The decision to give up a pet is never an easy one. But, sometimes life happens, things get overwhelming and you feel like you are left with no other choice. If you have ever been in this situation, or maybe are now, did you know that the Brown County Humane Society (BCHS) may be able to help you find resources to keep your pet?

While many see BCHS as a place to adopt a pet, one of their primary goals is also to keep animals and their humans together. Most people consider their pets family, but still over 30% of animals that came into the shelter in 2021 were surrendered by their owners. The top reasons for these surrenders included the owners were moving, the pet had behavior problems they felt unable to deal with and the owner or pet had health issues.

While BCHS cannot fix these problems, if called early enough, they can direct pet owners on ways to get help. Typically, by the time individuals arrive at the shelter to surrender their pet, they are mentally exhausted and feel like they have reached the end of the line with nowhere else to turn. BCHS wants to help before you get to that point!

If keeping your pet is simply not a possibility, reaching out to BCHS to help with self-rehoming the animal directly is usually the least stressful option for your pet. But, this can take some time, so that is why calling as soon as the need arises is best.

Benefits of self-rehoming a pet include:

• less stress for the pet. He/she goes straight from one home to another home without staying in a loud and unfamiliar kennel. While BCHS takes great pride in the care they provide, it is no substitute for home.
• less stress for the owners. Just knowing you can find a family that would be a good fit and maybe even stay in touch with them can help you feel better about the outcome.
• owners know more about their pets than shelter staff can learn in a short amount of time. There is simply no better adoption counselor than a pet’s owner!

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to give up your beloved pet, know that the BCHS is here to help you. As soon as an issue arises, give the staff a call (812-988-7362) to discuss possible resources to either keep your pet or self-rehome it instead of bringing it to the shelter.