Did you know that approximately 36% of animals entering animal shelters come in under the intake type called “owner surrender?” This presents a huge opportunity for animal shelters to avoid animals coming into the shelter, by helping pet owners rehome their pets without having to surrender them. According to the Human Animal Support Services Toolkit on Supported Self-Rehoming, many pet owners are willing to rehome their pets directly to another home but are unaware of the resources and tools available to rehome safely and successfully. 

The toolkit also states that, in most cases, “supported self-rehoming is more humane for people and pets because it allows the original owner to help select, and potentially stay in touch with the new owner, and reduces the number of family pets who have to live in a kennel.” 

If your shelter does not already have a supported self-rehoming program, now is the time to look into it. The Toolkit provides you with a plethora of resources to help you start or expand a program at your organization. This includes evaluating your current operations, exploring technology options, reframing rehoming to your community, and more! Check it out