With more than 10,000 stray and seized animals coming through our doors each year, MADACC is at or near capacity on a daily basis. While we pride ourselves in creating a safe and caring atmosphere, MADACC can be an incredibly stressful place for an animal, especially for an owned animal who is already safe and comfortable in a home. For these reasons, MADACC does NOT take public owner surrenders unless they are in need of euthanasia for medical or behavior reasons or the animals have been seized by law enforcement and the owner feels it is in the animal’s best interest not to retain custody of the animal.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MADACC WILL NOT ACCEPT AN ANIMAL SURRENDER FOR EUTHANASIA OR ANY OTHER REASON WITHOUT A VALID STATE ISSUED IDENTIFICATION CARD WITH A PHOTO AND PROOF OF OWNERSHIP OF THE ANIMAL. THE ANIMAL WILL BE CHECKED FOR A MICROCHIP PRIOR TO MADACC TAKING CUSTODY OF THE ANIMAL AND IF THE MICROCHIP INFORMATION DOES NOT MATCH THE INFORMATION OF THE PERSON PRESENTING THE ANIMAL, MADACC WILL BE UNABLE TO TAKE CUSTODY OF THE ANIMAL.
If you do need to surrender your pet, here is what you need to know: All pets grieve for their families and their companions. It is always best for you – the pet owner – to find your pets’ next safe and healthy home.
Due to limited staffing and the many animals requiring care, individualized attention to shelter pets is often not possible. It is not uncommon for an otherwise loving and well-behaved pet to growl, bite, stop eating, and to develop stress-related or infectious diseases within days of entering a shelter. Behavior and health issues can prevent them from becoming an adoption candidate and lead to euthanasia.
Finding a new home for your pet allows you to play an important role in uniting them with the new home that you will believe will be the best fit. As an extra advantage, your pet will be much less stressed thanks to your efforts and you will be helping to save space for animals who truly need sheltering.
How can you begin the search for a new home for your pet?
- Use our new Home to Home program to find a new home for your pet for FREE! Click HERE to set up an account to market your pet to the community.
- Do not underestimate the power of word of mouth- network your pet to friends, family, coworkers, and community members through places like Facebook, Nextdoor, and community bulletins. Ask friends and family to share!
- If you adopted the pet from another rescue or breeder, reach out to them to see if they will take the pet back. Some adoption contracts require that you return to them.
- Local rescues sometimes accept pets directly from the public, depending on space and resources. If you have a particular breed, check with breed-specific rescues. Your pet may be just the right fit for their adoption program.
In Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Humane Society is the preferred facility to schedule an animal surrender appointment. Here is the link to their Surrender and Rehoming webpages:
https://www.wihumane.org/services/animal-surrender-rehoming
Please note that Wisconsin Humane Society (WHS) will require an appointment that will likely be at least a week or more in the future. Do not wait until the last minute to contact them to discuss your individual situation. If you find yourself in a true emergency situation you must make WHS aware of that fact and work together to determine if more immediate arrangements can be made.
