I Can't Keep My Pet

SCAA's mandate is to help abandoned and neglected animals. We are overwhelmed with sick, starving kittens, cats, puppies and dogs found in bins, boxes and parking lots. Loving pets are an owner's responsibility - a lifetime one.

As a general rule, we do not re-home people's pets but may be able to help if we have the fostering resources available. This help is conditional on a substantial donation to subsidize our animal-rescue operations.

SCAA gets many calls about re-homing pets that people are not taking back home with them. Often, this is a last-minute need. Based on our experience with our own rescued adult animals, it can take at least 6 months to find a suitable new home.

Before you contact SCAA for help, please read the following tips:

TIPS FOR RE-HOMING YOUR PET WHEN YOU LEAVE SHANGHAI
Sometimes you just can't take your pet home with you, so here are some things SCAA recommends:

1. Plan as far ahead as possible. Leaving China isn’t normally something that sneaks up on you and relocating a pet should top your list of things to do;
2. Use your immediate network of friends, neighbors and colleagues – someone might be able to take your pet;
3. Put up flyers with your pet’s photo, medical history and carefully screen interested adoptive parents;
4. Contact SCAA well ahead of time; we have access to many potential adoptive parents through our website and adoption days.  IF we can help find a good home for your animal, this is a special service we’d offer in exchange for a much-needed and appreciated donation;
5. Boarding your pet at a reputable place is a temporary solution but an expensive one; and
6. Re-think your options: some people have said they have too much luggage to take back so are leaving a pet behind (from an actual phone call). Leave some T-shirts and souvenirs behind to make room for your pet or ship things you won’t need for a while.

Everyone at SCAA wishes we could help re-home pets but as a volunteer animal-rescue organization with significant medical expenses and limited resources, we can’t easily provide services outside our mandate.

We don’t have a shelter and if we don’t have any foster home available, we unfortunately can’t help you with your pet(s) – no matter how healthy and well-behaved.

If you are pregnant, or considering becoming pregnant, you do not need to re-home your cat.

Although a parasite (toxoplasma gondii) found in cat feces may cause an infection (toxoplasmosis) possibly causing miscarriage, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention advises that people are more likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat or gardening than from contact with pet cats.

Please learn more about toxoplasmosis and reducing the risks of infection while caring for your cat:
CDC Website, Toxoplasmosis Fact Sheet
SCAA, Reducing Risks with Pets if You Become Pregnant