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Published: December 26 2013

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Since 1944 the Humane Society of Broward County has taken in dogs, cats, rabbits, Guinea pigs and more. Whether the family is moving, someone developed allergies or they simply cannot financially afford the pet any longer, these families did not abandon their pets in a park to fend for themselves.  Instead they brought them to the Humane Society so they could hopefully find another home.  As our community has grown, so has the number of animals surrendered to the facility.  After careful evaluation and consideration on the basis of a national trend, the HSBC will be starting surrender by appointment on January 15, 2014.  Other large shelters across the country such as Animal Humane Society (Minneapolis) and the Houston SPCA  have been doing this for several years and it has proven to be successful in their communities.

There are several reasons why we have chosen to follow this trend.  The first is transparency on eligibility for adoption of the animal.  The second is to be able to provide alternative solutions to keeping the pet in the home like providing behavior training, limited vet care and nutrition for these animals.  We will also be able to help the pet owner identify resources from within their own circle of friends and family that may provide the opportunity for them to re-home the pet on their own.  Lastly, this will give us the opportunity to provide a Humane organization to surrender their pet.

According to Christopher Agostino, President and CEO, “by accepting animals by appointment this will allow our staff to get a better understanding of why the pet is being given up and share with the owner other options that may be available.  The appointment will also include an exam and evaluation of the pet, which should take 30-45 minutes, and the results will be shared with the owner prior to the end of the appointment so the owner can make the best decision for their pet.”  The information gathered during this appointment will allow better placement of the pet into a new home.  Details such as diet, medical history, activity level, and more will be obtained.

By moving to surrender by appointment we will be able to control how and when animals come into the shelter and we hope to be able to assist more families so they are able to keep their pets.  Animal shelter environments can be extremely stressful for pets and if we know when and why a pet is being surrendered, we can be better prepared for when the animal arrives to make the transition easier. 

To surrender an owned pet the public can call our Animal Admissions Department 954-266-6873 for an appointment starting December 26, 2013.

The Humane Society of Broward County is a private, non-profit organization supported by donations from companies and people who want to help us help the homeless animals.  To see who needs a home, learn about the shelter’s programs and services including low cost spay/neuter, please visit www.humanebroward.com  or call 954-989-3977.