What if I need to give up my pet?
Do you need help to rehome your dog, cat, rabbit, or small pet? We know that sometimes people’s circumstances change. Our team is here if you need to give up your pet.
At Blue Cross we never judge anyone for making the responsible decision to give up their pet and we’ll do what we can to help.
Before making the decision to rehome your dog, cat or small pet, check if our services could help you. We provide pet food banks, animal hospitals for low cost vet care and free advice for pet care on a budget.
Contact our team
Call our pet admissions team on 0300 777 1960 and follow the options for ‘give up a pet’. Alternatively, you can email our pet admissions team, or fill in our online form below.
To discuss giving up your horse, you can find support from our dedicated horse team.
How does it work?
- Once we have received your form, one of our expert team will review the information you’ve given us and arrange a call back if we think we can help.
- We’ll call at your booked time to learn more about your pet and assess if our rehoming or Home Direct service is suitable.
- Some pets will require a face-to-face assessment at either your home or at one of our sites, depending on what we need to understand about your pet. We may also ask for some videos. Our team will also discuss the veterinary information we need for your pet at this stage, too.
- Once we understand all we need to know about your pet, if we can help, we will arrange for your pet to be rehomed as part of our Home Direct service or with one of our dedicated foster carers.
Space in our kennels, cattery and small pet units are prioritised for pets most in need and is very limited. Our Home Direct service is the quickest way to help find your pet a new loving home.
We’ll let you know as soon as possible by phone or email if we do not feel we are able to help your pet through our rehoming services. If we’re unable to help, but we’ll always give you advice on what you can do next.
If you need to give up a pet urgently, please speak to one of our team on site. Abandoning an animal outside our site unattended, especially when we’re closed, could put them at risk.
What happens to my pet once they’re in Blue Cross care?
All pets will be assessed by a member of our experienced team, and a vet will always examine a dog, cat or rabbit. This is so we can give them any special care they need and match them to the right home.
If we can help you and your pet, their profile will usually appear on the Blue Cross website, and we will start our search to find them a loving home. Sometimes we may already have suitable homes waiting, so your pet may not appear on our website.
Contact us about rehoming your pet
If you’re ready to reach out about rehoming your pet, you can contact pet admissions via email or call our pet admissions team on 0300 777 1960. Alternatively, fill out our form with further details and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
