Please, Surrender, NOT Abandon
LRHS encourages owners to know that surrendering an animal in person is okay, and may be the best thing to do for the welfare of the animal. This is a common occurrence and one of the main reasons we exist! By surrendering an animal the shelter is able to acquire important medical information, behavioral tendencies, etc., particular to that animal.

Please be humane and do the right thing: surrender animals, don't abandon them. In the recent past, a dog was tied to our porch during closed hours, jumped off, and was found hanging in the morning - thankfully, he survived.

A litter kittens was left in an airtight container in a snow bank. In December, a mother and nine kittens were left in a child's play tent in a parking lot down the road from the shelter. These circumstances can leave animals vulnerable to weather and prey animals; needless to say, circumstances such as these greatly endanger the lives of the animals!

Information

The decision to surrender a pet to LRHS is often sad, painful, and can make pet owners feel guilty or selfish.

If you decide this is the only course of action left for you to take, please remember: each and every member of the LRHS staff, board of directors, and volunteer base has a place in his or heart for animals. All dedicate a portion of their life to bettering the lives of the animals in our community, yours included. Your pet will be well cared for, provided with food, water, treats, proper medical care, heat for cold weather and air conditioning for hot summer days, a soft place to sleep, plenty of toys, fresh air, caring people, and, most importantly, love. As difficult a decision as it may be, surrendering a pet to LRHS is a responsible and caring decision made by you in order to preserve and enhance the quality of your furry friend's life.

Just because you contact LRHS about a surrender DOES NOT guarantee that we will be able to immediately take in your animal. If we are, at the time, full to our population capacity, we will put your name on a first-come, first-serve waiting list and keep in contact with you as your status on this list changes.

Owner Surrender

To surrender, you must MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FIRST! In order to provide the best care and the least traumatic experience for you and your pet, we require that you make a SURRENDER APPOITMENT. Please do not just bring your pet to LRHS with the expectation that we take it in immediately.

By making an appointment, we are able to speak with you as to the space available at LRHS for your pet, the potential adoptability of your pet, learn about your pet from the most reliable source - you, and equip the staff with the most knowledge about your pet in order to find the best new home for him or her.

Setting Up a Surrender Appointment:
Call: 603-539-1077
or
E-mail: info@lrhs.net

Please, be prepared to provide as much initial information about your pet as possible (current status of vaccinations, behavior with various pets and people, the reason for surrender, and your contact information - including your name, phone number, and mailing address).

Why do we charge surrender fees?
LRHS has many generous donors and volunteers, but there are still expenses to pay. Vet bills, food, property maintenance, and electricity are only a few of the many necessities. We consider these "fees" more like donations; please, if for some reason you feel you cannot afford this fee, talk to us! We do our best to make special arrangements for special circumstances!

Dogs and Puppies = $50.00 (please see below for qualifications)

Cats and Kittens = $40.00

We understand that strays are unpredictable by nature. Should you happen to find a stray, please do the following:

DO NOT attempt to approach it...cats and dogs may be feral and/or aggressive. For your safety, hang back until it approaches you; even still, use your best judgment and do not approach animals with strange/questionable behavior!

LET IT BE...feral cats are wild animals and stray cats and dogs often just wander too far from home. Avoid feeding or providing for them or they may decide to make your home their new home!

If your stray does not go home, take the following action:
FIRST: call your local police department's dispatch number (not 911) and advise them of the situation - towns usually send an Animal Control Officer to pick up the animal and bring it to us.

SECOND: If your town is unable to transport the animal, please contact LRHS to make a surrender appointment. We do our best to keep cages open for stray surrenders. Also, if you are unable to approach the animal, please visit our "resources" page for contacts.