Owner Surrenders
The decision to surrender a pet is a difficult one to make and often it is the result of an unforeseen situation. The City of Port St. Lucie Animal Control Division understands that sometimes, surrendering a pet is not a choice but an unfortunate necessity. Due to this, we want to provide some information and options for residents facing this difficult decision to aid in making the best choice for your pet(s).
We promote pet retention whenever possible. If you have are having temporary financial constraints and just need a little help with pet food, supplies, housing, or veterinary services, please reach out to our division at 772-871-5042 for possible options for assistance. The best home for your pet is yours and there may be services available to help keep him or her with you.
If keeping your pet just isn’t possible… Try these steps first before surrendering to a shelter.
Contact Previous Owner/Breeder/Rescue/Shelter
Sometimes the previous owner, breeder, rescue or shelter your pet came from is willing to take the animal back or can provide alternate options for their care.
Many rescues and shelters have language in the contracts that require you to contact them first before attempting to rehome or surrender your pet elsewhere.
These entities already know your pet and were successful in finding a good home with you. They may want another opportunity to find their next home as well.
Rehoming
No one knows your pet like you do.
You are the best advocate for your animal and can provide prospective new owners with the information they need to make the right decision on adding your pet to their family. Re-homing pets is the best option for you and them. It allows you to choose your pet’s new home and keeps them comfortable at home during the process as shelter environments can be stressful for them.
Talk to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers about your situation to see if they can help you either in the short or long term. Below are links to online rehoming services that can help guide you through the process of rehoming your pet. There you can post information on your pet and look for potential new owners.
Other online platforms and social media sites can also be utilized to look for a potential new home. Port St. Lucie Animal Control suggests posting your pet for at least 2–4 weeks on multiple sites to maximize your options and chances of success.
Rescue Organizations
Rescue organizations are not open admission and can choose when they admit a new animal into their facility. For this reason, they can maintain steady population levels and typically do not have issues with being over capacity. However, this also means they may not have room for your pet so reaching out to them early is important and contacting multiple rescues is suggested. Some rescues may take in only dogs or cats or specific breeds, so make sure you check their website first before reaching out to them.
Should rehoming not work out for you, there are numerous rescue organizations locally and nationwide that may be able to help.
List of local rescue organizations within 1 hour drive of Port St. Lucie:
Humane Society of St. Lucie County
The Humane Society of St. Lucie County is an open admission shelter and does accept owner surrenders for Port St. Lucie residents when all other options have been exhausted. It is important to remember that open admission shelters may be over capacity and by taking in another animal, their resources are spread thinner than they should. Because of this, the Humane Society requires owners first attempt to rehome their pet for two weeks utilizing their Home-to-Home portal on their website. They also utilize a waiting list for owners looking to surrender their pet to the shelter.
To enter your pet into their Home to Home portal, please use this link: Humane Society of St. Lucie County - Home to Home Animal Adoption (home-home.org)
To get on the waiting list, please email the Humane Society at contact@hsslc.org and provide the following information:
- Name of Animal
- Species of animal (only dogs and cats accepted)
- Age of the animal
- Breed of the animal
- Your email address
- Your phone number
- Your home address
- Reason for the surrender
The Humane Society of St. Lucie County partners with local rescue organizations so it is possible your pet will be transferred to one after surrender.