Rehome a pet.
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Step-by-Step
Guide
The fact that you are here on Get Your Pet proves you are a loving and responsible Guardian (pet owner.) However, sometimes things happen in life that are beyond your control. Whether because of landlord problems, allergies, relocation, deployment, financial problems, a death in the family, or something else, you may find yourself with no other choice but to give up your pet.
We know how difficult and heartbreaking making this decision can be.
Keep Them Out of the Shelter
The good news is that you don’t have to surrender your pet to a shelter. Ask anyone who has worked at an animal shelter and they will tell you: shelters should be a last resort for strays and abused animals, not for our beloved pets.
Get Your Pet helps keep our pets out of animal shelters. We are an online community where Guardians and Adopters connect directly, so pets can go directly from one good home to another, instead of to an animal shelter.
Rehoming your pet through direct adoption is simple, smart and humane.
See how direct adoption works, or read on for details…
Publish Your Pet’s Profile
You can do it in minutes. First, because people want to adopt from people, fill in some info about yourself including your first name and a photo. Then, create a profile for your pet, including at least one photo (there’s room for 3 photos) of your pet (check out our 10 tips for taking compelling photos) and a short description that will help a potential Adopter understand what a special companion your pet will be.
Think about what you would want to read about the pet and why someone would love to have your pet join their family.
You can also add a video to show your pet in action. See 5 Tips for Making Your Pet a Video Star.
Select Publish and every potential Adopter who visits getyourpet.com will see your pet’s profile.
Ready to get your pet adopted? Get started. Or, keep reading to learn more.
Messaging
Potential Adopters will visit your pet’s profile page on the site. Some will contact you. Keep in mind, you can reach out and contact them, too. All of the information you exchange is anonymous and secure. This is where you can offer more details about your pet. And you’ll get to know more about the home your pet might be going to.
When both you and the potential Adopter feel ready, you can arrange to meet up.
Meeting Up
You and your pet and the potential Adopter can meet wherever you like. Most people arrange to meet in a neutral place, say a local park that is convenient to both of you. The potential Adopter gets to meet your pet in a low-key, low-stress way that allows your pet to act naturally. And you get to take the measure of the Adopter and determine if their lifestyle is a good fit for your pet.
Before the meet-up, take a look at our list of questions to ask a potential Adopter. And, see our Tips for the Meet-Up to get the most out of your meeting.
It is possible that you and the potential Adopter will decide on the spot at your first meet-up to transfer possession of your pet. This is a decision that is up to the two of you to make and you should not feel pressured to do so quickly.
If you both decide to do this, remember to return to your dashboard and follow up with the results of your meet-up. We need you to follow up so that the Community can know the pet’s new status and see that you receive the documentation that makes your adoption legal.
Vet Exam and Adoption
If everybody agrees that it is a good match, you and your pet and the Adopter are ready to visit a Get Your Pet participating veterinarian for an initial exam. This is part of the Adoption Package and there is no extra charge for it, beyond the adoption fee.
Many vets on our approved list also offer a free rabies vaccination, if needed. Once again, we have tips for the exam and adoption that can help you navigate this process. If, at the end of the exam, the Adopter is satisfied with the veterinarian’s findings, you can transfer ownership of the pet and complete the adoption right in the vet’s office.
Be sure to sign in to your dashboard and follow up after your adoption. This is the only way the Community can know the pet’s new status and see that you receive the documentation that makes your adoption legal.
Remember, Get Your Pet will be with you every step of the way in the adoption process, with prompts and tips to help you find the right new home for your pet. You’ll see: it really is a simpler, smarter, more humane way to adopt.
So, if you are ready, let’s get started!