Relinquishing Pets

Though an unfortunate truth, people may need to relinquish a pet to a shelter. Medical conditions may arise for a family member, making pet ownership difficult. Or economic circumstances may force a family's relocation and put a pet's future in doubt.

Sometimes, the miscalculation by an owner about the kind, size or temperament of the family pet has come home to roost (or grown full size).

Regardless of the circumstances, you may need to relinquish your pet to the Columbia Animal Shelter despite efforts to place your pet. To relinquish your pet, you need to bring your pet to the shelter during business hours and complete and sign a release form.

If you just cannot get to the shelter during business hours, you may leave your animal in one of the drop cages outside the shelter compound. These cages are secure from theft, weather and other animals. They are checked regularly, even after business hours.

NEVER release a pet into the wild or alone into an urban area. Not only is abandonment illegal, but the outcome for such animals is all too often starvation, illness and death by accident (roadside fatalities). A lost or released animal lives an average of three months. It is far more humane, and safer for humans and wildlife alike, to take your pet to a shelter if you have not been successful in placing it privately.