Owner Surrender
Surrendering your pet is a difficult and emotional decision, and we’re here to help. At HSWA, our goal is to support pet owners in making informed choices before surrendering their pets due to challenges such as financial difficulties, behavioral issues like aggression or destructiveness, housetraining problems, health concerns, or conflicts with children or other pets.
We frequently assist owners in addressing medical or behavioral concerns and can connect you with additional resources to help rehome your pet while they remain with you, ensuring you have the guidance and support you need during this challenging time.
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Accepting surrendered animals and working to place them in new and loving homes is an important part of the HSWA mission and we are here to help.
​Surrender Appointments are required at HSWA.
We manage the intake of animals, especially during busy times or when we are at capacity, by scheduling appointments for all pet surrenders. Our goal is not to shame or judge but to gather as much information as possible about your pet, so we can ensure they are set up for success with their future family.​
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Who is eligible to surrender: Resident of the town HSWA contracts with.
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To make an appointment, please call HSWA at (207) 873-2430.
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Policies​​
We do not euthanize animals because of space or at the end of a certain time.
We spay/neuter unaltered dogs and cats, vaccinate, deworm, treat for fleas and perform a wellness test on every animal.
We estimate that it costs us between $300 and $500 to place your pet into a loving new home.
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Surrender Fee Structure:​
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A resident of contracted towns:
All fees are per animal.
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Adult Cats: $10
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Kittens (under 1 year) $10 or $30 for a litter (up to 6)
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Adult Dogs: $50
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Puppies (under 1 year): $25 or $60 for a litter
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Pocket Pets: $10
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If you live outside our contracting towns, please visit the State of Maine Animal Welfare website to locate your community's shelter.