Surrender an animal

Are you considering surrendering your pet? We understand that sometimes situations occur or life circumstances change and you may find you can no longer take care of your pet. We also know that giving up your pet is an incredibly difficult decision – so thank you for reaching out to us for help.

Alternative options for support may well be available to you and your pet. We encourage you to discuss all options with our staff, we may be able to assist in a variety of ways to help you keep your animal such as:

• Referral to highly regarded force free trainers if you are having behavioural problems
• Assistance with emergency boarding for hardship or DV situations
• Temporary foster homes if this can assist you to keep your pet long term

Many options exist for easily rehoming your pet with new owners. It is also important to prepare your pet for this change in their life. It can often take weeks or even months to find your pet a new home. To increase your pet’s chances, ensure he or she is desexed, groomed and vaccinated. If your pet is a purebred, you could try contacting the original breeder.

If none of the above options or tips work for you, you may apply to surrender your pet to RSPCA Darwin using the forms below. Our staff will then contact you to arrange a surrender appointment time. To help manage shelter inflows and ensure all animals can be assessed by our staff in a timely manner, please do make an appointment in advance.

Once surrendered all animals undergo medial and behavioural assessment inline with RSPCA National Protocol, to ensure they are fit and healthy for safe rehoming into the community. RSPCA Darwin does not impose time limits on any animals in our shelter. Every healthy and/or treatable animal that comes into our care is given as much time as it needs to find a loving new forever home.

Apply to Surrender an Animal below: