The Most Common Reasons People Surrender Their Pets—And How You Can Help

In 2023, over 6.5 million animals (3.3 million cats and 3.2 million dogs) entered animal shelters and rescue organizations, according to Shelter Animals Count. Pets find themselves in shelters for many reasons, but about 25 percent of them are relinquished to the shelter by their family. 

It’s hard to imagine how any pet parent could surrender their animal, but it obviously does happen. In August of last year, animal welfare organization Human Animal Support Services (HASS) published a list of reasons people gave for surrendering their pets upon intake. Let’s break down the most common reasons animals are surrendered and what can be done about them.

Why are pets surrendered?

Surrendering a pet to a shelter or rescue is not an easy decision for most pet parents or one they take lightly. In fact, many people do so as a last resort in the face of bigger issues beyond their control. Per HAAS, financial constraints are one of the top reasons parents surrender their dogs or cats. This includes not being able to afford a pet’s routine wellness, pet food, and/or treatment for illness or injury.

Higher vet costs are a huge barrier for people to keep their pets (or adopt them in the first place). “Even if you have pet insurance,” Krista Almqvist, executive director of New York City-based rescue Badass Animal Rescue, tells Kinship. “It’s just becoming unaffordable for a lot of people.” (It’s worth noting, though, that there are insurance plans that can help immensely with costs, especially during emergencies. Do your research.)

“With the rising cost of veterinary care, there are a lot of medical issues that lead to [pets] being relinquished,” Dr. Lindsey Wendt, veterinarian and founder of Crystal Lotus Veterinary Care, tells Kinship. Some of these medical issues include chronic skin allergies, frequent intestinal upset, and mobility issues. Of course, there are ways to offset these costs, such as the Pet Fund or a payment plan your vet’s office may offer.

Housing challenges — including landlord-based restrictions on breed, number of pets, and pet size; pet deposits or pet rents; and finding housing that allows pets — also cause pet parents to have to surrender their pets. You could say that people could avoid some of these roadblocks by more persistently looking for housing that accepts their pets. But in truth, many simply can’t afford the extra fees or other circumstances that might arise unexpectedly. Pet parents may be “living in an apartment or home that allows dogs, but they lose their lease, or their rent is increased, and they can’t afford it anymore,” Alqvist says.

Cat parents might have a little more luck: A study published by the American Humane Society, aka AHS, found that half of U.S. rentals allows tenants with cats. Only nine percent of housing allows large dogs. Overall, 82 percent of tenants surveyed said they had problems finding a rental unit that would take their pets.

Then, there are the less visible systemic issues that can lead pet parents to have to give up their pup or kitty. Take domestic violence survivors, for example. Only 12 percent of domestic violence programs can provide shelter for pets, leaving all too many to face an impossible choice: escape their abusers without their pets or stay with them. In fact, 97 percent of respondents to a survey of 2,500 survivors said that keeping their pets with them was an important factor in deciding whether to seek shelter. 

Solutions to systemic issues

In many of these cases, surrenders would be avoidable if pet parents had better accesses to necessary resources. In fact, HASS reports that 86 percent of families surveyed wished they had additional help that would have allowed them to keep their pet instead of surrendering them. 

So, let’s talk about what can be done to keep pets with their families. When it comes to housing, Almqvist says we need to “get the message out about the benefits of tenants having pets.” And, in fact, studies do show that tenants with pets are less likely to move, and pet-friendly housing has lower vacancy rates. This is a good reason for landlords to be more open-minded and accepting with their pet policies. It’s also worth mentioning that breed discrimination is slowly becoming outlawed in major U.S. cities.

Many systemic issues call for systemic solutions, such as changes in how vets approach treating pets altogether. Almqvist adds that low-cost vaccination clinics are crucial for helping those who would have to give up their pet if they faced a high bill. Pet food pantries also provide families with free or low-cost pet food.

Although we know vets already experience a significant amount of stress and compassion fatigue, you can still ask for what you want and need from your vet. For example, you can kindly ask them to focus on identifying underlying issues before they crop up, something Dr. Wendt says is important. If you feel they are only treating your pet’s symptoms instead of looking for the bigger problem (which can be more costly overall), you always have the right to find someone who is a better fit.

When it comes to domestic violence, a number of organizations across the country are working to create more options for survivors who have pets. And there are many other organizations and individuals working on other solutions to these systemic issues, such as Feeding Pets of the Homeless and Waggle, a crowd-sourcing platform for veterinary costs. 

Solutions pet parents can implement

Of course, there are pet parents who surrender their pets for truly avoidable reasons. For example, two of the top five reasons parents surrender their pets is that they have too many pets and no time or are overwhelmed by the responsibility.

Another common reason Krista Almqvist has seen adopters return their pets to rescues? A new baby. First-time parents often feel too overwhelmed to manage both infant and pet parenthood. Almqvist’s solution to that problem is to remind people that their pets are their kids, too. Before bringing home a pet, know that adopting a dog or cat should not be a conditional experience but a commitment that lasts their lifetime, no matter what changes.

At the end of the day, however, people who surrender their pets deserve the benefit of the doubt. “I think there is a lot of stigma put on people who surrender their [pets], and I think it’s not helpful to speak badly about them,” Almqvist says. “Have a little bit of compassion and understand that people end up in difficult situations, and [surrendering a pet is] not an easy thing to do.”

References

• “BSL Continues to Crumble.” Www.pitbullinfo.org, www.pitbullinfo.org/bsl-continues-to-crumble.

• Hazard, Nichole. “Human Animal Support Services (HASS) Announces Industry-Expert Developed List of Intake Reasons for Owner Surrender - HASS.” HASS, 15 Aug. 2024, www.humananimalsupportservices.org/intake-reasons-list. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.

• Renting to Tenants with Pets. 2024, www.amfam.com/resources/articles/your-business/why-landlords-should-rent-to-pet-owners.

• SAC. “SAC Releases 2023 Annual Intake and Outcome Data Analysis.” Shelter Animals Count, 31 Jan. 2024, www.shelteranimalscount.org/sac-releases-2023-annual-analysis.