Surrendering a Pet

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. If they are less please email our Foster Team – [email protected] and include photos and as much information as possible!

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.

Due to the high volume of intake requests and our limited space, large dog intakes are managed on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, not all requests can be accommodated. For more information or to discuss your specific situation, please email our team.

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 [email protected] 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!