Giving Up Your Pet

You increase the chances of finding a good home when you can check the references with someone you know. If your pet is from a reputable breeder,  there is a very good chance that you have a contract that requires you to return your pet to the breeder if you cannot keep them.

This deters people who have made a spontaneous decision and may not be ready for the responsibility of a pet. In addition, people tend not to place as much value on something they have obtained for free.

Get a feel for the new home, and what the potential new owner is looking for in a new pet. You must make sure that your pet’s needs will be met. Here are some sample questions:

• What are the new family’s expectations of your pet?
• Has the family had pets before? What happened to them?
• Are their current pets vaccinated and spayed/neutered?
• How often will the dog be walked?
• How often will the cat’s litterbox be cleaned?
• Are the parents willing to supervise the children to make sure a small animal, such as a hamster, receives appropriate care?
• Does anyone in the household have allergies?
• Is anyone in the home afraid of animals?
• Are the new owners thinking of moving soon? If so, will they arrange for the pet to join them in the new home?
• Where will the pet stay while the new owners are vacationing?
• Will the pet be kept inside, outside or both?

It is not fair to your pet to send them to a new home with false expectations of their behaviour or medical requirements.

As the caregiver of an animal, it is up to you to ensure your pet goes to a responsible, caring home that is able to meet their needs.

Keep a record, along with a contract signed by both of you, outlining the requirements you both agree upon.

This makes your pet more adoptable and increases their chances of staying in the new home. You can ask the adopter for a fee to cover this cost.

You have a responsibility to your pet to find them a good home.

Yes, you can contact us at 613-725-3166 ext. 223 or intake@ottawahumane.ca. Please let our staff know the animal’s ID number (e.g. A123456) and wait for a few days after surrendering so we are able to give a full update.

The public is not allowed to visit the animals while they’re being triaged and assessed for adoption.

We are currently unable to offer behavioural consults to the public.

The OHS does not euthanize healthy, adoptable animals regardless of lack of space or length of stay.

Animals with medical or behavioural issues that are beyond our resources to treat and rehabilitate, or who cannot be rehomed safely, may be humanely euthanized by caring, professional staff.

Because these conditions can develop or evolve quickly in a shelter environment, we cannot guarantee a specific outcome for an animal, even if they appear healthy and friendly at the time of admission.

The OHS also has a foster program that allows for animals who need a longer time in our care to be placed in a temporary home instead of remaining in the shelter.

When an animal is surrendered to the OHS, they will first have their picture taken for identification purposes and be scanned for a microchip. If their vaccine status is not current or unknown, they will be vaccinated. Vaccines take a few days to be fully effective. We recommend that if possible, animals be fully vaccinated several days prior to admission. All animals are examined by a veterinary technician, and some of them will be rechecked by our shelter veterinarian. Cats and dogs will receive a behaviour assessment to determine their needs in their respective adoptive homes. Depending on resources, some animals may be placed in foster care prior to adoption for health or behaviour reasons. All cats and dogs that are deemed suitable for adoption will be microchipped and, if not already, spayed or neutered.

When you surrender your pet, you won’t be able to get them back. It’s not in the pet’s best interest to return to a family who is no longer able to care for them.

The OHS requires an appointment to surrender an animal to ensure we always have the room and resources for injured or stray animals in our community. An appointment also gives us more time to learn about the animal, prepare for their arrival and help them find a new home even faster. The OHS is an open-admission shelter, which means we never turn away an animal in need.

Surrendering does not ban you from adopting another animal. Bringing your pet to the OHS when you can no longer care for them is a very responsible decision. When you’re ready, we’re happy to help you find a new pet.

Due to privacy reasons, we cannot share any information about who or where your surrendered pet was adopted to.

Glands in the animal’s skin secrete tiny allergy triggering proteins, called allergens. Allergens are present in flakes of dry skin (dander) and the animal’s saliva and urine. The allergens may circulate in the air after saliva dries on the animal’s fur.

For people who are allergic to animals, most animals, and all cats and dogs, are allergenic (or, allergy-causing). Cats and rabbits tend to be more allergenic than dogs for allergic people, although some people are more sensitive to dogs than cats. Contrary to popular belief, there are no “nonallergenic” breeds of dogs or cats; even hairless breeds may be highly allergenic. There are some breeds of cats and dogs that are considered hypoallergenic, which means they are generally less allergy-causing than other breeds. However, even among breeds, one dog or cat may be more irritating to an individual allergy sufferer than another animal of that same breed.

Long-haired animals do not necessarily produce more animal dander than short-haired pets, and it’s dander that causes allergies, not hair. Individual pets produce individual amounts of animal dander. It makes no difference whether an animal has short hair, long hair or how much it sheds. Shorthaired animals cast off as many allergens into the environment as long-haired ones do.

Recent medical studies have shown that children with early exposure to pets were less likely to develop allergies later in life. One study demonstrated that having two or more dogs or cats around during the first year of life actually decreased a child’s chances of developing allergies. The theory is that if you expose children in early life to allergens, they build up their immunity to them, much like giving your child a vaccination to prevent a disease.

Symptoms of allergies range from mild to severe. Solutions also vary. You may have to experiment before finding the right combination of steps that work to relieve your symptoms. Here are some good steps to consider:

• Create an allergy free zone in the home — preferably the bedroom — and prohibit your pet’s access to it. Use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner (available at many hardware stores or discount department stores) in the bedroom.
• Use HEPA air cleaners throughout your home, and avoid dust-and-dander-catching furnishings such as cloth curtains and blinds and carpeted floors. Clean frequently and thoroughly to remove dust and dander, washing articles such as couch covers and pillows, curtains and pet beds. Use a microfilter bag in your vacuum cleaner to effectively catch all the allergens.
• Although products are available that claim to reduce pet allergens when sprayed on the animal’s fur, studies show they are less effective than a weekly bath. Even cats can become accustomed to being bathed; check with your veterinarian or consult a good pet care book for directions about how to do this properly, and use the shampoo your veterinarian recommends.
• Remember that allergies are cumulative; that is, your symptoms will increase the more allergens you’re exposed to. Many allergy sufferers are sensitive to more than one allergen. So if you’re allergic to dust, insecticides, pollen, cigarette smoke and cat dander, you’ll need to reduce the overall allergen level in your home by concentrating on all of the causes, not just the pet allergy. For example, during the spring when it’s difficult to avoid exposure to pollen, you may need to step up your measures to remove cat dander from your home as well as avoiding cigarette smoke and insecticides.
• Have someone other than the person with allergies clean the litter box and vacuum when the allergic person is out of the house. If this is not possible, the allergic person can reduce exposure by wearing a dust mask.
• Allergy shots (or, immunotherapy) can improve allergy symptoms but cannot eliminate them entirely. The shots work by gradually desensitizing a person’s immune system to the pet allergens.
• Additional treatments are available to relieve symptoms, including steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills. For asthma, there are multiple medications, sprays and inhalers available.