Pets In Need Services

The passing of an owner, no time for the pet, abandonment or the loss of a residence -- these are only a few of the many reasons animals are faced with homelessness and no one to care for them. Adoptions of the animals we shelter and those we help place through the Listing Service are just two of the important services we offer at Pets In Need. While we shelter as many animals as our facility will allow, there are always more animals needing assistance. In response to this overwhelming need, we created our unique Pet Listing Service. Pets In Need asks the current guardian to complete a detailed profile on each animal which includes health, temperament, exposure to children and other animals, habits, preferences, and a photo. This information is displayed in an album at Pets In Need and on the PIN web site.

Animals on the Listing Service:

  • The animal remains in their current home environment until a new healthy and loving home is found.

  • The guardian is given information from Pets In Need to help them screen potential adopters.

  • The adopter has a chance to learn in detail about the animal directly from the current caregiver in order to make an informed decision about a particular animal.
We'd like to share with you just a few Listing Service adoption comments:

"Lady has quickly become an important member of our family. Our two kids take turns feeding her and she sleeps in my sons room every night. Thanks again, Pets In Need -- the only way to go!" - Laurie May

"Everything is going very well. I can not imagine being without my constant companion. Toby is so well behaved. My family and friends love her too. Isn't she great!?! Thanks Pets In Need!" - Julie Gounas

"Meow! Life is wonderful in my new home! Betty certainly knows how to treat me right! I even have her trained to type my correspondence. Enclosed are some photos she took as I was working on my tan. Affection is my strong suit, and I am pouring it on for Betty (and any visitors), and she responds in equal doses! I lavished her with hugs (front paws around her neck), purrs (nonstop), kisses, head butting and nuzzling her cheek to cheek. I certainly appreciate the love and care you showed me while I lived there [at Pets In Need]. I feel very fortunate to live with Betty; she certainly has a love for middle-aged cats like me. A great big hug to you all and a nuzzle under the chin." - Benjamin the Cat

Using Pets In Need's Listing Service

Listing Your Companion Animal For Adoption

Please provide us with detailed information about the animal's breed, age, sex, health, temperament and current lifestyle. It will significantly improve your pet's chances of adoption if you provide us with a photo. If you send one in via email, please send it as an attachment and not embedded in a document. We will also need your contact information so that we can provide it to individuals who are interested in your pet. Listings will remain in our active files until you notify us to remove them. You may email your information to Pets In Need at info@petsinneed.org, or you can snail-mail it to Pets In Need, 1180 Main Street, Redwood City, CA 94063, attention Listing Service.

Animals We Cannot Place

We do not list unaltered animals, wolves or wolf mixes, animals that have bitten people or other animals, feral animals or animals with serious health or behavior problems.

Screening Adopters

We encourage each caregiver to ask the same questions of the potential adopter that we ask at PIN before we make an adoption for a shelter guest. Questions include:
    Do they have children, and their ages?
    Do they have other pets?
    How long will they leave the animal alone each day?
    Have they had companion animals before?
    Will the animal be allowed in the house? If so, when?
If you are placing a pet through our Listing Service, we suggest that you arrange to meet the whole family, preferably at their home, so you can see first hand if this would be a compatible and secure situation for your animal. If you place your dog or cat, please let us know promptly.

Placing Your Animal Yourself

If you are planning on placing your dog or cat yourself, read Finding your pet a new home, a very informative article written by our Executive Director and published in the San Mateo County Times.

We encourage you to try every means available to assist in your search for the right home for your dog or cat. The following methods may be helpful:

    Newspaper advertising

    Run a classified ad in local newspapers. Be creative to attract potential adopters. A "purr machine," "lap warmer" for a cat or kitten, or "tail wagger," "loyal pal" for a dog, make the animal sound more appealing than just writing "dog/cat available."

    Flyer

    Again, be creative. If you don't have a photo of your dog or cat, draw a picture. The aim is to attract attention to it. Visuals are much more eye catching than words. Make at least 30 copies of the flyer and distribute it to friends and family, and post it on bulletin boards in churches, town centers, pet groomers, libraries and especially veterinary hospitals.

    Why charge a fee when advertising?

    Always charge a fee for your dog or cat when placing them through through the newspaper or flyers. Most newspapers require that you do so. Adopters are more likely to value and care for animals who cost them something.
There are rescue groups for most purebred dog breeds and several purebred cat breeds. Feel free to contact Pets In Need if your dog or cat is a purebred and you would like these numbers.

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