Lee County Animal Services
Surrendering Your Pet to A Shelter
LCAS takes in over 16,000 homeless and owner surrendered pets each year or an average of 1,300 animals per month. As our resources and options are limited, we recommend you exhaust all other avenues to place your pet before surrendering it to our shelter. We do our very best to place animals but we cannot guarantee adoption.
Few things are more traumatic for a dog or cat than losing his/her family. Regardless of the reason, you should follow a few guidelines to ensure your pet is placed in a safe home.
If you are considering surrendering your pet because of problem behavior, have you spayed or neutered your pet? This simple procedure can have a dramatic impact on some behaviors. Please ask our staff for low-cost options if you have a financial need.
Consult with an animal behaviorist or trainer. Many of these classes and consultations are very inexpensive and yet have amazing results.
Discuss the problem with your vet. Your vet may be able to suggest a training method or even a medication to eliminate the problem.
Keep in mind that if you don’t want to deal with the problem, a stranger won’t want to deal with it either. In the end, if you don’t solve the problem, the dog or cat will be surrendered or abandoned again by its new owners.
Behavior (chewing, barking, etc.)
Many destructive or nuisance behaviors are linked to boredom. Make sure your pet has plenty of toys and social time. Your veterinarian or our staff can provide a list of trainers for help and suggestions.
Housesoiling & Scratching/Digging
Pets are very sensitive to subtle changes
that often occur in a household. A new pet or family member could trigger a
change in your dog or cat’s behavior, as well as other changes in routine.
There are behaviorist to
give you advice on both dog and cat issues. Be sure to check with your
veterinarian first to
ensure that your pet’s behavior is not due to illness or other medical
conditions.
Allergies
Allergy sufferers have access to many new products such as air purifiers and medications that were not previously available. The inconvenience of using these products is arguably worth the many rewards of having a loyal pet friend.
Housing
Unfortunately, it is always more difficult
to find a place to lease or rent when you have a pet. However, with some leg
work and persistence you can find them! Start by checking the rental
advertisements in the newspapers or your favorite internet search engine.
Options for Surrendering
If surrendering your pet is the only option:
· Check
with private shelters in the area to see if they have space
available. Lee County’s
private shelters are:
Gulf Coast Humane Society
2010 Arcadia Street, Fort Myers
(239) 332-0364
Animal Refuge Center
17991 Old Bayshore Rd., N. Ft. Myers
(239) 731-3535
· Contact
breed rescue organizations on the internet such as http:/www.petfinder.com,
http:/www.pets911.com, http:/www.skipspharmacy.com, http:/flarescue.tripod.com
· Adopt
your pet into a new home yourself. Place an ad in local newspapers. Post a
flier at vet offices, groomers, pet stores, work place, etc. Things to
remember are:
Having your pet spayed or neutered before it leaves your care will help prevent
more unwanted pets. Even puppies and kittens at 8 weeks can be spayed or
neutered.
Don't give a pet away for free. People collect free dogs and cats and sell them
for research, dog fighting, etc. Charging an adoption fee is like giving your
pet an insurance policy.
Do a home visit and vet reference check on anyone considering adopting your
family member.