stressful for your pet. If you are able to keep your pet at home while you search for an adopter, then please consider using Home To Home. Through the Home To Home program, you can list your own pet for adoption on our website while you keep them in your home. This allows pet owners to try and find a direct adopter for their pet and eliminates the need to place them in a shelter. This also means that an owner—who knows their pet better than anyone else—is able to select an appropriate home for them.

If you are interested in finding a new home for your pet through the Home To Home program, please visit our Home To Home page for more information.

 

Rehoming through the Shelter


If you are unable to rehome your pet through Home To Home, you might decide to place them in a shelter. Unfortunately, we do not have the space and resources to shelter every pet that needs to be rehomed. So that we can help as many people and pets in our community as possible, we have established the following procedures for those requesting to surrender a cat or dog to our shelter:

1. Please begin our surrender process by completing a questionnaire to tell us about your pet.

Cat rehoming questionnaire button  

2. We will review your completed form and respond within 72 hours.

3. Priority response is given to cats and dogs previously adopted from Homeward Pet, regardless of length of time since adoption.

4. If your pet appears to be a good candidate for our shelter adoption program, we will schedule an intake appointment where you will bring your cat or dog in for a behavior assessment and examination by our staff veterinarian. Please note that every animal must pass these evaluations to be accepted into our adoption program. We must also determine if our kennel environment is appropriate for your pet.

5. If we are able to accept your pet after their behavior assessment and veterinary exam, they will remain in our care immediately following the appointment.

 

FAQs


Once you’ve scheduled an appointment to surrender your pet to our shelter, please read through our guidelines to make sure that you’re prepared for the process, and address any questions you might have.
Due to the limited capacity of our shelter and the volume of requests we receive, we are unable to accommodate requests for immediate surrender. If you are in need of immediate assistance, please try contacting your local animal control agency or shelter. See our list of animal control services to find the agency or shelter that provides animal control services in your city.

You may also see our list of other local shelters and rescues.
Although we do not charge a fee to surrender a pet, we are hopeful that owners will make a donation to defray some of the costs that we will incur in caring for and working to find a new home for their pet.
Consider rehoming your pet yourself with Home To Home. Through the Home To Home program you can list your own pet for adoption on our website while you keep them in your home. This allows pet owners to try and find a direct adopter for their pet, and eliminate the need to place them in a shelter. This also means that an owner—who knows their pet better than anyone else—is able to select an appropriate home for them.

If you are interested in finding a new home for your pet through the Home To Home program, please visit our Home To Home page for more information.
Our shelter isn’t always an appropriate fit for all pets. If we are unable to place your pet in our adoption program, we may refer you to other shelters or rescues that might be a more appropriate match for your pet. We may also recommend other resources or options based on your pet's needs.
Our Companion Legacy Program can help you make arrangements to ensure your pet’s care and safety in the event of your medical incapacity or death. Upon your passing, Homeward Pet will receive custody of your pets, where they will receive love, shelter, food, training, and medical care until they are adopted.

Our Companion Legacy Program asks for a one-time, tax-deductible gift of $1,000. Acceptance into this program is dependent on review of your pet’s needs, and their medical and behavioral history.
Homeward Pet is not contracted or licensed take in stray animals; please read our handout on what to do if you find a stray animal.

Please see our handout on animal control services for more information on where to take a stray animal.
Homeward Pet is not able to humanely house or rehome feral cats. These are un-socialized or free-roaming cats that are not comfortable with human contact. They are sometimes referred to as “community cats,” “working cats,” or “barn cats." If you need assistance rehoming a feral cat, please refer to our handout on barn cat adoption to find a list of shelters with barn cat adoption programs.

However, being confined in a shelter is very stressful for a feral cat, and most are thriving where they are. For information on how you can help these community cats live happy lives outdoors, see our info sheet on community cat resources.
Adoption Hours:
Phone:
Our Address:



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By Appointment - Wed-Sun, noon to 5:00 pm
425.488.4444
P.O. Box 2293
13132 NE 177th Place
Woodinville, WA 98072

91-1526803
Homeward Pet's mission is to transform the lives of cats and dogs in need through compassionate medical care, positive behavior training, and successful adoption while building a more humane community.
Regular open hours are Tuesday-Sunday 11:30am-5:30pm for questions about adopting, donation drop-offs and other services. Adoptions are by appointment, Wednesday-Sunday. Click here to learnHow To Adopt