Surrender a Pet

Surrendering Your Pet

As a general rule, T-Town PAWS does not accept pets from the public. We work closely with Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter to save animals from their facility whose time may be up. For individuals who wish to surrender their pet, we strongly urge you to consider our rehoming options. However, we do understand that sometimes, it is necessary to surrender a pet.

People surrender their pets for many reasons. They relocate, develop allergies, or there is a change in the family situation that doesn't allow proper care of the family pet. Whatever the reason, please call us and ask for advice before taking your pet to a shelter.

Rehoming Your Pet

You are most familiar with your pet's temperament and would be most successful at finding a well-suited home. Any effort you can make to rehome your pet yourself gives your pet a greater chance at finding the perfect home... and leaves one more opening at our shelter for the next animal.

Rehoming Resources

• T-Town PAWS Community Binder
• T-Town PAWS Website
• T-Town PAWS Facebook
• Ask local veterinarians if you can post signs in their clinic
• Ask local pet-related businesses if you can post signs in their store
• Talk to friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers to see if they are looking for a pet
• Place an ad in the paper

Questions for Potential Adopters

It can be difficult to know the right questions to ask potential adopters. Oftentimes, the way they answer questions can be more informative than what they actually say. Some people may be resistant to answering your detailed questions, but the best candidate is someone that wants to convince you that they can provide love and care for your pet. Here are some questions that the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University suggests:

1. Why do you want this animal?

2. Have you had an animal of this breed/type before?

3. What general experience do you have with this type of animal?

4. Have you ever trained this type of animal? What type of training methods would you use?

5. Do you own or rent your home? If renting, does the landlord permit pets?

6. (In reference to a dog) Do you have a yard? Is it fenced? How securely?

7. What other pets do you have?

8. What other pets have you had in the past and what became of them?

9. Do you have children? Grandchildren? How many and what ages?

10. How much time will you spend per day with this animal? What is your daily routine like?

11. Who will be the primary caretaker of this animal?

12. What activities and exercise do you plan for this animal?

13. Can you afford the care this animal will need or will it cause financial hardship?

14. Who is your veterinarian? May I call your vet for a reference?