Rehoming Your Pet With The RHSPCA

Rehoming Your Pet

We Strive To Find A Safe & Healthy Home For Every Pet

If there comes a day where you can no longer care for your pet, the Rockingham Harrisonburg SPCA provides compassionate surrender and rehoming processes for community members who are no longer able to care for their animals. We know that it’s difficult to give up a pet, but we also know that sometimes it’s necessary.

We allow Harrisonburg and Rockingham County residents to surrender their pet to our shelter where we will do everything in our power to partner them with a stable, loving family. We know that the decision to rehome your pet is not made lightly, and we’re here to offer guidance and resources to simplify the process. The Rockingham Harrisonburg SPCA Rehoming Program is here to assist you.

We are here to help pets achieve positive outcomes. Please reach out to our Client Services Manager, Mac, at mainsworth@rhspca.org for additional resources and information on how we can help keep your pet in your home, or find positive outcomes for them without shelter entry.

Where to Start

Ask yourself the 4 questions below before you decide that you want to give up your pet. If you still wish to proceed, you will need to fill out a surrender application to start the process, as we are at capacity and cannot accommodate same day surrenders. Surrender applications and additional information can be found below.

4 Questions To Ask Yourself

Before you surrender your pet, we ask that you first review these questions and our suggestions:

Is there a way to resolve the situation without surrendering your pet?

Our goal is to keep pets with their families. Does your pet have a behavioral or medical issue that can be treated or improved? Check out our Behavior Resources page for behavior help, or the resources below for medical assistance. You’re welcome to contact us if you have specific questions or needs. We also understand if there are circumstances that are out of your control.

Low Cost Vet Resources

Spay & Neuter Clinic | ARSPCA | Affordable Pet Care
Financial Help | Anicira
Spay & Neuter | Cat’s Cradle | Harrisonburg, VA
CareCredit – Veterinary credit card – 6 months no interest
Scratchpay – Loan for veterinary care – 6 months, no interest

Pet Food Assistance

PetHelpFinder – Directory of food pantries.
Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Food Pantry – Local pantry resource.
Anicira Pet Food Pantry – Local food support.

Have you tried rehoming your pet with friends or family?

Rehoming is often the least stressful transition for your pet to find a new home. Ask those close to you to help spread the word among their social circles to find a new owner that you trust to care for your pet. This way, you could have the possibility of staying in contact with the pet and getting updates on them. If you are active on social media, we also recommend social media blasts on your personal profiles.

Are you using online rehoming resources?

There are many online options to help you find a new home for your pet without shelter entry. The resources we provide are frequently updated to stay relevant to our community, and many are free to use.

Facebook Rehoming Groups - Dogs

Facebook Rehoming Groups - Cats

Rehoming Websites

Adoptapet.com – National rehoming board.
RescueMe.org – Pet rehoming and rescue network.
Home-Home.org – Direct pet rehoming tool.

Do you live in the city of Harrisonburg or Rockingham County?

If none of the above options are feasible, or aren’t the right fit for you, then we encourage you to submit the application below to start the surrender process. Please note that we can only take in animals from the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. If you don’t reside in these areas, please check with your local animal shelter for their intake policies.

We’re Here For You

We are here to help pets achieve positive outcomes. Please reach out to Client Services Manager, Mac, at mainsworth@rhspca.org for additional resources and information on how we can help keep your pet in your home, or find positive outcomes for them without shelter entry.

If you decide to surrender your pet to the RHSPCA, know that we will care for them diligently and do our best to find them a safe and healthy home. To help us get the information we need prior to surrender, please fill out the appropriate Surrender Application. A staff member will reach out within 2-3 days with the next steps!

Our shelter is currently at capacity and is unable to process same-day surrenders, as such we schedule our owner surrenders out to ensure a kennel is open. Please do not bring pets for same day surrender without speaking to staff.

Cat Surrender Application Dog Surrender Application

FAQ’S

How long do you keep animals?

We do not euthanize animals for space. We are able to create a positive outcome for over 90% of the animals that come into our care. We do sometimes have to euthanize animals due to the severity of their medical or behavioral concerns.

Can I call and find out if my pet was adopted?

Absolutely. You can contact the shelter to get an update on your pet. For reasons of privacy, we do not disclose personal information about the adopters or rescue group they were transferred to. We also do not discuss animals surrendered to the shelter with anyone other than the individual who surrendered them.

We Couldn’t Do It Without You

Your contributions make the difference for pets and people in our community.
Thank you for your support!

Make A Donation

Have Questions? Get In Touch:

"*" indicates required fields

Moved Permanently

Rehoming