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Possible Alternatives to Shelter Surrender

We’ve developed this program to assist pet guardians/caretakers within the community. We’ve taken the top reasons pets are turned into animal pounds/shelters and provided viable solutions, allowing the pet to avoid going to the pound/shelter all together. Read through the questions below and click on the question that applies to you, to locate guidance and helpful information on the issue.

Did you know…all Ohio pounds currently remain kill facilities, especially for cats/kittens. Local Animal Control killed upwards of 80% of all healthy, adoptable felines who entered their doors in 2013 alone. Nationwide, nearly 3 million cats and dogs are killed in American animal shelters annually. In fact, shelter euthanasia is the number one cause of death in cats- more than any disease or illness. By keeping cats and dogs from ever entering the shelter, we can change the numbers. By spaying/neutering our pets and working to TNR (spay/neuter, release) feral cats, we can make an enormous impact on our community. If you are considering rehoming your cat/dog, please take a moment to filter through the Q&A below. It is likely that you will find a viable solution, allowing you to keep the pet with you until a permanent home can be found, or allowing you to keep your pet with you for the duration of their natural life span. Animal shelters/pounds often prove to be incredibly stressful environments for pets. In addition, pets often suffer extreme depression, anxiety and lethargy when left behind by their guardians. Instead of surrendering your pet to a shelter/pound, find alternative solutions to helping your pet (see below). Together, we can change the world, one positive action at a time. Together, we can change shelter/pound statistics by lessening the number of animals being taken there each day.

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PLEASE NOTE:

If you experience a behavior issue with your pet(s), first be sure to rule out any medical issues (work with your trusted veterinarian). Next, ask yourself “What likely happened to my pet that made him/her engage in that undesired behavior?” The question isn't: “What’s wrong with them?”  Instead, reframe your perspective to “What happened to them in the past to make them react/act that way?" And, "How can I help them heal that wound (which will in-turn improve and possibly correct the unwanted behavior)?” (examples: a dog with food aggression, a pet overeating to the point of regurgitation, etc.)

Find helpful information and guidance on our most frequently asked pet behavior questions, below...

NOTE: Information shared on PASS program pages is copyrighted by the author/Advocates 4 Animals. If you are a shelter/rescue wishing to implement program similar to our PASS program, we applaud your efforts! We’ve found that the program works best when you operate additional programs that offer direct assistance such as rescue/adoption, community TNR for feral cats, pet food pantries, and low cost spay/neuter programs. Please do not copy our content. If utilizing short quotes from our program, please respectfully link to our PASS program.

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