Animal Shelters & The Rehoming Process

Rehoming animals is a reality for many pet owners in Central Virginia, with some shelters having noticed a significant rehoming increase within the past few years.

A national rehoming study done by ASPCA in 2015 reported that roughly six million cats and dogs are rehomed every five years. According to the study, the main reasons for rehoming were either because of pet issues, family issues or housing issues.

Officer Madelaine Dennis of Petersburg Animal Care & Control said that their facility has a waitlist for pet owners seeking to rehome.

“This is because we are already at max capacity with the daily stray dogs that come in,” Dennis said. “While we try to assist as many citizens as we can with re-homing, we are firstly responsible for strays/injured/sick animals. Therefore those who want to re-home have to wait until we can try to find adopters or rescues to pull some of the animals we already have.”

Dennis said that, while she’s seen a long list of rehoming causes at Petersburg, the most common causes are financial troubles, inability to care for the animal and lack of preparation.

“I do believe majority of people don’t realize how invested one must be to own and care for an animal,” she said. “Lack of responsibility and accountability are huge factors. In the animal world we see a lot of situations where animals are disposable to people. I don’t think enough people do their research before making the commitment to an animal.”

According to Dennis, the Petersburg shelter tries to help the owners with rehoming, and the owner has the option to turn their pet over to the shelter if needed before a new home is found.

Director of Marketing and Communications Luke Waldron of Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA also reported that reasons for rehoming vary greatly between owners. In addition, most shelters recommend private rehoming instead of bringing the animals to a shelter, where the pet may experience severe stress.

“Encouraging owners to advocate for their pets on rehoming sites and keeping them in their homes during the rehoming process helps free up space in shelters, particularly for stray/wounded and protective custody cases that come in need of immediate assistance with little to no other options,” Waldron said.

Waldron emphasized that exact rehoming numbers can be difficult to track due to owners using methods including third-party websites and social media.

He also explained that CASPCA seeks to counsel owners trying to rehome, and the shelter offers resources such as a pet food pantry and a low-cost care clinic. Waldron said their shelter wants pets to be in a clean and safe environment as much as possible.

“Rehoming is a challenging and emotional process, but it's commendable when owners prioritize the well-being of the animal and transition them to a healthy situation,” Waldron said.

“Our approach to rehoming and owner surrenders is non-judgmental, focusing on facilitating transitions that prioritize the well-being of the animal and the people who have loved them,” he concluded.