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At Humane Society Silicon Valley, we understand that the decision to give up your pet can be quite difficult. Humane Society Silicon Valley does accept the surrender of owned dogs, cats, rabbits, and pocket pets (guinea pigs, rats, mice, and hamsters) by appointment only. This "Reservation Required" system is designed so that during your intake appointment, we have a dedicated opportunity to learn all about your animal's likes, dislikes, and medical history so that we can find the best home for your pet. Scheduling an Intake Appointment To schedule your intake appointment, you must first complete and return a pet owner questionnaire for each animal you need to surrender. Please ensure you legibly complete this questionnaire and include your best contact information so our staff may call you to schedule an appointment. Our staff will contact you to review your questionnaire and get any additional information within 24-hours of receipt. Because we take in surrendered animals as space becomes available at the shelter, we may need to schedule appointments several days or weeks in advance, so please plan ahead! Please know that your intake appointment is not a drop off time; most appointments last approximately 30-45 minutes. Our goal at Humane Society Silicon Valley is to make the transition from home to shelter as stress-free as possible. Depending on your animals’ particular needs, we may request that you return for additional sessions before surrendering your pet so that they are as comfortable as possible with their new surroundings. Please plan to spend approximately 30-45 minutes with our staff for each session. Download your Pet Owner Questionnaire here:
Please return your completed pet owner questionnaire via e.mail to customer_care@hssv.org, via fax to 408-262-2131, or you may drop it off in person at our Animal Community Center Receiving Lobby located at 901 Ames Avenue in Milpitas. Along with your pet owner questionnaire, it is also helpful if you submit a photograph of your pet (e.mail to: customer_care@hssv.org). Surrender Requirements and Fees In order to have the greatest impact on our local community, HSSV does not accept surrendered animals from outside Santa Clara county unless all other local resources have been exhausted. Please check our listings of other local organizations. For the health and well-being of your pet, we do require that all dogs and cats are current on their vaccinations upon surrender. Dogs should be current on their DA2PP "combo," Bordatella, and Rabies vaccinations. Cats should be current on their FVRCP "combo" and their Rabies vaccinations. Note, the rabies vaccination is only required for animals that are more than 4 months old. Please plan to bring your pet's vaccination and veterinary records to your surrender appointment to show proof of vaccination. If your pet is not current on his/her vaccinations, affordable services are available Monday-Saturday in our Medical Center.
Your surrender fees provide your pet with:
Fees are expected to be paid in full during your intake appointment. Your Intake Appointment To help your pet make a good first impression and attract the attention of a potential adopter, we recommend you have your animal bathed and/or groomed before your intake appointment.
Know that the most desirable cats for adoption are:
Know that the most desirable rabbits for adoption are:
Know that the most desirable pocket pets for adoption are:
"Moving day" can be stressful for both humans and animals! To help comfort your pet while s/he is adjusting to our shelter environment, you are encouraged to bring your pet’s favorite bed, blanket and/or toy. Donations of kennels, carriers, and other pet supplies are also greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Re-homing Evaluation All surrendered animals are evaluated by our medical and behavioral experts for our adoption program. If they do not meet our requirements, then every attempt is made to find the animal a home either through one of HSSV's rescue group or shelter partners. The fee for the customer call back service on a dog, cat or rabbit is $70. This is in addition to your animal's owner surrender fee. HSSV does not place any time limits on an animal's stay with our organization once it is made available for adoption! Provided the animal stays mentally and physically sound, a dog, cat or rabbit will be available for adoption until a new home is found, even if that takes days, weeks, or months! Surrendering Other Types of Animals Although HSSV only accepts the surrender of dogs, cats, rabbits, and pocket pets for adoption at our Animal Community Center, we can help direct you to an organization that will accept the surrender of pocket pets, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and other farm-type animals. For more information on surrendering these types of animals, please call 408-262-2133 ext. 110 or e.mail customer_care@hssv.org. |