Public Surrenders
Admissions Policy
The Cambridge and District Humane Society should be your last resort of placing your animal. Before contacting us you should attempt to place the animal in another home on your own. Ask friends and family if they are interested in the pet, ask neighbors, put up posters at your local pet store, pet park and veterinary clinics. Placing your animal in a shelter will be stressful and difficult for your animal and we are eager to avoid this if possible.
At the Cambridge and District Humane Society our ability to take in cats and dogs (and other small animals) directly from the public changes daily. It depends on our available space, our current population, and how quickly the animals already here are finding homes. Therefore all surrenders must have a booked appointment. In addition, the pets being surrendered to us must meet health and behavior requirements. The Cambridge and District Humane Society is a charity and relies on private donations to continue helping the thousands of animals we take in.
A surrender fee may be charged at the time of admittance. For more information, please call the shelter to speak with our Animal Care Supervisor, 519-623-7722.
When surrendering an animal you will be required to provide:
Photo Identification
Proof that the animal is yours and you have the right to surrender it
All veterinary records you have for the animal
Fill out an in depth questionnaire regarding the animal
Read, sign and understand the surrender form
Cambridge and District Humane Society Position Statement
Euthanasia of Companion Animals at the Cambridge and District Humane Society
An important part of the Cambridge and District Humane Society Mission is to provide a safe haven for all companion animals in need. The Cambridge and District Humane Society accepts that euthanasia is considered necessary when an animal is injured or ill – with no reasonable chance of recovery or whose needs are greater than our resources, animals that are aggressive/overly dominant or have an unstable temperament (as observed in the shelter) or behavior issues that we do not have the resources to resolve.
While the decision to euthanize is made solely at the discretion of three or more of our trained and experienced staff, this responsibility is not taken lightly. We do not euthanize animals because they have been here too long or solely based on space constraints. No healthy, adoptable animal is ever euthanized.
The Cambridge and District Humane Society supports the use of only the most humane methods of euthanasia available, and that those methods are performed only by veterinary trained personnel, assuring minimal discomfort, fear or anxiety.
The Cambridge and District Humane Society believes that responsible ownership of companion animals, especially through training, spaying/neutering and proper identification reduces the necessity of euthanasia.