Owner Surrender

We recognize that surrendering a pet is sometimes unavoidable and a very difficult decision to make. We are here to try to help.

What to know:

  • If you’d like some options for affordable vet clinics, websites on training and behavior, and contact information for local professional trainers, please check out our Resources page.
  • We request that you fully disclose your pet’s traits. This will help us make an informed decision as to whether we can place your pet in a compatible foster home.
  • Due to the number of surrender applications we receive, it may take weeks (possibly longer) to place an animal in a foster home.
  • We request that you help us help your animal by updating their vaccines.
    • For dogs: Rabies vaccine, Distemper vaccine, Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine, and 4DX test.
    • For cats: Rabies and Distemper vaccines and FeLV/FIV test.
  • If your pet is up to date on vaccinations or has received care at a veterinary clinic in the last 5 years we request that we be given complete medical records for your pet including any medical notes. This is important so we can provide the best care possible for your pet moving forward. All personal information will be removed from these records. You can call your clinic and ask for a complete set of records **including medical notes** to be emailed to you and can be included in your application. This will speed up the surrender process. If your pet has not seen a vet while in your care, we will proceed without records.
  • We appreciate a suggested minimum donation of $40 for surrendering animals to Pet Haven. This isn’t mandatory, yet it’s extremely helpful for us to be able to take in more pets in need.

What We Are Unable To Do:

  • We are unable to accept animals with extensive vetting needs, such as animals who are terminally or chronically ill
  • We do not offer temporary foster home placement at this time
  • We cannot accept stray or found animals:
    • The finder must report the animal to the city in which it was found.
    • The animal must undergo whatever stray hold that the city requires (this is solely dependent on the jurisdiction the animal was found in; some allow finders to hold the animal while others must be brought to a shelter).
    • An animal is not considered legally available for transfer until it has undergone a 5-day stray hold. Once this is complete and all due diligence to find the owner is done you can claim ownership and apply to surrender to Pet Haven
  • We cannot perform TNR (trap neuter return) services. We do not have the resources.
  • We cannot provide immediate surrender services. It can take up to 2 weeks or more to find a foster home.
  • It is very difficult to place animals with human aggression tendencies, bite histories, separation anxiety, or severe behavior problems.

Here is a comprehensive list of shelters and rescues in Minnesota Dog Lovers Digest

Owner Surrender Process

  1. Complete the surrender application. Please note: Submitting this form does not guarantee that Pet Haven will be able to take the animal. 

 

 cat surrender Application

 

 dog surrender Application

 

  1.  Pet Haven will review your application and respond via email (please check spam folder) within 3-5 business days. We realize this is often a stressful time and we ask for your patience. We are currently receiving an incredibly high volume of requests.
  2. If your pet is approved for foster placement, we will work with you to coordinate a transfer and you will be required to sign a release form.
  3. Pet Haven suggests a donation of $40 if we find placement for your pet. This is not mandatory but greatly helps us be able to help more pets like yours.

How to Rehome your pet on your own (Adopt-A-Pet)

How Adopt-A-Pet Works

  • Rehoming your pet should be easy and stress-free both for you and your pet. Adopt-a-Pet.com, the largest non-profit pet adoption website, has created a simple, reliable, free program to help you place your pet from your loving home directly to another.
  • You can create a pet profile, review applications, meet adopters, and complete a pet adoption application on your own! We strongly suggest requiring an adoption fee and doing an in-person home visit and background check. Click the image below to get started.

 

Release Forms

**Please do not complete until your pet has been transferred to Pet Haven

Cat Release form

 

Dog Release form

More information

Are you looking for help or support?  Click here for advice on pet behavior and training.