Found a Stray? Need to Surrender a Pet?
If you’ve found a sick/injured animal
If the animal is sick or injured, please take it to the closest animal shelter or emergency facility. Take the found pet to a veterinarian, emergency animal hospital or your area animal shelter to have the pet’s entire body scanned for a microchip. Microchips can migrate in the pet’s body. A current, registered microchip can help identify an owner. If you can, please keep the animal secure and safe in your home while searching for the owner.
VCA Emergency Pet Care/Good Samaritan Drop Off 24 hours:
East 2425 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa | (707) 579-3900
For more suggestions on how to help stray pets in your community, visit: How to help a stray pet – The Humane Society of the United States
If you’ve found a healthy stray or need to surrender your pet
Please contact the animal service organization for the city in which the animal to be surrendered currently resides, or was originally found. Every city and municipality in Sonoma County has contracted with the animal shelter of their choice to provide animal sheltering and animal control for their residents. The shelter directory and contact information are listed below.
Why doesn’t HSSC take strays from these areas?
It’s in the best interest of the animal! Residents who are missing pets are directed to go to the jurisdictional shelter to find their pet and be reunited quickly. It also saves time and stress for an already lost and confused animal to be taken to the jurisdictional shelter by the finder. HSSC wants animals to be reunited with their owners, and we know you do to!
City of Santa Rosa, Guerneville, Geyserville, unincorporated areas of Sonoma County
Sonoma County Animal Services
1247 Century Ct., Santa Rosa
(707) 565-7100
Cities of Rohnert Park & Cotati
Rohnert Park Animal Shelter
301 J Rogers Lane, Rohnert Park CA 94928
(707) 584-1582
Cities of: Sebastopol, Cloverdale, Clearlake, Petaluma, Calistoga & the Town of Windsor
North Bay Animal Services
840 Hopper St. Petaluma CA 94951
(707) 762-6227
City of Healdsburg
Healdsburg shelter
555 Westside Rd. Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 431-3386
Resources
The Humane Society of Sonoma County seeks to provide alternatives to pet relinquishment. Surrendering your pet to a shelter should be your last option. Here are some resources to resolve any issues you may be experiencing or to help you rehome your pet on your own.
Canine Behavioral Help
Get help with behavior concerns such as chewing, housetraining challenges, excessive energy, etc. in our Train Without Pain resource Library. For help with dog behavior issues and concerns, call our Public Dog Training staff at (707) 542-0882 ext. 206 or email dogtraining@humanesocietysoco.org.
Feline Behavioral Help
For help with cat behavior issues and concerns, please check out our Feline Resource Library, or email catbehavior@humanesocietysoco.org. Trained staff will contact you as soon as possible.
Community Veterinary Clinic
If you are considering surrendering your pet due to the inability to afford medical care, please contact our Community Veterinary Clinic at (707) 284-1198 or email at cvc@humanesocietysoco.org. Visit our website humanesocietysoco.org/cvc for information about income qualifications. Additionally, visit our Medical/Financial Resources page for more aid listings.
Low Cost Spay & Neutering
Spaying/Neutering greatly reduces behavioral and medical issues. For more information about low-cost spay/neuter services, visit the HSSC Spay/Neuter Clinic page. Neutering can decrease aggressive behaviors, lessen the urge to roam, and can decrease territorial urine marking (ASPCA). Spaying dramatically reduces medical issues for both cats and dogs. Read more Spay/Neuter information here. The Humane Society of Sonoma County’s low-cost spay and neuter clinic is subsidized by donations and is available for residents of Sonoma County. Our low-cost services are reserved for cats and dogs. Priority is given to Pit bulls and Chihuahuas. To schedule an appointment for your four-legged loved one, contact us at (707) 284-FIXX (3499).
You do not have to give up your pet just because you’re moving. Moving is stressful even in the best of circumstances, so give yourself extra time to find a residence where pets are permitted. When talking to landlords, be honest and offer to introduce your pet(s) to the landlord. Many property owners will allow well-behaved pets, particularly if the owner behaves responsibly. Providing your pet’s veterinary records, graduation certificate(s) from obedience classes and references from past landlords can help to show a prospective landlord you are a responsible pet owner. Find pet-friendly housing here.
If you have feral (unsocial) cats in your neighborhood, visit Forgotten Felines online at www.forgottenfelines.com for information about trap-neuter-return. Forgotten Felines can answer all your questions about TNR and spay/neuter and will provide you with additional information and literature regarding trapping, caretaking, and the protocols for using their services. Call (707) 576-7999.
Rehoming/Surrendering Your Pet
Our rehoming service offers tools for you to find a responsible and loving family for your pet without causing him or her the stress of entering the shelter system. The service is designed to help people rehome their pet from their own home.
Below are guidelines and resources to help you avoid the the unfortunate scenario of placing your pet in a shelter. Be thorough and patient — finding the right home takes time, but it’s worth it for your sake and the sake of your pet.
Take several color photos of your pet. Show off your pet’s cutest and most endearing qualities.
Write a story about your pet. Include the reason your pet needs a new home, the kind of home he or she needs and would do well in, and some “human interest” information — for example, your pet’s funniest behaviors, his/her favorite things to do, or the thing you love most about your pet. Many people write the story from the animal’s perspective, for example, “Hi, my name is Midnight…”
Rehome your pet on our website through our “Adoptions by Owner” page. Submit a photo and a brief story of your pet at humanesocietysoco.org/adoptions-by-owner. Interested persons will contact you to learn more about your animal. Pets will remain on the website for at least 90 days. You will be responsible for contacting us at communications.shs@gmail.com once your pet has been adopted.
Email out to friends, family or co-workers. Give your photos, story and email address to everyone you know asking for their help. Advertise through your workplace or your community bulletin board. Placing your pet with someone you know will ease the transition for everyone.
Consider charging a fee. This will help to ensure you are receiving serious inquiries only. If you feel you have found the right home for your pet you can choose to waive the rehoming fee.
Advertise. Place an ad in your local newspaper or post on your social media pages. Advertisements with photos get more attention. You can also ask to post flyers at your local vet offices or pet stores. Many other shelters and rescues will also post your animal as available for adoption so reach out to them, too!
Helpful Hints On Evaluating Potential Adopters:
Interview potential adopters carefully. Make sure your pet fits into the lifestyle of the applicant’s family, and your pet is what they’re really looking for. You might consider the following in order to ascertain additional information (please note that with respect to some of these items, an open and honest discussion will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision regarding your pet’s placement):
- Verify the name and address with a driver’s license.
- Call the person’s landlord and make sure they has permission to have a pet.
- Ask to see the person’s vet records on all their current or past pets
- Get references and call to see if they can vouch for the person’s ability to care for animals.
- Take the time to consider applicants. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into making a decision that you do not feel right about. Your judgment is your best guide.
- Follow up. Call to see how your pet is doing in their new home.
Once you have exhausted all the resources available through our rehoming service, you can submit an application to surrender your pet. You can request a surrender application by calling (707) 542-0882 x267 or emailing intake@humanesocietysoco.org. Once a completed surrender application has been received, Admissions staff will review it and contact you to follow up. Please allow up to one week for a response.
What You Should Expect
Please understand that as a no-kill shelter, the Humane Society of Sonoma County cannot accept every animal brought to our shelter. We treat every animal’s life as precious, and will not resort to euthanasia to control the number of pets at our facility. Therefore, we will accept the surrender of owned pets by appointment only, as space allows, as appropriate for our adoption program. We do charge a modest surrender fee, which will be applied to the costs we will incur providing care for the pet.
How the Process Works
In order to surrender your pet to the Humane Society of Sonoma County you must first submit a surrender application for review. You can submit this via email to intake@humanesocietysoco.org, by fax (707) 542-1317, or by dropping it off at either our Santa Rosa location. Admissions staff reviews submitted surrender applications throughout each week. Based on available space and an animal’s suitability for our program, admissions staff will contact you to schedule a behavior evaluation, surrender appointment, or to discuss other options available to you. We will also request your pet’s vet records ahead of time to review.
What To Do When You Arrive
- A staff member will evaluate the behavior and health of your pet.
- An appointment for evaluation does not guarantee that the Humane Society will be in a position to take your pet into its care
- Once your pet has been evaluated and the Humane Society decides to take your pet into its care, your surrender fee will be collected. The surrender fee is usually $40 (exceptions may apply for litters of infant animals). Accepted forms of payment are cash, check, or credit/debit card.