Surrender Prevention: Keeping People & Pets Together

Consider these scenarios:

• Your cat needs an emergency surgery, but you do not have the funds.
• You unexpectedly lose your job and caring for your pet is now a challenge.
• You just welcomed a new baby into the family, but your dog is less than thrilled and exhibiting unwanted behaviors.
• Your loved one is struggling with addiction and their home environment is no longer safe for their pets.

At HSCC, we recognize the vital role that companion animals play in our lives and the emotional stress experienced by those facing the possibility of having to part ways with their beloved pets. While relinquishment may be the best choice in some situations, we are committed to helping our neighbors find potential solutions that can keep them with their pets. In 2022, HSCC supported 170 families and their pets by providing resources, shelter, care, and emergency veterinary services. 

Surrender prevention is at the heart of our mission and we are continuously evaluating how we can best serve our community. 

Some of our current surrender prevention programs & services include: 

Community Pet Clinic 

HSCC's Community Pet Clinic (CPC) provides low-cost veterinary care services to owned cats and dogs. The CPC exists to support families and their pets when affording or obtaining medical care is a challenge. Services available include spay/neuter, vaccinations, flea/tick treatment, microchipping, and minor diagnostic tests.

To learn more about the Community Pet Clinic and schedule an appointment, please click here. 

Pet Helpline

The HSCC Pet Helpline is a resource for pet owners that are facing challenges keeping their pets in the home due to behavioral issues, such as a cat going to the bathroom outside of their litterbox or a dog who is barking at strangers. If you would like help troubleshooting or finding additional resources, you can email the helpline at helpline@hsccvt.org or give us a call at (802) 862-0135 ext: 29. A staff member will reach out to you within 24 hours.

Good Neighbor Program

Offered in partnership with homeless, domestic violence, and other local human service organizations, the Good Neighbor Program provides temporary shelter, veterinary care, and plenty of TLC for beloved pets during times of crisis and transition in the lives of their owners – free of charge.

This program is completely confidential and owners must be a resident of Chittenden or Grand Isle county.

For more information about the Good Neighbor Program, please click here or call us at (802) 862-0135.

Rainy Day Fund

The cost of medical care remains a top reason why pets are relinquished. HSCC’s Rainy Day Fund offers financial assistance for Chittenden and Grand Isle County residents who are unable to pay for their pet's unanticipated emergency medical treatment. This service is completely donor-funded and there is a review process for those who are interested in applying. 

For more information, please call us at (802) 923-9028. 

Spay the Mom Program

HSCC provides care to owned mother cats & their kittens or owned mother dogs & their puppies (usually in local foster homes) until they can be safely separated. Mom & her babies are all vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered, free of charge. Once she has been spayed, the mother is returned to her family and all of the kittens or puppies are made available for adoption. Spay the Mom serves as both a surrender prevention program AND way to reduce the number of unexpected litters & unwanted/homeless animals in the community.

There are two options for those wanting to enroll in the Spay the Mom program. If your pet's babies are able to be safely separated from her, we will schedule you for a same-day surgery appointment. You will drop mom and babies off in the morning, and reclaim your freshly-spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped mama in the afternoon. In order to be eligible for this program, the babies must be under one year of age.

If your pet is currently pregnant, or her babies are too young to be separated from her, we will schedule you for our next available intake appointment. You will bring us mom and babies, and the whole family will be placed with one of our trusted foster families until the babies are old enough to be separated from their mom, at which point she will be spayed and returned to you. Please note that depending on how old the babies are/how far along in her pregnancy mom is, this could take as little as one week or as long as four months. 

There is no cost to you associated with enrollment in the Spay the Mom program, but HSCC offsets the cost of mom's care with the adoption fees from the babies. Due to this, if you rehome any of the babies on your own after enrolling, you will no longer be eligible for the program. 

For more information, please call us at (802) 862-0135. To apply for enrollment in the Spay the Mom program, please CLICK HERE.

Dog Behavior Consultations

If you are considering relinquishing your dog due to behavioral issues, our dog training and behavior specialists are here to help. We offer guidance and in some cases at-home training sessions for a wide variety of circumstances to help keep Fido with their family.

For more information, please email helpline@hsccvt.org or call us at (802) 862-0135.

Free Pet Food Shelf

HSCC's Free Pet Food Shelf is available in our lobby during open hours (Tuesday-Friday 1-5PM, Saturday 10AM-4PM). 

Pet Emergency Preparedness Resources

Being prepared for an emergency, hospitalization, natural disaster, or other unexpected event is crucial to keeping your beloved pets safe, healthy, and in your care. Download or print the Pet Preparedness Kit Checklist to help you gather necessary items and Pet Boarding Instructions Form in case you need to temporarily board your animals at a facility or with a loved one. These steps can lessen the chance of your pet(s) being injured, lost, or worse.

Visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/emergencies/index.html for further details on making an emergency plan for your pets. 

For a printable version of our community programs, please click here.