when you need to find a foster or forever home for your Pet
When life gets rough financially, a result is often the loss of stable housing. At Breakthrough, we understand that losing a home is even more devastating for families with pets. Pet owners must scramble to avoid homelessness and search for housing that is not only suitable for themselves, but is accepting of their pets, which isn’t always easy. A decrease or loss of income can also affect a family’s ability to care for their pets, as can the onset of illness, a new baby, or other circumstances. That’s why we have a foster and adoption program where we take care of fostering, and rehoming if necessary, for pet parents. Please reach out to us using the Contact Us page if you need these services.
If you’d like to go about the process on your own, here is a guide on how to find a temporary or permanent new home for your pet:
Create a social media post with multiple pictures of your pet along with all information you have of the pet, including whether the pet is spayed/neutered, up-to-date on vaccinations, and if he or she has current health issues or injuries. Also include whether or not the pet gets along with children and other pets, and give a detailed description of the pet’s personality. Is he or she playful, quiet, shy, etc. Make sure to specify whether you need temporary fostering or rehoming.
Post about your pet on your Facebook page, as well as in Facebook groups relevant to your situation, such as pet groups, dog groups, cat groups, dog foster groups, cat rehoming groups, etc. Also post in groups for your specific city, state, or region, even if they are not pet groups. NextDoor is another great app to post your pet on.
There are a number of pet adoption websites where you can create a listing for your pet. Rehome.AdoptaPet.com is a popular one.
Contact local animal shelters and animal rescues and ask if they can post your pet on their websites as a courtesy listing. You can find these organizations using Google, or by going to PetFinder.com.
If you're looking to permanently rehome your pet, always charge an adoption fee to deter people who may want to use your pet for illegal purposes.
For more rehoming tips, read this article from Best Friends Animal Society. It’s about finding a new home for a stray or lost pet, but the advice is good for rehoming your own pet, too. Also, check out AWA’s website for tips, including how to screen potential foster homes and adopters.