Surrendering a Cat or Dog

We know that it is hard to make the decision to surrender a pet.  Please see the information below regarding cat and dog surrender.

All dog and cat surrenders are made by appointment only. For dog surrender information please contact kennel@daws.org. For cat surrenders, please contact cattery@daws.org.

Dog Surrenders

IMPORTANT:  Please do not bring your dog to the shelter prior to completing the following steps.  The State of Connecticut considers dogs as personal property; thus, they may not be left at our shelter without proper transfer of the legal rights to the animal.

Please DO:

Once we have your application, if space allows, we will contact you to schedule an appointment for a temperament evaluation for your dog.  Please note:  If dog does not pass our temperament test, and we cannot intake him/her, we will try to offer you other options.

We do not intake: Huskies, Dalmatians, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, and Wolf Hybrids

Surrender fee is $200. This fee is to help defray the cost of housing and re-homing the dog.

Cat Surrenders

IMPORTANT:  Please do not bring your cat to the shelter prior to completing the following steps.  We receive over 25 per week to intake surrendered cats and we often do not have space available immediately.

Please DO:

  • Provide copies of all vet records. Surrender requests without vet records will not be considered.  Please note:  You may be asked to provide proof that the cat has recently been tested for FIV and ringworm.

Please note: Completing the Surrender Application does not guarantee that DAWS will take the cat you wish to surrender; it only assures that we will consider your application if we have space.  You will not receive a phone call or email unless we can consider your cat for intake.

Surrender fee is $100. This fee is to help defray the cost of housing and re-homing the cat.

We recommend you also check with other rescue organizations who may be able to help.  Download this list of local organizations.

Experiencing Cat Behavioral Problems? If you are experiencing a behavioral problem with your cat, please contact your veterinarian immediately to rule out any medical issues as the cause. If your veterinarian determines the problem is not health related, contact Cats International at 262-375-8852 (Milwaukee,Wisconsin) or www.catsinternational.org. They provide free feline behavior advice and have an incredible success rate!