SURRENDERING AN ANIMAL

C.A.R.E.S. accepts owner-surrendered cats and dogs, space permitting and on a case-by-case basis. We DO NOT accept walk-in surrenders – ALL SURRENDERS ARE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY due to space availability, Parvo / other infectious diseases an animal can carry/spread.

A valid ID must be presented PLUS a surrender fee - no exceptions - due at the time of surrender.

Contact CARES with further questions about surrendering a pet first (email preferred): Buriencares@gmail.com.
Please provide the following information when scheduling:

  • Dog’s name

  • Age

  • Size and weight (to ensure the right kennel size)

  • Breed or type of dog

  • Vaccination records (if current)

  • Date of last vet visit or vet’s name so we can request records in advance

  • Bite history (for example, if the dog is permitted in Burien but not in Des Moines)

Please Note: An appointment does not guarantee we can take your pet. Space is limited—especially for larger dogs—and we may not be able to accept every animal.

Since COVID, shelters across the country have been overflowing with animals. At Burien CARES, we’re a NO KILL shelter, which means our animals may stay a bit longer while we wait for adopters.

We’re a small, “mom-and-pop” style nonprofit—locally operated, independent from King County, and not county-funded. We don’t have the space or resources of larger, county-funded shelters, so when surrenders go up, we feel the strain first.

Pets are a lifelong commitment, much like children. Recently, we’ve seen more animals surrendered than ever before. We may not always know the reasons, but it’s a challenge every shelter is facing—and for a shelter our size, the impact is immediate. Free or very low-cost adoptions can sometimes mean adopters aren’t as fully committed to that lifetime of care. Combined with fewer vets and increased vet costs, it’s the perfect storm.

Every animal here deserves a stable, loving home for life—and that’s what we work toward every single day.

SICK ANIMALS requiring VET CARE

We are an animal shelter only and DO NOT have a veterinary on staff / on-site. Please consult your local vet for medical services or for 24-hour emergency care, we recommend Timberline Animal Hospital - 12063 15th Ave NE in Seattle - or call ahead to let them know your emergency. Because we are limited in size, we cannot take your sick animal as a surrender. We have enormous compassion for all animals and while it may seem unfair that animals are turned away, we simply don’t have the room and are not equipped with a vet, being able to prescribe meds, nor have the expert knowledge of a vet; plus, we are advocates for the animals and MUST look out for the healthy animals we do have in our care.