Pet Rehoming & Surrender
Rehoming Your Pet
We understand that most people and their pets would prefer to remain together. However, we recognize that circumstances that owners face—like allergies, moving, medical issues, changing household dynamics, and major life events—can sometimes lead to an incompatible home.
Rehoming Options
To help you navigate these challenging situations, we offer the following tips and guidance to ensure a smooth and compassionate rehoming process for your pet.
1) Find a New Home Yourself
Many people are looking for a new pet just like yours. Before considering surrendering your pet to us, try finding another family interested in giving your pet a new home. Home-to-home adoption skips the stress of a shelter and ensures your pet’s new family learns about them from the person who knows and cares about them most — you.
Finding a new home for your pet can take weeks or even months. To increase the chances of a successful rehoming, ensure your pet is spayed or neutered, groomed, and up to date on their vaccinations.
2) Surrender to Nelson County SPCA
If you cannot rehome your animal, the SPCA of Nelson County can help. Here is our intake process:
- Fill Out the Surrender Request: Provide details about the pet and their needs.
- Schedule an Intake Appointment: Coordinate with our staff to ensure we have space and resources.
- Bring Your Pet at the Scheduled Time: This reduces stress for both the pet and the owner.
This process helps us determine if we can care for your pet until adoption and that the intake process is as quick and painless for the pet as possible.
Animal Surrender
What You Need to Know
The state requires a completed Official Surrender Form for all animals brought to Nelson SPCA. SPCA staff will provide you a copy of the form after meeting the dog or cat to determine if we have the resources and capability to take the animal. Any Animals left at Nelson SPCA after hours, or without our permission and a completed Surrender Form, are considered abandoned strays and cannot be processed. These animals will be transferred immediately to Nelson County Animal Control to wait out their mandatory hold period: 5 days if not wearing a collar or 10 days if wearing a collar.
If you must surrender an animal, please fill out our “Surrender Request” or call 434-263-7722 between 1 and 4 p.m. to make arrangements to do so legally. Legal surrenders save time and money, and greatly reduce the stress on the animals.
Rehoming Resources
Rehoming by Adopt-a-Pet.com is a direct-to-adopter tool for pet folks looking to rehome their animals without ever seeing the inside of a shelter. It also provides a number of great resources and ideas to help you keep your pet!
Please note that the animals from Adopt-a-Pet are not located at the SPCA of Nelson County. All communication should be conducted through Adopt-a-Pet.com. We are not responsible for any aspects of the adoption, including, but not limited to, health or behavior issues.
Upcoming Adoption Events
Surrender Request Form
Providing Care and Support in Pet Rehoming
Rehoming a pet is an incredibly difficult and emotional decision. We understand the deep bond you share with your pet and the heartache that comes with parting ways. We’re committed to supporting you through this challenging time and ensuring that your pet receives the best possible care and a chance for a loving new home.