Surrendering Your Pet
WHAT TO DO IF YOU NEED TO SURRENDER YOUR PET
You have several choices of resources and ways to rehome your pet, the last of which should be surrendering your pet to a shelter. If you have exhausted alternatives to relinquishment (including trying to work through challenges or trying to find a new home for your pet yourself with friends, neighbors, family or co-workers), here is how our admissions process works.
WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT
Companion Animal Alliance is the only open intake facility for East Baton Rouge Parish, meaning that we can never turn away an animal in need. We care for more than 7,000-8,000 animals annually. We can not provide positive outcomes for every animal that is brought to our shelter- but we can immediately start offering support and assistance through our Project Safety Net programs. We want to prepare as much as possible for each animal coming into our shelter, therefore we take in owner surrendered animals by appointment. We charge a modest owner surrender fee for dogs and cats, which will be applied to the costs we will incur providing care to the animal. If you do not have the funds to pay a surrender fee, please share that information with our staff.
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS
Each day, Companion Animal Alliance Admissions staff works to take in appointments and make the transition into the shelter as smooth as possible for our shelter staff, you, and your animal. We are typically unable to accept same-day appointments, but we do our best to keep the surrender process moving quickly.
HOW TO PREPARE
Email intake@caabr.org to speak with an Admissions counselor about the surrender process, and when appropriate, set an appointment. Admissions Appointment requests will be made through our website here at after speaking with our staff. If you are unable to communicate through email, call (225)408-5360. We receive a high volume of phone calls daily, which are returned in the order received.
Send all veterinary records to intake@caabr.org as soon as possible.
BRING TO APPOINTMENT
Your pet’s medications and previous veterinary records
Your pet’s bed, toys, leash, and other belongings from home.
Your ID
A form of payment. Accepted forms of payment and cash or credit/debit cards
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Upon arrival, an Admissions staff member will confirm your appointment with you and bring you and your animal into our lobby.
An Admissions staff member will begin filling out the documents to take an animal into our care. Companion Animal Alliance requires the owner’s signature in order to relinquish the animal to us. If the animal will be brought to the appointment by someone other than the owner, please let our Admissions Department know in advance.
At this time, we will ask you to fill out an Animal Personality Questionnaire for each animal being surrendered (if you have not already done so).
Your surrender fee will be collected. The surrender fee is generally $50 (exceptions may apply for litters of animals). Accepted forms of payment are cash or credit/debit card. .
