If you must find a new home for your pet or you have found an animal you cannot keep, here are some suggestions to help you:

1. Place an ad in the newspapers. We strongly recommend that you run paid ads and charge money for your pet. Sadly, we do have ritualists in our area, as well as people who sell animals to research or to attack dog networks. These people aren't going to pay for an animal. Paid ads also get more calls. And, people who have to pay for something, place more value on what they are buying. Often, people who get something for nothing, treat that something as if it as meaningless. You don't want your pet to end up someplace where he or she is neglected or abused or eventually even taken to the pound. If you feel that you can't afford paid ads, and decide to run free ads, be sure to use our screening information (use with paid ads, too). Ads work surprisingly well most of the time, but they must be written in as cute and clever a way as possible. If you say "Cute puppies (or kittens) need good home," you probably won't get any calls. Think of the pet's unique and interesting qualities and stress those points. If you need help writing your ad, don't hesitate to call us. Keep re-running the ad or a variation of the ad until you find a home for the animal. Most people find that before too long the right person does come along to adopt the pet. Keep trying.

Consider asking for a $20 deposit. When the adopters bring you proof that the pet was spayed or neutered and fully vaccinated, you return their deposit. You should still carefully screen candidates, but the deposit can be an extra incentive for people to get everything done.

2. Call us to see if there is someone on the referral list who is looking for your type of animal. Ask us to check the Breed Rescue list if you have a purebred dog or cat.

3. Put notices, with a picture of the animal (preferably in a cute pose), on all the bulletin boards in town and at both animal shelters. The picture of your pet is what will "sell" your pet. Polaroids work well. Also, print shops can make copies of color photos. Remember to date your notices and check them once a week. Remove them when your pet finds a home.

4. Call all the veterinary clinics in town. They keep lists of people who want animals or are trying to place their animals. They may know of someone who is looking for your type of pet.

5. Other numbers you can call to see if they know of someone looking for your type of animal:

6. Consider placing your animal with a friend or relative for a short period of time. If you explain to them that this is only until you find the pet a home, most friends or relatives will agree to help. Please remember that once you give your animal away, you will have no control over what happens to that pet. The people you may think will give the pet a life-long home may also give the pet away. Will they be as careful as you in finding a new home, or will they just hand the pet off to anyone who wants him or her? Or will they take the cat or dog to the pound? Or worse? If at all possible, try to figure out a way to keep your pet(s). They trust and love you and want to be with you.

If you prefer to keep your pet, but don't see a solution, call us. It may be that a solution does exist. If you have a "challenging" dog, call a local dog obedience person. They have helped a lot of people resolve their difficulties with their dog. Or call the Animal Behavior Helpline in San Francisco: 415/554-3075.

GOOD LUCK!

The following options are for you to choose from. Do as many as you feel comfortable doing. Remember, the better you screen the prospective home for your pet, the better off he or she will be.

1. When someone calls, ask for the person's name and phone number and tell them you will call them right back. This way, you will know it's a legitimate name and phone number. (And you'll have it for future use if there's a problem or if you want to check up on your pet.) If the person "hems and haws," says he/she will call you back, and/or doesn't want to give his/her name and phone number, consider that a bad sign.

2. Do your screening over the phone (before they get to your house). Use the attached set of questions. It will give you a sense of what kind of pet owner this is. For example, if this person's last dog/cat died at the age of 20, that's a pretty good indication it's a good home. If the last dog/cat was shot, hit by a car, poisoned, sent to the pound, what's to say the same won't happen to your pet? Or, if the people rent and aren't supposed to have animals, they'll most likely have to abandon the pet when the landlord finds out.

3. Ask prospective candidates to your house to see the animal. When they come, keep the animal in another room at first. Then, after you have them sitting down, bring the pet in and watch their faces closely. If they light up, look happy and interested, that's a good sign. If they have a flat, bland, or nonexpressive look on their faces, that could be a bad sign.

4. If you like the people, tell them you would like visitation rights. If they have nothing to hide, that will be OK with them. Even if you never plan to visit the animal, still ask this question to get the reaction. If at all possible, do plan to go see your pet at least once to see how he/she is doing.

5. Ask to see people's drivers' licenses to see that they are who they say they are. Write their name, address, and phone number down so that you can follow-up later on the animal. People with nothing to hide will gladly produce their licenses.

6. Be sure to charge something for the pet(s). If you feel uncomfortable accepting money, ask for a donation to a local animal welfare organization (preferably PAL
) or a favorite charity. There are two reasons for this: First, many people who get an animal for free place no value on him or her. Second, if they can't give anything, will they then provide the animal with necessary veterinary care, food, etc? What happens when their budget gets even tighter? What's the first thing to go? That's right -- your pet, straight to the pound. There are exceptions, but why take a chance?

7. If, while the people are at your house, you decide you do not want to place your animal with them, say something like: "You know, I just had another couple here who is very interested in my pet. They are going to let me know by tonight if they want to adopt him. If they decide not to, I'll call you." This way, you can nonconfrontationally part with these people who would not provide a good home for your pet.

8. You should deliver the animal on the next day off for the people adopting the animal so that they can spend all day with the pet. When you arrive at the new home, you can still back out if you feel that for some reason you aren't comfortable leaving the animal. You can always say you decided you couldn't part with the pet. There should be obvious evidence that the new owners are expecting the pet: food bowls, bedding, litter (if it's a cat) -- all the usual things for pets. Some people even go so far as to interview neighbors.

9. Rely on your instinct. Even if the people look "respectable," and do all the "right" things, but you still feel "funny," about them, wait for another person -- one who will truly give the animal a "good" home.

10. Feel free to call us (273-7958) if you have any questions about the above, want to go over the above in more detail, or for any other reason! While this may seem like overkill to you, please let us remind you that there are people who say they love animals, seem like nice people, but their "care" of animals can include anything from mild neglect to extreme cruelty. Cats and dogs are completely at our mercy. If you are parting with your pet or an animal you have found, please extend a simple act of mercy by trying to find the best home possible for this innocent being who trusts you.

When we at PAL place pets, we screen people thoroughly, charge them for the pet, have them sign a contract, and do a follow-up visit. The truly responsible people not only agree to all this, they will often thank us for being so careful. Hopefully, you want the same for your pet.

QUESTIONING PROSPECTIVE ADOPTERS