Rehoming a pet

What if I am no longer able to keep or care for my pet? 

If for any reason you decide not to keep your pet, abandoning your pet should never be an option. Abandoning a pet is illegal and considered a form of animal cruelty under the Animals and Birds Act.  The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board does not take in pets from pet owners.  

If you meet any challenges in caring for your pet, consult other pet owners, friends, or professionals in the relevant areas. For example, if it is a medical and/or behavioural issue, a veterinarian and/or trainer can help address the problem. 

If you are unable to continue caring for your pet, please consider rehoming your pet through the following options: 

• Try to find other homes for your pet by asking family, friends, neighbours, relatives, co-workers, or other acquaintances to adopt your pet. 

• Put up advertisements on social media (e.g. on Facebook, Instagram, X, or TikTok) or in the local newspaper to seek an adopter. 

  • To ensure your pet continues to be well taken care of, share existing medical or behavioural conditions with potential adopters, and screen adopters to assess their suitability. Never give your pet away to someone without screening the persons/homes carefully and asking for references. 

• Seek assistance from Animal Welfare Groups.

  • A list of our partner Animal Welfare Groups can be found on this page.

Rehoming your pet takes time, and it is not uncommon for pet owners to take weeks or months to find an adopter. Give yourself sufficient time to find your pet a suitable new home. We trust that you will make every effort to find the best outcome for the pet.