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.
All intake takes place at our Leeu Naylor Medical Building!
Intake Process
June 13 – UPDATE: Intake for cats and kittens is temporarily on hold until we work through our waitlist. We greatly appreciate your patience.
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 email receiving@SAhumane.org, and make sure you follow the instructions in the auto-reply in order to be considered! Due to the high volume of requests, 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.
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 email receiving@SAhumane.org, and make sure you follow the instructions in the auto-reply in order to be considered! Due to the high volume of requests, 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. This means the pet must be able to live with other dogs and be non-aggressive towards animals or humans.
June 13 – UPDATE : Intake for medium, and large dogs and puppies is currently on hold until we work through our waitlist. We greatly appreciate your patience.
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.
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
6 months and over: $35
Under 6 months: $35/litter
Puppies/Dogs
6 months and over: $35
Under 6 months: $35/litter
Additional Fees
Required Parvo Test for puppies under 1 year old: $29/test (pricing varies for litters)
Intake Surrender Forms
To help ensure your visit runs as smoothly and quickly as possible, please download and fill out the proper forms below before arriving at the shelter:
Stray Surrender Form
Owned Cat Surrender Form
Owned Dog Surrender Form
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 prior to adoption in order to find the best fitting home for every pet.