Re-Homing Program

Our rescue offers a free and low cost training program geared towards helping pet owners in our community improve unwanted behaviors to avoid surrendering and re-homing due to behavior concerns. Please read more about our Training Programs for more information.

There are resources available for payment plans, low-cost veterinary services as well as grant funding available to help with veterinary care. Visit our Emergency Veterinary Assistance page for more detailed information.

Many people struggle finding pet friendly housing. There are resources available to help you navigate pet-friendly housing options near you.

Pitbull Housing Resources

Pet Friendly Housing Registry

See our behavior issues information above, training can sometimes help! In the meantime, here is information on how to safely manage the dogs at home:

Crate and Rotate

Some allergies are treatable/manageable.

Allergy Management Pointers

Prepare ahead with resources on how to properly introduce your dog to the new baby at home. Training resources and time management resources may also be of help.

Tips that may help

There is an organization dedicated to finding resources for watching your pets while you are away.

Dogs on Deployment

• Try to make the time you do have available with your dog more exciting both mentally and physically. Things such as going for walks, car rides, playing with toys or teaching them new tricks can help drain physical and mental energy. Even though you might not have the most time, making the most of the time you do have will make a big difference.
• You can also look into taking them to doggie daycare, utilizing boarding for travel, having a pet sitter visit during the day or even enlisting the help of a trusted neighbor, friend or family member who can drop in and give them activity and attention.

Complete the request form. A volunteer will reach out to you regarding the next steps which include an intake form and behavior evaluation. If the dog is accepted into the program it will be posted on our website and a volunteer will keep regular communication on updates and obtaining fresh pictures.

There is no fee associated with your participation in the program. There is an adoption fee for your dog that is the responsibility of the new adopters, which includes free training and support for the lifetime of the pet. 100% of the adoption fees, and all donations, go back into the rescue and are used to help other dogs in need. We are a completely volunteer run organization, meaning everything that comes into the rescue goes directly to program costs and saving lives.

• Any current record is appreciated.
• Your dog MUST be current with a minimum of rabies, DHPP and a heartworm test within the last year.
• Your dog MUST be spayed/neutered.
• The vet records must have pet name, vet information and date of when the shots/tests were administered.
• If your dogs vaccinations expire while in the program, you must bring the dogs up to date in order to remain in the program.
• We can provide you with low cost spay/neuter program information if your dog is not currently spayed/neutered. If you are using a low cost program you must pre-pay for the spay/neuter appointment in order to participate in the program. These programs tend to book out in advance, so if your dog is adopted prior to the spay/neuter appointment date the new adopters will take the dog to the spay/neuter appointment (as per their adoption contract).

• We require a minimum commitment to the program of 30 days. This ensures our volunteers have enough time to network the dog and screen potential homes. This does NOT guarantee we will place your dog within 30 days. A realistic timeframe to find the right family is usually 3 to 6 months, especially for “harder” dogs (i.e. dogs that need to be the only dog in the home, take time to warm up to new people or have other behavior challenges).
• The 30 days begins when all paperwork is completed/submitted and behavior evaluation is performed.

• New pictures keep your dog’s profile “bumped” on search engines such as Petfinder and Adopt-a-Pet. It will maximize your dog’s reach to potential adopters. Good pictures can really help; as it is the first impression – just like a dating profile!
• We have a limit of dogs we can accept into the program so it is important to keep us up to date on the status of your dog.
• Failure to respond to requests for an update three times in a row will result in the assumption that you are no longer wishing to continue with the program.

Please understand the amount of volunteer hours that go into each re-homing case. Volunteers are working tirelessly to successfully and safely place your dog, which includes:

• 35 to 40 min intake call
• 30 min evaluation
• 1 hour providing check ins and updating profiles
• 3 hrs in screening time to approve an applicant
• 45 minute final adoption interview
• 30 mins in phone calls scheduling appointments
• 1 hour meet and greet with the new family
• Networking time to post and share these dogs on our platforms
• 5 different volunteers total
• This is all PER APPLICANT and does not include additional meet and greets, training or send home appointments.

It also takes more time to find the right fit when a dog has very specific adoption needs like behavior experience, only dog home, etc.

Once your dog is accepted into the program, we will create a profile for your dog on our website and it will be networked via Facebook, Instagram, Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet and more. Once we receive an application for your dog, we will fully screen the potential applicant, pending they meet all the necessary requirements for your dog that we have set to ensure the right forever family. Once a fully approved home is found, a HTAR representative will discuss the potential home with you and if you approve of the home we will set up a meet and greet with the new family. We will assist in developing a plan and timeline for transition into the new home if it is a match.

We always encourage families to consistently look for and reach out to other rescues if you are on a timeline for placement. Please make sure to research any potential rescue you are considering placing your pet with as some specialize in certain behaviors or breeds and it is good to find the right fit. We would be happy to answer any questions we can about a specific rescue you are considering. Some good questions to ask a potential rescue before surrendering your dog include:

• What is their adoption screening process?
• What is their euthanasia policy?
• What support do they provide to adopters?
• What is their policy for returning a dog if adoption does not work out?

It is also smart to look at reviews and ask for references.

If you would like a list of rescues to contact that we personally recommend we would be happy to supply one.

If your dog is accepted into another rescue, please let us know right away so we can conserve volunteer resources and space for other dogs in need.

Once an approved adopter is found we set up an in-person meeting for the family and their current pets (if applicable). This meeting will take place at a public setting either at the HTAR facility or a public park. The location will be based on schedule availability and hours and what environment would be the best setting for your dog’s personality. A HTAR representative will attend and guide the meet and greet including assisting with creating a successful and positive introduction to the new family and existing pets in their household. It is extremely important that dogs meet people and other animals in a proper and positive fashion, it can truly make or break the relationship.

You ultimately have the final say as to whether or not you approve the adopter. By Florida law, dogs are considered property and your dog remains under your ownership until the final contract is signed between you and the new adopter. HTAR is simply acting as an agent for you and your dog in order to provide a fully screened and approved adopter. You know your dog best, so if you feel that something is “off” and that the home is not the right fit you have every right to decline the adopter. We do have many years of experience screening homes and matching dogs to families and are here to provide that experience to help you make this decision.

If you find a potential home for your dog while the dog is in our re-homing program, we ask that you instruct them to apply via the application on our website and go through our screening process. Utilizing our screening system gives you a ton of benefits including:

• Our years of experience matching dogs with the RIGHT permanent homes to ensure safety and success.
• Access to background checks, reference checks and public records to help ensure safety and success.
• The peace of mind that your dog is going to the best possible home.
• Contracts that protect you and your dog.
• Support during the meet and greet and transition process, including free professional training.

Please note that our volunteers spend countless hours working on each and every dog and we care about their safety and success. Please respect our time and dedication by not just giving your dog away to an unapproved home.

Every dog that is adopted through our program is given tons of transitional support from our team. From help with decompression and introductions into the home, to access to communication from our team members to get guidance and support, the new adopters are supported every step of the adoption. All dogs adopted through our program also have access to free professional training for the entire lifetime in their new homes. This includes basic obedience classes or professional behavior modification when the dogs are struggling with any issues during transition or down the road. We have an amazing team at HTAR and are able to assist with any situation that might arise for our adopted babies.

Upon adoption, the contract signed will have the contact for the rescue, new adopter, and prior owner on the document. It is up to the new family if they wish to stay in contact, however, the rescue always stays in contact with the new adoptive family and you are able to always reach out to us for an update if the family wishes not to communicate.

While we work extremely hard to ensure our placements are forever, there are occasionally situations where the adoption does not work out. Ideally, the best case scenario for the dog would be for you to be committed to taking them back while we work to help you find another placement for the dog. If you are definitely not going to be able to take the dog back we ask that you notify us prior to adoption so that we can work with the adoptive family to try to develop a backup plan – which may include that family fostering the dog while it goes back up for adoption through our program. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee our ability to take your dog into the rescue solely because it has participated in our re-homing program. We will do everything we can to help you find a safe placement for your dog in the event that the adoption does not work out but ultimately we are not able to be responsible for taking on every single dog that has been rehomed through our program.

If you’re on a timeframe, we stress having a backup plan such as a friend or family member that can hold on to your dog once time is up. Please thoroughly explain their requirements and what will be expected if they are taking over your position in the program. Also, as mentioned above, looking into other rescues who might be able to help could be vital. There is a facility called Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando that takes owner surrenders. They are usually on a wait list so we encourage people to reach out sooner vs later. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that we will have space to take every dog that is in our rehoming program that has not been adopted – we are a foster based rescue network and availability is limited and subject to the experience level and environment of the available fosters. Having a backup plan such as getting on a wait list with another shelter or finding a friend or family member to foster is important if you know your timeline is short.

Please make sure your dog is spayed/neutered before trying to re-home. This protects your pet from being used for breeding.

Low cost spay and neuter resources can be found here.

If you do not have the time or means to get your dog spayed or neutered please consider trying to find a shelter or rescue to surrender so that your dog can be spayed and neutered prior to adoption to prevent future breeding.

It is helpful to include as much information about your pet as possible – age, breed/mix, gender, weight/size, health information/history including whether your dog is spayed/neutered and current on vaccines and any current medications, whether your dog is good with children, other dogs, cats and other small animals, whether your dog is housebroken and crate trained, and any other behavior information that would be helpful.

It is also helpful to include information on what you think the ideal household and environment would be for your dog and why you are needing to find a new home and how long you have if there is a deadline.

When networking your dog online good photos and videos are important! Photos and videos that represent your dog’s personality and help people get to know them and fall in love with them make all the difference.

There are multiple websites that you can use to create bios and help list your pet for adoption.

https://rehome.adoptapet.com/list-a-pet/step-1

home-home.com/rehome

rehomeyourpets.com

You can also look up local pet groups and rehoming groups in your area on Facebook to post and network as well.

Reach out to local rescues in your area and see if they are also willing to share your pet on their social media.

No matter what platform you use to find potential adopters it is very important to screen and research to ensure your pet is going to a safe home. Consider doing the following to help research their new potential family:

1. Get a copy of their ID to verify they are who they say they are and confirm their address matches where the dog will be living.
2. Verify home ownership or speak to their landlord to confirm they have permission to have a pet in their residence.
3. Ask for a veterinary reference – call and verify that they take current or prior pets to the vet regularly and that current pets are spayed/neutered and current on vaccines and prevention.
4. Ask to speak to personal references and see if friends, family and co-workers recommend them as adopters.
5. Ask to visit the home/residence where the dog will be living – check to make sure it is a safe environment, the fence is secure and that any other pets seem to be in good health.
6. If you have access to do so a background check is always added peace of mind.

The following are some great questions to ask a potential family to help make sure your dog is a good fit:

What are you looking for in a new pet? What qualities are most important to you? What issues would be potential deal breakers?

What is your household’s activity level? How much time do you have each day to spending playing with, exercising and training a new dog?

Do you currently have any pets? Have they been socialized well around other animals? Have you considered how they will respond to adding a new pet to the home?

Have you had pets in the past? Did you ever re-home any of them and if so why? Where are they now?

Do you have children? What ages are they?

Do you own or rent?

Do you have a fenced in yard?

How long are you away from home each day? Do you plan on using a crate? Do you plan on using a dog sitter or daycare service?

If your dog has any behavior concerns, ask the new potential adopter if they have any experience with those issues.

The following are resources you can share with your dog’s new family to help them prepare to bring the dog home:

Helping your new dog feel comfortable

Helping a dog adjust to a new home

Introducing your dog to your current dogs

Introducing your dog to your cats

Introducing your dog to your children

You can also encourage them to reach out to our training program for more support.

The following websites have additional resources and guides that may also be helpful if you are trying to rehome your pet:

Petfinder rehoming guide

Pets for Patriots rehoming guide

If you’re on a timeframe, we stress having a backup plan such as a friend or family member that can hold on to your dog once time is up. Looking into other rescues who might be able to help could be vital. They are usually on a wait list so we encourage people to reach out sooner vs later to schedule a backup appointment just in case. Having a backup plan such as getting on a wait list or setting up a back up appointment with another shelter or finding a friend or family member to foster is important if you know your timeline is short.