Finding a New Home for Your Pet

A pet that is up to date on medical care is easier to rehome. Be sure to keep all vaccinations up to date and have copies of your pet’s medical records. If your pet isn’t spayed or neutered yet, consider having this done—it can really help with the rehoming process! For medical assistance resources, click here.

Photos & Videos

Use clear, cute photos and videos. Eye-catching images showing the pet in a home environment get noticed! Use clear, well-lit photos with an uncluttered background.

• Get on your pet’s level and capture eye contact.

• Include short videos of play or calm interactions with people and/or other pets.

• Ensure your pet is clean and well-groomed.

• Visit these resources for tips, tricks, and examples of quality photos.

  • The Power of a Photograph (cat-specific)

  • Photo tips for rescuers (dog-specific)

  • Taking Successful Rescue Photos with Your Phone – quickly and easily!

Photo Tip: Avoid zooming in—move closer to keep photos sharp. Use portrait mode on your phone to create a slightly blurred background showcasing your pet as the main focal point.

Writing Your Pet’s Bio

Write a short description of your pet. Be creative and descriptive! Thoughtful posts help your pet connect faster with the right adopter! You can include information about why your pet needs a new home, the type of home that would be best for them, and some fun or interesting facts—such as your pet's funniest behaviors, their favorite activities, or what you love most about them.

Include:

• Personality details and favorite activities

• Daily routines and quirks

• Age, size, and health information

• Behavior with dogs, cats, children, or strangers

• Contact information

• Rehome fee (if applicable)

• Offer a trial adoption period with flexible duration options.

  • While short durations (like a weekend) can still be helpful for an adopter to get acquainted with a new pet and build a connection, most will not fully acclimate to a new environment in such a short period. Also, offering longer stints (such as 2-4 weeks) can help an adopter determine whether the pet is a long-term fit and provide more opportunities for integration into the home with other pets, children, etc.

Need help writing? Tools like RescueWriter.AI or this blog can help you get started.

• Connect with friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.

• Share your pet’s story by email, text, and/or social media.

• Ask others to share your post, even if they aren’t looking to adopt.

Tip: Someone who already knows your pet may be the perfect fit—or may know someone who is.

Use Trusted Rehoming Platforms

You can safely reach potential adopters using well-established community resources and platforms. We suggest posting on all the platforms below to maximize reach among potential adopters. The more marketing platforms you use, the more reach your pets' posts will have!

Other Marketing Channels

Initial Communication

• It’s helpful to have an introductory conversation before scheduling an in-person meet-and-greet with your pet.

• Adopters often appreciate having flexible options for communication. Try to offer potential adopters choices that align with their preferences, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, or video calls.

• You can even offer a first meeting with your pet over a video call!

  • Free platforms include: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Skype.

Meet & Greets

• Choose safe locations and bring another adult when possible

• For cats, consider in-home meetings

• Bring your pet’s favorite items (treats, toys, etc.)

• Offering trial adoption periods can help everyone feel confident

Good sign: Both the pet and adopter appear relaxed and comfortable during in-person meetings.

How do I know if it’s a good fit for my pet?

• Take your time to have quality, in-depth conversations with the potential adopter. Through conversation, you can determine whether your pet's needs match their lifestyle and home environment. Use these sample questionnaires as a starting point:

  • Dog Adopter Questionnaire

  • Cat Adopter Questionnaire

• Consider offering to host multiple meet-and-greet sessions. This can help if:

  • The individual prefers to have more time to get to know the pet

  • Your pet is timid or slow to warm up to new people and/or environments

  • You’d like to get to know the potential adopter better

Adoption Day Checklist:

• Food and treats

• Favorite toys and bedding

• Medications

• Medical and vaccination records

• Collar with ID and rabies tag

• Crate/kennel/carrier

• Litterbox and litter (cats)

• Microchip registration information (if applicable)

  • Update the information registered to the microchip. You can do this by contacting the database where the microchip is registered (such as Found Animals, Home Again, 24PetWatch) and notifying them of the change of ownership and the new owner’s contact information. Be sure to provide the new owner with the pet’s microchip information and remind them to keep their own contact information updated on the registry.

• Document the change of ownership

  • Critical step: Create a written document and record the transfer of ownership to the adopter. The document should be signed by both you and the adopter and retained for your personal records. Consider using the Transfer of Ownership Agreement or Temporary Foster Agreement.

  • Notify the shelter or rescue. If you adopted the pet from a local rescue or shelter, be sure to contact them to let them know you have rehomed the animal and to provide the new owner’s information so they can update their ownership records.

  • Notify your veterinarian of the change in ownership.

• Establish a communication plan

  • This will allow each party to check in with one another for status updates or questions that may arise as the pet settles into a new home environment.

  • Inform the adopter of the approximate timeline of your planned check-ins (see Step 7 for recommendations).

• Collect the rehoming fee (if applicable)

  • Consider offering electronic payment options (e.g., Venmo, Zelle) so you have a digital record of the transaction.

Reminder: Keeping the pet's ID on them at all times helps keep them safe. Be sure to remind the adopter to keep identification on the pet.

Resources for a smooth transition into the home

• Adopting: Cat Confinement in a New Home | San Diego Humane Society

• How to Introduce New Cats to Your Resident Cat | Humane World

• How to Introduce Dogs to Each Other | Best Friends Animal Society

• Introducing a New Dog to Children | Regina Humane Society Inc

• PASS - Pet Resources Guide - Behavior Resources

Ask how your pet is settling in and offer tips or support if needed. You can also ask for updates and photos if they’re open to it.

Sample follow-up timeline:

• 24 hours

• 72 hours

• 1 week

• 2 weeks

• 3 weeks

Once you’re confident your pet is doing well in their new home, don’t forget to remove your adoption posts from online platforms or community boards.

Reminder: If you haven’t yet finalized the adoption, be sure to document the change of ownership. See resources in Step 6.

Pets Adopted from Austin Pets Alive!

If you adopted your pet from Austin Pets Alive!, please email [email protected] with:

• The name of the person who signed the adoption paperwork or the pet’s microchip number

• The reason for the return

If your pet was adopted from another rescue, please reach out to them directly, as most organizations have a return policy and will accept their animals back.

Shelter Resources

Before pursuing shelter surrender, we strongly encourage exploring safe, community-based rehoming options. These methods allow your pet to stay in a familiar environment while finding a new home directly through caring individuals or families. Should rehoming from your home not provide a solution for you and your pet, shelter resources are available.

Local Shelter Resources:

Please note that Austin Pets Alive! is dedicated to partnering with shelters to take in pets at most risk of euthanasia. As APA! is not an open-intake shelter, we are unable to take in owned or found pets.

• Travis County: Email Austin Animal Services ([email protected])

• Cedar Park, Leander, Jarrell, or Round Rock: Services | Williamson County, TX

• City of Georgetown: Shelter Hours and Operations

• Pflugerville: Lost Pet, Found & Surrender | Pflugerville, TX - Official Website