Surrender Prevention

Every year, thousands of pet owners find themselves in unexpected situations or crises that force them to make the heart-wrenching decision to relinquish their beloved pets to a shelter. Every day, we see these pet owners’ desperation to do the right thing to care for their pet by bringing them to us as they face problems such as unemployment, health issues, housing problems, domestic issues or expensive veterinary bills. Sometimes, too, they feel helpless to deal with some common–yet often solvable–pet behaviors that disrupt their daily joy of owning their pet, whom they love otherwise.

Recently, we started asking these owners, “What if we could help you through this difficult period? Would you still want to give up your pet?” And for many of these pet owners, they answer with an emphatic “No!” as they hug their pet and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Funded by an innovative startup grant provided by the ASPCA, our Pet Help Center aspires to help pet owners in crisis by providing them with alternatives to giving up their pets. Some of these solutions include:*

• Food assistance
• Affordable or low-cost veterinary assistance*
• Pet supplies and equipment
• Counseling and training support for common challenging pet behaviors
• Temporary emergency boarding**

If you are thinking of relinquishing your pet due to an unexpected situation or crisis, we are here to help. Please call 610-373-8830 to speak with a counselor on how we can best help you and your pet stay together through this uncertain time.

**At the moment, the only veterinary services offered for surrender prevention are spay/neuter surgeries. More services to be added soon.

**Emergency boarding of owned pets is reserved for the most serious of emergencies, including sudden homelessness, domestic violence, short-term hospital stays, etc. Please note that this service is dependent on shelter and foster space, and is reserved at this time for families who are working with a local social-service agency to ensure we are providing assistance to families with the greatest need who are receiving additional supportive care.

While we are continuously working to increase our capacity to help, please know that assistance may be limited due to inventory, staffing and equipment availability that may limit our ability to provide the required care. We are grateful for your understanding of these limitations and resource challenges as we extend our services to help our community in new ways.