- October 25, 2024
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by: Amy Wade-Carotenuto
Executive Director, Flagler Humane Society
Bringing a pet to surrender to a shelter can be a stressful time. Is it your pet that you can no longer keep? Is it a lost animal that showed up on your doorstep? Do you feel guilty for dropping the pet off? Are you worried about the pet? Feeling sad? These emotions can lead normally honest people to fabricate stories that may not be 100% accurate. We see dogs brought in as “a stray, found moments earlier.” The “stray” dog pulls feverishly at the leash and cries when the person walks away. Upon arrival, the animals are scanned for microchips. We’ve even traced a microchip back to the “finder” who is standing right there.
Not being honest about whether a pet is yours can cause the pet to have to wait in a cage for an owner who is never going to come. Pets surrendered by their owners can go up for adoption as soon as they are medically ready, whereas strays must wait at least five days, hoping for their family to show up.
Owners surrendering their pets are asked questions, such as, What are the pet’s preferences for food and toys? Is the pet good with kids? Other pets? Not having answers to basic behavior questions lowers a pet’s chance at adoption. We ask for your pet’s previous veterinary history, not to judge how often you took your pet to the doctor, but to ensure that we are providing everything that your pet needs moving forward. Why put them through expensive testing and vaccines if they are already current?
Then there’s the question we ask regarding if the animal has bitten anyone in the last 10 days. There’s a reason for that. Although rabies is incredibly rare in domestic animals in the United States, it’s something that we always watch out for. When a domestic animal bites, they must be watched for 10 days to ensure that they do not show signs of rabies. This observation time is for the safety of the person who was bitten. Anyone bitten by a rabid animal must receive post exposure rabies shots in a timely fashion. Failure to do so could be a deadly mistake.
Admitting that an animal has bitten in the past doesn’t mean that the animal won’t go up for adoption. It just means that they are evaluated a little closer, probably receive training and a disclosure of the history to potential adopters so that they can make educated decisions to ensure the safety of their pets and family.
Most importantly, no one should be embarrassed to bring a pet into the shelter. That’s why we are here. When pet parents are truthful with us, we may even be able to help them keep their pets. Surrendering because you cannot afford veterinary care? We can help with that. Surrendering because you are having problems training? We can help with that.
I always say, “If pets had a vote, they would vote to stay in their original homes.”
So, help us by telling us everything that you know about the pet. Tell us why you’re having to surrender your four-legged family member. You never know, we might be able to help you stay together.
