Find a New Home for your Pet

Pet owners wishing to re-home an animal should contact a Save-A-Life Volunteer. Email contact@savealifepets.org with your name, contact information, and a message saying you need to discuss re-homing an animal.

Overview of the Pet Placement Program

If you need to find a home for your pet or an animal you have found Save-A-Life can help. Space is very limited in our foster care program and we frequently are unable to accept another pet in foster care. We have designed a program called the Pet Placement Program to help people find homes for pets. With this program, you and your pet will meet potential adopters, your pet’s picture and description will be published on the PetFinder and Save-A-Life websites, and you will be given experienced assistance in finding the right home to meet your pet’s needs.

NO CHARGE

There is no charge for participation in this program. You have the final decision on who adopts your pet except that we do not approve adoptions to persons who have unaltered pets 6 months or older at home or in rare cases where we feel the pet would not adapt to the new home. You or your approved designee must bring the animal to our Mobile Adoption Saturdays at the PetSmart store on Abercorn Street. You may stay as long as you like during the hours we are there. If you do not adopt your pet, you take him home and try another Saturday. You may come back as many Saturdays as necessary to find a home that will meet the specific needs of your pet. If your pet is not spayed or neutered, even puppies and kittens, please see the section below entitled IS YOUR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED (INCLUDING PUPPIES AND KITTENS)?

NO GIVE AWAYS

If someone wants to adopt the pet you have, the prospective new owners must meet certain requirements and pay an adoption fee. This is to ensure that the adopter is prepared to make a commitment to your pet.

LIMITS ON BREEDS

Unfortunately, due to liability issues, we cannot accept the following pure-breeds or mixes where these breeds predominate: Pit Bulls, American Bull Dog, Chow-Chow, American Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, and Wolf Dogs. For help in re-homing these breeds click here (see Additional Resources for Re-Homing Your Pet).

IS YOUR PET SPAYED OR NEUTERED?

In an effort to reduce the pet overpopulation problem, PetSmart Charities Corporate Office has mandated that all adoptable pets at PetSmart stores and special adoption events must be spayed or neutered including puppies and kittens.

Save-A-Life’s veterinary partners strongly recommend that owned pets be altered between 4 to 6 months of age depending upon weight and size. Save-A-Life, cannot in good conscience, recommend the routine spaying and neutering of owned pets less than 4 months of age. Pet owners wishing to re-home unaltered puppies and kittens should contact a Save-A-Life Volunteer. Message contact@savealifepets.org with your name, contact information and a message saying you need to discuss re-homing pets under the age of 4 months.

For pets older pets, Save-A-Life will provide free certificates entitling pet owners to discounted fees for the spay/neuter surgery at our veterinary partners in the greater Savannah area. When you use this free certificate, pet owners may submit proof of altering when the animal is adopted through our pet placement program and we will refund $45 for cats, $60 for male dogs and $70 for female dogs once the pet has been adopted.

HOW TO START

To register with the Pet Placement Program, make sure your pet meets the given requirements listed below. DO NOT bring the animal to our Mobile Adoption unless you have been approved to join the Community Placement Program . We meet every Saturday (except major holidays) at PetSmart, 11132 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA from 12:30 PM- 2:30 PM.

NOTE 1: Our mobile schedules for PetSmart are given on the home page of this web site.
NOTE 2: Customers should not plan to arrive much before the starting times of each mobile adoption or they may be asked to come back when a Save-A-Life volunteer is present.

Requirements for using the Pet Placement Program

For all dogs and cats (including puppies and kittens)

All veterinary paperwork must be presented at the time of registration. If you forget the veterinary paperwork, you may not register nor remain in the adoption center until you bring the required documentation.

Proof the pet has been spayed or neutered which includes veterinary documentation such as a bill for surgery, a veterinary bill for other services showing the pet is altered, rabies certificate stating pet was altered, etc. Due to PetSmart Charities Corporate policy all animals at PetSmart must be spayed or neutered including puppies and kittensone you.

All pets must be flea free, have good dispositions, and appear to be in good health. We reserve the right to request veterinary clearance before registering any animal in the Pet Placement Program.

If you try to give away or sell the pet while it is at the adoption center, you will be asked to leave. This is to ensure the adopters are willing/able to make a financial commitment to the pet.

For Cats

All cats over 14 weeks of age must have had a rabies vaccination within the past 12 months. The rabies certificate must be presented at the time of registration.
All cats must be feline leukemia and feline aids (FELK/FIV) tested and the written results must be negative. You must bring proof of a negative test from a veterinarian.
When there is a litter of kittens, the mother cat or one of the kittens must be tested for feline leukemia and feline Aids. However, all of the kittens in the same litter do not have to be tested. Any sick kittens in the litter may not be brought to the adoption center and we strongly recommend that each sick kitten also be tested for feline leukemia and feline aids.

For Dogs

Every dog over 14 weeks of age must have had a rabies vaccination within the past 12 months. The rabies certificate must be presented at the time of registration.
Every dog over 6 months of age must have a heartworm test within the past 6 -12 months. You must bring proof of a negative test from a veterinarian.
Dogs under 14 weeks of age are not required to have any shots but a distemper/parvo vaccine is highly recommended.

DON’T FORGET, ALL VETERINARY PAPERWORK MUST BE PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION BE SURE TO BRING THE PAPERWORK EVERY TIME YOU COME TO THE MOBILE ADOPTION!

Additional Instructions

If the animal shows aggressive behavior, Save-A-Life or the store manager reserves the right to ask you to leave the store.

You must stay with your pet while it is at the adoption center.

All dogs must be leashed and all cats must be in carriers.

Bring food, bowls, blankets, or toys to make the animal more comfortable.

If you have an open wire crate for your pet, please bring it with you.

You must take your pet home with you if it is not adopted. You may return every Saturday until the pet is adopted.

Questions?

If you have any questions or if you have a special needs pet that does not meet the criteria contact a volunteer during mobile adoption, Please email us at contact@savealifepets.org. Special needs pets, for example, include heartworm positive dogs, puppies and kittens, pets with treatable chronic illnesses, healthy FIV positive cats, etc.

Additional Resources for Re-Homing your Pet

Pit Bull Rescue Central

This is a virtual shelter for homeless Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, and mixes of these breeds. It has a nationwide web listing for animals needing new homes and gives guidance on the adoption process including what to look for in a new home.