Admissions Department Hours

Our Admissions Department is open for appointments:

Monday – Sunday11 AM–6 PM

Check our Holiday Hours page for special event hours and holiday hours.

Do you need help with your pet?

There are alternatives to surrendering your pet to our shelter.

Want to find out more about available options? Schedule a call Monday through Sunday. One of our Admissions Counselors will call you between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss alternatives and available resources.

Schedule A Call

Read the following thoroughly, then schedule an appointment and complete the required profile. 

What to bring with your pet to your pet surrender appointment:

  1. A driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
  2. Your pet’s up-to-date veterinary records.
  3. View Pet Surrender Fees listed in the tab at the bottom of this page. 

One pet surrendered per appointment or one litter of puppies/kittens/rabbits per appointment.

Understand that placing your pet in a shelter will be stressful and difficult for them, and should be the last resort. If you would like to discuss alternatives to pet surrender, please schedule a call first.

What if it’s not my pet?

If you have found a stray animal, contact your local animal control services. If you are surrendering on behalf of an owner, please contact the Admissions Department. We can help you determine how to get permission from the legal owner so we can take the animal. Please contact us for information if you have any questions.  

SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO SURRENDER YOUR PET

The Humane Society of Utah helps over 11,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small pets in need of finding new loving homes each year. Over 90 percent of the animals in our care are placed in homes, reunited with owners, or released to other trusted animal welfare organizations. Our commitment is to find placement for every healthy and treatable pet in our care. A health examination, behavior assessment, and history review will determine if your pet is suited for our adoption program. A fee is requested when you relinquish your pet to offset the cost of this evaluation and rehoming process. 

About Our Admissions Department

  • The Humane Society of Utah works with our community to find the best possible solution and outcome for both you and your pet.
  • Please read the information on this page before scheduling your pet surrender appointment below. Pet admissions are handled by appointment only through our Coordinated Entry System. 

Watch this video about our Admissions Department.

What can we accept?

The Humane Society of Utah is the state’s largest, private 501(c)3 animal welfare facility that accepts owner-surrendered pets and transfers from other animal shelters and rescue groups. An “owned” animal is an animal for which a person can provide proof of ownership through bill of sale, purchase/adoption contract, veterinary records, license, and microchip.  

We do not accept:

  • Stray animals or animals found at large, which are the responsibility of your municipal animal shelter and should be taken to the local animal control services for the area where the animal was found.
  • Wildlife and livestock.
  • Healthy feral or friendly stray cats. We may recommend local TNR or Community Cat Programs.
  • Pets such as reptiles, fish, mice, or exotic animals. We encourage you to contact a rescue group that specializes in these species. Please contact your local animal control services or a rescue group specializing in your animal if you have a question. 
  • An animal that has bitten someone in the past 10 days.  By law, you must notify your local animal control services or health department and place your animal on a bite quarantine.

The cost to care for and rehome pets can be hundreds of dollars or more for each animal. Upon intake, every animal is vaccinated, spayed or neutered if not already done, and microchipped. As a local private nonprofit organization, we ask for a surrender fee to help subsidize this cost. The fee is non-refundable and is not dependent on the outcome you choose for your pet after our evaluation. 

Dog or Puppy$100 / $100 for litters of two or more
Cat or Kitten$100 / $100 for litters of two or more
Rabbit/Small Mammal$30 / $45 for litters of two or more

 * All services and pricing are subject to change without notice. Hours may vary on holidays. Learn more about the Cost of Care to rehome a pet through our adoption center.

What should you expect after scheduling an appointment? 

You will receive a confirmation email after scheduling an appointment and can cancel or reschedule if needed. You will also receive a reminder email 12 hours before your appointment. Please read the Pet Surrender FAQs below or contact us for information with any questions before arriving.  What to bring to your appointment:

  1. A driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
  2. Your pet’s up-to-date veterinary records.
  3. Your Pet Surrender Fee.

 * All services and pricing are subject to change without notice. Hours may vary on holidays.

Are you surrendering your pet for either of these reasons?

  • Behavioral issues — Contact our behavior department for assistance in resolving or managing some behavioral issues.
  • History of biting — If your pet has bitten a person within the last 10 days, by law, you must notify your local animal control services or health department and place your animal on a bite quarantine.

Rehoming your pet should be smooth and stress-free for you and your pet.
Post your pet on our Private Rehoming Listings and/or Rehome by adoptapet.com to help place your pet from your home directly to another.  

Read Kitten Season Reminders before surrendering a litter of found kittens. 
Read about TNR and Community Cat Programs. 

We understand that rehoming your pet is a difficult decision. If you do decide to surrender your pet to the Humane Society of Utah, we will work with you to ensure the best possible solution for you and your pet. By scheduling an appointment, you will be able to sit down with an Admissions Counselor to discuss your situation and gather essential information about your pet.

What is Coordinated Entry?

Click to read more about our Coordinated Entry System (CES).

 

What to bring to your pet surrender appointment:

  1. A driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
  2. Your pet’s up-to-date veterinary records.
  3. Your pet’s surrender fee, listed below. The cost to care for and rehome pets can be hundreds of dollars or more for each animal. As a local private nonprofit organization, we ask for a fee to help subsidize this cost. The fee is non-refundable and is not dependent on the outcome you choose for your pet after its evaluation.

What to expect at your appointment:

Your appointment will take approximately 30-45 minutes and will include a health exam and behavior evaluation of your pet. After we’ve gathered information about your pet and the animal exam and assessment are completed, we’ll discuss your options with you so you can make the best decision for your pet. Please note that the Humane Society of Utah is an open-admission shelter that welcomes any animal that we can legally accept. We DO NOT euthanize any healthy or treatable pets. We work with other animal welfare organizations both statewide and nationally to achieve this goal. However, we cannot guarantee that any animal will be adopted. Animals that have untreatable or unmanageable medical or behavior conditions may be euthanized out of concern for the animal’s quality of life and/or out of concern for the safety of the community in cases where the animal exhibits dangerous behavior.

Why do I need to make an appointment to bring in a pet?

To ensure resources are ready and available when a pet arrives, the Humane Society of Utah requires a scheduled appointment. Without an appointment process, we would have no control over the number of pets that come into our care each day, and our ability to provide the best possible care for each animal would be hindered. It also eliminates you having to wait in long lines with your pet.

What if I don’t want to make an appointment?

If you don’t want to schedule an appointment, we will refer you to other rescues and shelters or provide rehoming information to help you rehome your pet yourself.

What types of pets does the Humane Society of Utah accept?

We provide services for cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, some domestic rodents (rats, gerbils, hamsters, chinchillas), and ferrets. We do not accept wildlife, exotic pets, reptiles, birds, mice or livestock (such as chickens, pigs, and goats). If you have an exotic pet or livestock, we can refer you to a rescue or other resource that might be able to help. Please contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (801) 538-4700 for assistance with wildlife. In the case of skunks, raccoons, and coyotes, contact the Utah Department of Agriculture at (801) 538-7100. We cannot accept any animal that has bitten a person within the last ten days. By law, such an animal must be taken to your local animal control facility.

Does the Humane Society of Utah accept strays?

No, your municipal animal services are legally responsible for stray animals. An “owned” animal is an animal for which a person can provide proof of ownership (through vet records, license and microchip, etc.). A “stray” means any animal found at large. By taking the stray animal to your local animal control services, it will have a better chance of being reunited with its family who may be searching for them in their local area. Click to view the Wasatch Front Animal Control List to find your local animal control services. We also cannot accept wildlife or livestock. Contact the Department of Wildlife Resources for issues concerning wildlife. The Humane Society of Utah does not accept healthy feral or friendly stray cats for intake and recommends local TNR or Community Cat Programs. Read about TNR and Community Cat Programs.

Can I find out what happens to my pet after it’s surrendered to the Humane Society of Utah?

Yes. If you contact us, we’ll let you know if your pet was adopted or placed with a rescue partner. However, we will not share the adopter’s contact information or details about the rescue partner to which your pet was transferred. Last year, more than 90 percent of the animals in our care were placed in homes, reunited with owners, or released to other animal welfare organizations. The Humane Society of Utah has not euthanized a healthy dog or cat since 2015, and there is no time limit for animals in our care. If we determine your pet cannot become healthy or suitable for placement, the decision for humane euthanasia may be made by our shelter veterinarian and animal behavior experts.

What if my pet has bitten a person in the last 10 days?

If your pet has bitten a person breaking the skin and drawing blood within the last 10 days, by law, you must notify your local animal control services. If you are returning a pet that has been adopted through the Humane Society of Utah within the past 30 days, we can accept the animal.