Pet Help & Surrender Options
We understand that circumstances can change and caring for a pet may become difficult. CARES may not always be able to admit an owner-surrendered pet, but the information below can help you identify the best available next step.
CARES provides animal care and sheltering services for the three communities we serve while also receiving an unprecedented number of owner-surrender requests. Available space changes daily as animals arrive, return home, or are adopted.
Owner surrenders are accepted by appointment only, based on available space and our ability to safely house, handle, and care for each animal. We do not accept walk-in or same-day owner surrenders. ****Appointments are currently 10-12 weeks out; subject to change depending on number of adoptions in the week. ****
[KEEP MY PET] [REHOME MY PET] [REQUEST SURRENDER] [URGENT & SAFETY CONCERNS]
I Want to Keep My Pet
If pet food or another temporary challenge is making it difficult to keep your pet, start with the resources below.
CARES Pet Pantry
CARES provides temporary pet-food assistance through our Pet Pantry during regular shelter hours.
Resources Offered by Other Organizations
Other organizations may offer veterinary care, behavior resources, temporary crisis care, pet-friendly housing information, or other forms of pet-owner assistance.
[KING COUNTY PET-OWNER RESOURCES]
Please note: CARES does not provide financial assistance or veterinary services. CARES does not have a veterinarian on staff or on-site.
The organizations listed above are independent of CARES. Their programs may have eligibility requirements, fees, service-area restrictions, or limited availability. CARES cannot guarantee assistance or acceptance by another organization.
I Need to Rehome My Pet
CARES does not operate a rehoming or courtesy-listing program. Pet owners can list their animals directly through established self-rehoming platforms:
[POST ON HOME TO HOME] [POST ON PETFINDER] [POST ON REHOME BY ADOPT A PET]
Direct rehoming allows a pet to remain in a familiar home while a new family is found. This is often less stressful for the pet than entering a shelter. It also allows you to speak directly with potential adopters and provide complete information about your pet’s personality, medical history, behavior, and needs.
Tips for Responsible Rehoming
Use several clear, recent, well-lit photographs.
Write an honest description of your pet’s personality, routine, and needs.
Explain whether your pet has lived with adults, children, dogs, cats, or other animals.
Disclose all medical conditions, medications, behavior concerns, and bite history.
Gather vaccination, veterinary, licensing, and microchip records.
Have your pet spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped when possible.
Carefully screen potential adopters.
Confirm that renters have permission to keep the animal.
Follow the rehoming platform’s safety and screening recommendations.
Complete the appropriate ownership, licensing, and microchip transfers.
Never abandon your pet or identify an owned pet as a stray. Providing complete and truthful information helps protect your pet and its future family.
I Need to Request Surrender to CARES
CARES reviews owner-surrender requests for dogs and cats individually. Acceptance depends on available space and our ability to safely house, handle, care for, and appropriately place the animal.
CARES can accept owner-surrendered animals only from eligible residents of the communities we serve.
Before Submitting a Request
Please understand:
CARES does not accept walk-in or same-day owner surrenders.
Submitting a request does not guarantee an appointment or admission.
An appointment does not guarantee that CARES can accept your pet.
Available space can change daily.
Space for large dogs is especially limited.
An empty kennel does not necessarily mean appropriate space is available.
CARES may provide referrals or recommend other options instead of shelter admission.
Please continue seeking other responsible options while your request is reviewed.
Do not bring or leave an animal at CARES without a confirmed appointment.
If an appointment is offered, the person surrendering the animal must appear in person and present a valid, unexpired Washington State photo ID showing their current residential address.
The identification must belong to the person surrendering the animal. CARES cannot complete an owner surrender without the required identification and residency verification.
[SUBMIT AN OWNER-SURRENDER REQUEST]
Identification and Residency Requirements
The person surrendering the animal must:
Appear in person for the scheduled appointment.
Present a valid, unexpired Washington State photo ID showing their current residential address.
Be the animal’s owner or have legal authority to surrender the animal (see multiple owners, separate, or divorce below)
Provide information that matches the identification and residency information submitted with the surrender request.
The identification must belong to the person surrendering the animal. CARES cannot accept borrowed identification, identification belonging to another person, a photograph or photocopy of an ID, or identification that does not show the person’s current address.
If you do not have the required identification, do not schedule or attend a surrender appointment until you have obtained it.
CARES may decline intake if identity, current residency, ownership, or legal authority to surrender the animal cannot be verified.
Information You Will Need
Please provide the following information with your request:
Your full legal name as shown on your Washington State ID
Your current residential address, city, and ZIP code
Pet’s name
Age
Sex and spay or neuter status
Size and weight so we can determine whether appropriate kennel space is available
Breed or type of animal
Current photographs
Vaccination & Medical records including: Medical conditions and current medications
Veterinarian’s name and date of last visit
Behavior around adults, children, dogs, cats, and other animals
Bite or attempted-bite history
Aggression, quarantine, dangerous-animal designation, or previous animal-control involvement
Why surrender is being requested
How soon assistance is needed and why
Other placement or support options already attempted
Complete and truthful information protects your pet, CARES employees and volunteers, other animals, potential adopters, and the public.
Please disclose all bite and regulatory history, including circumstances in which an animal may be legally permitted in one jurisdiction but restricted in another. Omitting or minimizing medical, bite, or behavior information may result in CARES declining or discontinuing the intake process.
Multiple Owners, Separation, or Divorce
If more than one person is identified as an owner or co-owner on the animal’s veterinary records, adoption or purchase records, license, microchip registration, or other ownership documents, CARES requires authorization from all listed owners before accepting the animal.
In cases involving separation, divorce, or an ownership dispute:
All listed owners must appear in person with valid identification; or
Any owner who cannot appear must provide written authorization in a form acceptable to CARES before the appointment.
CARES will not accept an animal when ownership or authority to surrender the animal is disputed or cannot be verified. CARES does not determine ownership or resolve disagreements between current or former partners, family members, roommates, or other parties.
The person arranging the surrender must disclose every person listed as an owner or co-owner. CARES may contact veterinary clinics, licensing agencies, microchip companies, or other relevant organizations to verify ownership information.
Aggression and Bite Histories
CARES is not a behavioral rehabilitation facility and does not have the specialized staffing or environment required to rehabilitate animals with serious aggression.
Animals with bite histories, aggression toward people or other animals, or other significant safety concerns may be declined if CARES cannot safely house, handle, or responsibly place them.
Surrendering an animal to a shelter does not guarantee that the animal can be rehabilitated or safely placed in another home.
New or escalating aggression should first be discussed with a veterinarian. Pain, illness, neurological conditions, fear, and other concerns can contribute to behavior changes. A qualified trainer or veterinary behavior professional may also help determine whether the behavior can be safely treated or managed.
When an animal presents a serious and ongoing danger, cannot be safely managed, and does not have a responsible placement option, the owner should speak candidly with their veterinarian about every humane option—including behavioral euthanasia.
This is an extremely difficult decision. It should be discussed with a veterinarian who can consider the animal’s history, quality of life, treatment options, and risk to people or other animals.
When an animal cannot be safely rehabilitated or placed, surrendering the animal to CARES may not provide an alternative to a difficult decision that should be discussed with the owner’s veterinarian.
If an animal is actively threatening people or other animals, contact the animal-control agency serving the city where the animal is located. Do not bring an aggressive animal to CARES without specific instructions from staff.
Sick or Injured Animals
CARES does not have a veterinarian on staff or on-site and does not provide veterinary care to privately owned animals.
If your pet is sick, injured, in pain, having difficulty breathing, experiencing seizures, unable to stand, or showing another urgent symptom, contact a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital immediately.
For emergency veterinary care, CARES recommends:
Timberline Veterinary Emergency & Specialty
13240 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98133
(206) 828-6868
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
[TIMBERLINE VETERINARY EMERGENCY & SPECIALTY]
Please call before arriving when possible so the veterinary team can advise you and prepare for your pet’s needs.
Timberline is an independent veterinary hospital and is not affiliated with CARES. Veterinary services, treatment recommendations, availability, and charges are determined by Timberline.
CARES cannot accept an animal as an alternative to obtaining veterinary treatment. We may also be unable to accept an animal whose medical needs exceed the shelter’s staffing, equipment, or ability to provide safe and appropriate care.
Urgent Situations
A need to rehome a pet quickly does not necessarily make the situation an animal-control emergency.
A person or animal is in immediate danger: Call 911.
An animal is actively threatening people or other animals: Contact the animal-control agency serving the city where the animal is located.
Your pet is sick or injured: Contact a veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital.
You found an animal that does not belong to you: Follow the instructions on our Found Pet page. Do not use the owner-surrender form.
You are experiencing hospitalization, displacement, domestic violence, or another temporary crisis: Review the independent support resources listed above.
You need to rehome your pet quickly: Begin using the self-rehoming resources immediately. An urgent deadline does not guarantee shelter admission.
[VIEW ANIMAL-CONTROL AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION]
Why Can’t CARES Accept Every Owner-Surrendered Pet?
CARES is receiving an unprecedented number of owner-surrender requests. At the same time, we must remain prepared to receive stray animals and animals involved in emergencies or public-safety cases from the communities we serve.
Available shelter space changes daily based on incoming animals, reunifications, adoptions, medical needs, behavior, and the type of safe housing each animal requires. A vacant kennel does not always mean CARES can safely accept another animal.
CARES is a locally operated nonprofit and is not a large regional or county shelter. We do not have the same facilities, staffing, funding, or access to veterinary resources as larger organizations. When surrender requests increase, the effect on our shelter is immediate.
Our size does not mean that CARES is less committed, less capable, or less compassionate. Animal-welfare organizations may have different resources, responsibilities, procedures, and approaches. Responsible animal care is not measured by whether every organization makes the same decision or accepts animals at the same pace.
For CARES, responsible sheltering means making decisions based on the needs of each animal, the safety of employees and volunteers, the welfare of animals already in our care, and our ability to provide appropriate housing and care.
Animals may remain with CARES longer while awaiting reunification or an appropriate adoptive home. Surrender availability therefore depends on much more than the number of kennels.
CARES carefully coordinates owner-surrender appointments with current shelter operations, available housing appropriate for the individual animal, and the needs of animals already in our care. Because these factors change daily, owner-surrender requests are reviewed individually and appointments are offered when suitable accommodations are available.
There is never unlimited funding, staffing, or shelter space. Shelters of every size must make thoughtful intake decisions based on their responsibilities, available accommodations, and the individual needs of each animal. Different shelters may reach different decisions because their facilities, services, and community responsibilities are not the same.
CARES is committed to providing individualized attention and compassionate care to every animal entrusted to us. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and efforts to find a safe solution for your pet.