PAWS: Can PAWS Take in Your Pet?

Can PAWS Take in Your Pet?

At PAWS we believe in lifelong commitments to companion animals and that is why we offer a variety of ways to help you address common issues that may make it possible for you to keep your pet. If you haven’t yet read that information, please review dealing with behavior issues, listings for pet-friendly housing, dealing with allergies and guidelines for finding an animal a new permanent home on your own.

Process for Giving Up Your Pet to PAWS for Re-homing
Before PAWS can take custody of your pet for possible re-homing, you need to complete a cat or dog history profile which PAWS staff will review along with any medical history you and your veterinarian provide. The staff will go through this information to help us determine if your pet is behaviorally and medically sound and is a good fit for our shelter environment. We’ll then contact you to discuss bringing your cat or dog to the shelter and go over the fee for taking custody of your pet. The fee is used to help offset the cost of caring for the animal while he is at PAWS. Because PAWS makes a commitment to all of the animals in our care, there may be a waiting period before your animal can be accepted into the shelter.

If your pet is accepted into PAWS, we will schedule an appointment for you to bring in your pet. At that time staff will observe your animal’s behavior. If the staff is unable to handle the animal safely, PAWS will decline accepting the animal and will suggest other options for you.

Required Forms
Please take a few moments now to print and complete either a cat history profile or a dog history profile and fax it to 425.742.5711. The staff will review the information and be in touch with you about your animal within approximately two business days. As a note, PAWS is located in Lynnwood, Washington, approximately 20 miles north of Seattle.

Fees
The fee to give up your adult cat to PAWS is $50 and the fee for an adult dog is $65. For assistance with placement of kittens, puppies, pregnant animals, or mother cats or dogs with litters, please contact us at 425.787.2500 x850. Fees to take mothers with litters are typically nominal or waived.

When PAWS Cannot Take Your Pet
When staff review your cat or dog history profile, they may determine that PAWS may not be a good fit for your animal. This can be the case for certain breeds and temperaments of dogs and cats who do very poorly in a kennel environment. For their sake, these animals may not be accepted into our care. Animals who have certain medical conditions, behavior problems or aggression issues cannot be accepted. In these cases, the trained PAWS staff will suggest other potential solutions for your cat or dog.

One of those solutions may be to seek assistance from another shelter or rescue group. To determine if PAWS is the closest shelter to you and the best fit, we suggest you visit Petfinder.org for a list of shelters and groups around the country. If you live in the Seattle-area and your animal is a purebred dog, contact the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, and for purebred cats we suggest you contact the Purebred Cat Rescue.

You may also want to refer to these other helpful guidelines for finding an animal a new permanent home on your own, or dealing with behavior issues.

Can PAWS Guarantee My Pet a Home?
Simply put, we cannot. There are times when behavioral or medical issues are not apparent until an animal has been at PAWS for awhile, therefore, PAWS cannot guarantee the placement of your animal into a new home. With that said, PAWS works hard to find homes for the animals in our care and, on average, places more than 85% of dogs and cats into new homes.

It is important that you are realistic about the adoptability of your pet. You have an established relationship with him or her, and if you find you are unable to deal with a behavior or medical condition, then you must understand that those who have no relationship with your animal are not likely to take on that responsibility.

If the animal has a behavioral issue that makes him unsafe or if the animal is suffering from a severe medical condition, humane euthanasia may be the best choice for your pet. As difficult as it can be to think about, you may want to speak with your veterinarian or a PAWS staff member about humane euthanasia.

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