Dear Community. We need your help to educate your fellow community members on the dangers lurking out there when rehoming a pet.

Are there some good people? Absolutely!

Are there murky people? Unfortunately, yes.

Never, ever rehome your pet for free.
Use your social media sleuthing skills to check out potential new owners.
Ask for their veterinarian. Call to ask questions as to whether the individuals pets are brought in annually for vaccines, is the pet neutered, is there consistency in care.
Contact mutual friends to gain visibility onto the type of owner this person might or might not be.
Use Casenet, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/base/welcome.do.

Do your homework.

So many people avoid surrendering their pets to shelters and rescues. They are one of your best resources as many do screenings and checks to ensure the adoptable pet ends up in the best situation possible. Do you face paying a surrender fee? You betcha. Why? That fee helps to pay for their food, their care, their medical needs, should any rise. And let’s face it. The surrender fee is a nominal cost knowing that it may as well be equivalent to a bag of food.

Don’t hands pets over blindly. Some people can sound very convincing and position themselves as the greatest thing since sliced bread. But really. Do you want to deal with moldy bread because you didn’t want to spend time checking out your beloved pet’s new caretaker?

Don’t let your pet become dog bait to be used for training fighting dogs nor to be turned into a slave for breeding.

Be an advocate for your pet!