Surrender Process

What to do if you need to surrender your pet.

You have a number of choices, and just one of them is surrendering your pet to Wayside Waifs. If you have exhausted alternatives to relinquishment, here is how our admissions process works.

What you should expect

Wayside Waifs will accept the surrender of animals by appointment only. If we have space available in our shelter, we will schedule an appointment for you. This could take between 1 week to 2 months depending upon the type of animal and the time of year.

We schedule appointments Tuesday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Each appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.  Please allow additional time if bringing multiple animals. 

You will be required to pay an $20 non-refundable deposit at the time of your appointment is made.  This deposit will be applied toward your assessment fee at the time of your appointment.  The deposit must be paid with a credit or debit card over the phone or payment can be made in person at Wayisde Waifs to secure your appointment time. 

What to bring with you

• A completed owner surrender form
• All veterinary records
• Your pet's medications
• Special food or treats that your pet needs
• Your assessment fee is payable in cash, credit card or check:
  • $75 - litters of puppies and kittens
  • $55 - unaltered (not spayed or neutered) animals
  • $45 - altered (spayed or neutered) animals

How the process works

First, complete the online appointment application.

• A member of our Behavior Team will evaluate the temperament of your pet.
• Once your pet has been assessed, the Wayside Waifs Behavior Team will discuss the results with you and other options if your pet does not pass. 
• An appointment for assessment does not guarantee that Wayside Waifs will accept your pet.
• If your pet is accepted, your cat will be tested for feline leukemia or your dog, over 6 montsh of age, will be tested for heartworms. 

What to do when you arrive

• A member of our Behavior Team will evaluate the temperament of your pet.
• Once your pet has been assessed, the Wayside Waifs Behavior Team will discuss the results with you and other options if your pet does not pass.  
• An appointment for assessment does not guarantee that Wayside Waifs will accept your pet. 
• If your pet is accepted, your cat will be tested for feline leukemia or your dog, over the age of 6 months of age, will be tested for heartworms. 

What to do if you need to surrender your pet today.

If you opt not to wait for space to become available at Wayside Waifs, you may want to consider other options.

• Find a new home for the pet yourself with friends, neighbors, family or co-workers.
• Place your pet temporarily with friends, family or possibly a boarding facility until space becomes available at Wayside Waifs.
• Surrender your pet to your county or city animal control. Agencies may vary, so please ask them about their adoption practices and their policies surrounding the surrender of owned pets. A shelter should be your last resort.

Good Samaritans

Wayside Waifs does not admit stray pets from the public without an appointment for the following reasons:

1. Guardians who have lost their pets need a central location to find them, and that is their local municipal agency (animal control).
2. Under state law, stray animals must be held for a mandatory stray period in order to provide guardians adequate time to locate their lost pets. As a no-kill shelter, Wayside Waifs must fully utilize all available shelter space to save as many lives as possible. This is best achieved by allowing animal control agencies to perform the function of impounding stray pets as is required of them by law.

If you find a stray animal, you have the following options:

1. Take the pet to animal control in the county or city where you found him. The majority of pet guardians will first contact animal control or their local animal shelter when looking for a lost pet.
2. **Care for the pet at your home while you look for the owner yourself. If you take this route, be sure to:

• Call the local animal control or shelter in the area where you found the pet and any neighboring animal controls if you are near another county/city. Let animal control know the description of the animal, the date and location where he was found and if he is wearing a collar or has any unusual markings that might make it easier to reunite him with the owner.
• Have the animal scanned for a registered microchip by the animal control agency or local veterinarian. If the pet is chipped, contact the microchip company and provide the chip number so that the company can trace the chip back to the pet’s guardian.
• Post flyers in the neighborhood and in very public locations. Place an ad in the paper and check other posted ads for lost pets who might match the description.

** If you choose option #2 above, and the pet is not reclaimed by his guardian during the requisite stray period and you decide not to keep the pet, please review the information on re-homing pets.  This information can help you successfully re-home the pet yourself so that he never has to enter a shelter.  If you are unsuccessful in your re-homing efforts, you may request an appointment by completing our online application.  Our Admissions team wil assess whether we can admit the pet into our care for eventual adoption placement.  Thank you for helping this animal in need.