Are you considering surrendering a pet?
Research other solutions first
Many minor behavioral problems can be corrected quickly and inexpensively by asking the right person. Spaying and neutering can reduce destructive/aggressive behaviors as well as running at large. If your income is insufficient to care for a pet you can seek assistance through various local charitable entities. There are also pet food banks and low-cost spay neuter options.
Consider "Rehome" by Adopt-a-Pet
Click the button below to visit the "Rehome" website and find a new home for your pet without the stress of having him/her spend time in a kennel. This helps reduce the workload of our staff/volunteers and helps you connect with people looking for new pets!
Saline County only
Our facility is a municipal shelter funded by the City of Salina and Saline County and cannot serve animals from other counties. If you need assistance and reside in another county, you will need to research other options.
Please call ahead
Although our facility is open-admission, and Saline County residents will not be turned away, it is a big help if you can call ahead when planning on surrendering a pet. In many cases your pet will require vaccinations and/or spay neuter surgery prior to adoption and our facility does not have a veterinarian on-staff. You can reduce the time your pet spends in one of our kennels if you call ahead and learn the best day and time to surrender. In many cases this will be no more than 24-48 hours from the time you had intended.
Honesty is the best policy
We often have owners claim their pet is "a stray they found" rather than admit they can no longer keep it. Although this is a difficult time for you, it is in the best interest for your pet that you disclose the truth. If we receive your pet as a stray, it will be kept for 3 business days waiting for someone to claim it, before being prepared for adoption. Not only will your pet experience stress during this time, it will be occupying valuable space for animals that are genuinely stray, or are available for adoption. Once you have disclosed you are the owner of the pet you can also provide us with important details about your pet that will help it find the right home. If your pet is a spayed female, you can notify us, preventing your pet from undergoing unnecessary additional surgeries. It is for these reasons that it is never a good idea to leave your pet unattended for the purposes of having it impounded as a stray.
Fees
The fee to surrender a pet is only $2 per pet. Our facility will spend sometimes up to $400 preparing your pet for adoption, but endeavors to charge a low fee to discourage the dumping of owned animals. It is always appreciated if you are willing and able to donate at the time of surrender, whether it be gently used items, or a monetary donation.
Follow up discussion
It is common for pet owners to request follow-up phone calls. Please understand that due to the high number of intakes, this is not always possible. Your pet will be listed on the adoptable animals page of our website until it leaves the facility. Once you see that it has left, you are more than welcome to contact us to learn the outcome.
Euthanasia unlikely, but possible
Our facility is proud to achieve no-kill status, but this does not guarantee a live outcome for every animal that enters the system. No-kill can be defined as live outcomes for over 90%, or as not euthanizing healthy/treatable animals. There are also state laws and city ordinances preventing the adoption of certain animals due to disease or aggression. Salina Animal Services has developed guidelines to provide live outcomes for over 90% and does not euthanize animals due to space or length of stay. There must be a severe medical condition and/or severe behavioral problems for an animal to be euthanized.