Rehoming a Senior Pet
If you're seeking a new home for a senior pet, starting within your home is often the best option. Shelters and rescues are currently overwhelmed with homeless animals, so keeping your senior pet with you may be the most compassionate solution. If you need assistance—whether it's help with pet food, veterinary care, or other support—please reach out to us. We can connect you with valuable community resources that may help you keep your beloved companion.
Young at Heart does not accept direct owner surrenders. Our rescue efforts are focused on senior dogs and cats in open-admission shelters.
If you need to rehome a senior pet, we encourage you to explore our Courtesy Listing Program, which allows owners to share their pet with potential adopters while keeping the pet in their home during the search for a new family.
So Your Senior Pet Needs a New Home...
- Network your older dog or cat through friends, family, coworkers and within your community through social networking and good old-fashioned word of mouth.
- Make a nice color flyer of your pet, letting prospective adopters know all about him or her. List likes, dislikes, health issues, etc. The more you share, the more a prospective adopter can figure out if your pet is a good match for them. Make sure the photo of your pet is clear and does not have "flash eyes". A photo of your pet snuggling on the couch, playing with another dog, or sitting happily in the yard is a good photo. Hang this flyer in places older adopters may hang out - retirement or community recreation centers, libraries, coffee shops, churches, temples, etc.
- Be sure to ask for a small donation to an animal shelter or rescue as an adoption fee. This will help weed out those who are not serious about adding a pet to their family or those who may not have your pet's best interests at heart.
- When screening potential adopters of your pet, ask to talk to their former or current veterinarian, or ask for personal references to make sure any prospective adopters will care for your pet.
So what else can you do to find a new home for your senior pet?
Courtesy Listings
If you are looking to rehome a senior dog or cat, Young at Heart offers a free Courtesy Listing Program. Courtesy listings allow pet owners, shelters, and rescues to share senior pets with potential adopters through our website while the pet remains in its current home or organization.
Please note that a courtesy listing is not an admission into Young at Heart's rescue program. The pet remains in your care, and you are responsible for communicating with prospective adopters, screening applicants, and selecting the new home that is the best fit for your pet.
To request a courtesy listing, please email webmaster@adoptaseniorpet.com and include:
- At least one clear photo
- Your pet's name, age, breed (if known), and location
- A description of your pet's personality and ideal home
- All known medical conditions, medications, mobility limitations, behavioral concerns, and special care needs
- Your preferred contact information
Courtesy listings are available for senior dogs and cats 7 years of age or older located in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, or Michigan. Pets should be spayed or neutered unless there is a documented medical reason they cannot be.
For the benefit of potential adopters, all listings must accurately disclose known medical and behavioral information. Young at Heart reserves the right to decline or remove listings that contain incomplete or misleading information.
Shelters and rescues are also welcome to utilize our Courtesy Listing Program.
If your senior pet is experiencing advanced age, serious illness, or a significant decline in quality of life, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to discuss your pet's condition and available treatment or end-of-life options. While these conversations are never easy, your veterinarian is the best resource for helping you make compassionate decisions based on your pet's individual needs.
