When someone adopts a pet, it’s always with the best intentions—to find a furry best friend for the rest of their life. But sometimes it’s not that easy. Berkeley Humane is here to help pet owners who have to make hard decisions. 

Are You Considering Surrendering Your Dog or Cat?  

No matter how much you love your pet, sometimes it’s impossible for you to stay together. We understand that this is never an easy decision to make.  

There are many different reasons someone may need to rehome their pet, from housing challenges to very expensive medical care. Other reasons for surrendering a pet include job loss, pet allergies or other health issues in family members, pet’s behavior issues, or housing issues such as space constraints. And sometimes, it’s not a good personality fit—animals are similar to humans when it comes to temperaments.  

The first step is to try to make it work. Berkeley Humane’s free Behavior Advice Line can help you to find a solution for many common behavior challenges. Our low-cost spay/neuter and vaccine clinic can help with routine medical care. And our Pet Food Pantry can help through times when money is tight. 

However, we understand that even with all this support, sometimes the best decision is to find a new home for your pet. Exploring all the available options before choosing rehoming as the solution can help to prevent feeling guilty afterwards. 

How Berkeley Humane can help you find a new home for your pet 

If you’re able to continue to home your pet until you can connect them with a new loving home, it can make the transition easier for the animal. You can create a profile through Rehome, where your pet can be seen by a wide audience of potential pet adopters.  

When building a profile for your dog on this website, list the positives about the dog or cat as well as the personality quirks and any special needs a new owner will find useful. When you meet with potential new owners, ask as many questions as possible, to ensure the dog or cat’s new home is a great fit. 

By using Rehome to find a new home for your dog or cat, you’ll be able to choose their new owner. You’ll help them find a good fit, which is better for them in the long run. You can take pride in the fact that you’ve made the right decision by carefully finding a new home for the dog or cat and remembering the valid reasons for your decision.  

To learn more about listing your pet for rehoming with Berkeley Humane, click here. 

If you’re not able to keep the dog or cat with you while finding a new home, you can contact us to discuss surrendering your pet to Berkeley Humane. 

Are You Looking to Adopt a Dog or Cat? 

Berkeley Humane is dedicated to helping connect dogs and cats with new loving homes. For this reason, we have added a new courtesy listings page in addition to the profiles of the dogs and cats in our care. On this page, dogs and cats are available for adoption from families who need to surrender their pet. These listings are posted directly from their current owners/guardians through Rehome. If you reach out to one of the pets on our courtesy listings site, you’ll connect with the current owner. The process may be different for each pet; please review each profile for more information on how to adopt.