Surrender a pet 
We understand that parting with a pet can be a heartbreaking and deeply personal decision. Whether due to life changes, financial hardship, housing challenges, or behavioral concerns, you may find yourself considering surrendering your pet to a shelter. At Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Center, we’re here to offer compassion and support—but we also believe that surrender should be the last resort.
As a limited-admission, no-kill shelter, we can only accept as many animals as we can safely and humanely care for. Because of this, we are not able to accept every animal brought to us. Our ability to take in a surrendered pet depends on space, staffing, resources, and the individual needs and temperament of the animal.
Finding a new home for your pet
The shelter is not the best place for a beloved pet if alternatives are available. Animals in shelters face an unfamiliar and often stressful environment—even in the most loving facility. If you are able, we urge you to explore every possible alternative before surrendering:
- Reach out to friends and family: Sometimes the best new home is one already in your network.
- Work through behavior challenges: If your surrender is due to behavioral issues, consider consulting with a certfied trainer or behaviorist. Often, unwanted behaviors can be improved with the right guidance and effort.
- Use Rehoming Resources: There are various resources and platforms available to advertise your pet for rehoming.
- Create a profile on rehome.adoptapet.com
- Join and post in local rehoming Facebook groups
We may request proof of these efforts, especially in cases where surrender is related to behavior. Pets rely on their humans for stability, structure, and care—and the more effort you’ve put into addressing the challenges, the better the outcome for your pet.
Helpful tips for rehoming
To increase the chances of finding a new home for your pet, it is helpful if your pet is:
- Spayed or neutered
- In good health and up-to-date on vaccinations
- Clean and groomed
- House-trained and reasonably well behaved
How the surrender process works
We accept pet surrenders by appointment only and only after a conversation with our team to determine whether we have the resources to accept your animal. This process begins with our Surrender Application which helps us understand your reason for your surrender and other important information. The process includes:
- Surrender Application: a review of your reason for surrender and basic information about the animal
- A discussion of your pet’s medical history, routine, temperament
- A personality and behavior assesment of your pet
Due to space limitations, we may not be able to take in your pet. If we are unable to accept your animal at the time of your request, we may offer to place you on a waiting list, especially for larger dogs over 50lbs, as kennel space for them is more limited.
Important surrender guidelines
- Animals previously adopted from Nate’s: If you adopted your pet from us and realize within 2 weeks of adoption that it’s not the right fit, we will prioritize space to accept the pet back – please still complete a Surrender Application.
- All surrenders are subject to space, resources, and behavioral assessment. We are committed to keeping animals as long as it takes to find them a loving home, therefore we can only accept new animals if space is available. If not accepted, your animal may be placed onto a waitlist.
- Larger animals (over 50 lbs) may face longer wait times due to space and housing constraints.
- We cannot guarantee the return of any surrendered animal. Once surrendered, ownership and all decisions regarding care, placement, and outcome are legally transferred to our organization.
- We do not accept exotic pets, livestock, reptiles, or wildlife.
Ready to Surrender?
Ensure that you have reviewed our Rehoming Resources to first explore other options. If you still feel surrender is the only path forward, complete a Surrender Application and our team will follow up as soon as possible.
Your pet depends on you to make the most thoughtful decision. We’re here to support you, but we also ask that you do everything in your power to be your pet’s advocate first.