Surrendering a Pet
The San Antonio Humane Society (SAHS) is the only large public intake shelter in San Antonio to have regularly scheduled intake appointments for individuals attempting to find placement for owned, lost, or stray pets. We are a nonprofit, no-kill organization that does not euthanize for space. We regularly operate near or at capacity. This means we are only able to receive dogs and cats as others are adopted and space becomes available. Please note that to surrender a pet 4 months and older an up-to-date rabies vaccine is required!
All intake takes place at our Leeu Naylor Medical Building!
Intake Process
Intake for cats and kittens are scheduled by appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This helps us ensure that we have ample time to complete exams, vaccinations, and paperwork for each incoming animal, and so that we can have clean, open cages ready for their arrival. To schedule an appointment, please fill out the surrender form (if it’s a stray fill out the stray form), and make sure you follow the instructions in the auto-reply in order to be considered! Due to the high volume of requests, not every request will be fulfilled. Please note that you most likely will NOT get a same-day appointment.
In order to be eligible for intake, all surrendered pets must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds. Additionally, in order to protect our animal population from potential contagious diseases, your surrendered pet must also be free of any nasal discharge, eye discharge, and hair loss. The pet must also be able to pass a basic temperament test, and show no aggression toward humans.
Please note that to surrender a pet 4 months and older an up-to-date rabies vaccine is required!
Specific circumstances for cats!
Any declawed cat can only be taken in under these circumstances:
– The cat MUST be friendly.
– The owner MUST be able to reclaim if the cat starts having difficulty adapting to the shelter.
Any female cat 7-9 lbs or over, and male cat over 10 lbs can only be taken in under these circumstances:
– The cat MUST be friendly.
– The owner MUST be able to reclaim if the cat starts having difficulty adapting to the shelter.
– We MUST have room in a sunroom.
Why is this rule in effect: Large cats have difficulty fitting into the cat kennels in the shelter. All cats need a certain amount of room to move comfortably and need room away from their litterbox, room to hide, and room to stretch out and climb. Our kennels do not accommodate these larger cats. Therefore we MUST have room available in a sunroom in order to be able to take them. We won’t subject these cats to more stress than necessary.
Intake for puppies, small dogs, cats and kittens are scheduled by appointment only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This helps us ensure that we have ample time to complete exams, vaccinations, and paperwork for each incoming animal, and so that we can have clean, open cages ready for their arrival. To schedule an appointment, please fill out the surrender form (if it’s a stray fill out the stray form), and make sure you follow the instructions in the auto-reply in order to be considered! Due to the high volume of requests, not every request will be fulfilled. Please note that you most likely will NOT get a same-day appointment.
Please note that to surrender a pet 4 months and older an up-to-date rabies vaccine is required!
In order to be eligible for intake, all surrendered pets must be at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 pounds. Additionally, in order to protect our animal population from potential contagious diseases, your surrendered pet must also be free of any nasal discharge, eye discharge, and hair loss. The pet must also be able to pass a basic temperament test. This means the pet must be able to live with other dogs and be non-aggressive towards animals or humans.
As a no-kill organization, every treatable pet in our care stays in our care until they find a home or necessary placement with another no-kill organization. No pet in our care is ever euthanized to create space. While the San Antonio Humane Society would love to help everyone, we may not be able to fulfill your intake request at this time. Please click here for additional resources.
Those looking to surrender medium to large breed dogs over 20lbs must have an appointment in order to be considered. To schedule an appointment, please fill out the surrender form (if it’s a stray, fill out the stray form), and make sure you follow the instructions in order to be considered! A request does not guarantee intake.
In order to protect our animal population from potential contagious diseases, the pet you’re attempting to surrender must be free of any nasal discharge, eye discharge, hair loss, rashes, and scabs. They must also be able to pass a basic temperament test. This means the pet must be able to live with other dogs and be non-aggressive towards animals or humans.
Please note that to surrender a pet 4 months and older an up-to-date rabies vaccine is required!
If you are attempting to RETURN a pet previously adopted from the SAHS, please contact our intake team by emailing receiving@SAhumane.org and include the microchip number or the animal ID at the time of adoption. Please provide a detailed reason why you are returning your pet in your email request.
Please note that to surrender a pet 4 months and older an up-to-date rabies vaccine is required!
If you want to rehome your pet by yourself, please follow the instructions on the flyer below. Click here to set up your pet’s profile!
Surrender Fees
In order to help offset the cost of pet care while in the shelter, we require a scheduling fee at the time we contact you to schedule the intake appointment. This fee is based on the pet’s age, species, and any additional required testing.
Please note if the payment is not received, we cannot reserve the appointment.
Cats/Kittens
4 months and over: $40/pet
Under 4 months: $40/litter
Puppies/Dogs
4 months and over: $40/pet
Under 4 months: $40/litter
Additional Fees
Required Parvo Test for puppies
under 1 year old: $31.40/test
(pricing varies for litters)
Intake Surrender Forms
To help ensure your visit runs as smoothly and quickly as possible, please submit the proper forms online or download and complete the PDF versions below before arriving at the shelter:
All animals are vaccinated upon intake and will be spayed/neutered before going home to their new adopters. All potential pet owners are screened and interviewed before adoption to ensure each pet finds the best-fitting home for them.