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Several years ago, my husband and I found ourselves fostering a sweet dog named Roxie. She belonged to a neighbor, who for whatever reason, didn’t want her anymore. So we volunteered to take her in and either keep her or find a new home for her.

She was a small dog, a puggle (part pug, part beagle). And she didn’t really mesh well with Greta and Cassie. So we began the exhaustive search of finding her a new home. We weren’t sure where to start.

I took a bunch of cute pictures of Roxie and we started sending emails to everyone we knew. Luckily, we found a great new home for her after a few weeks, but it wasn’t without incident. I wished I’d had resources at the time that guided us in our search for a new home for Roxie.

I’ve put together a list of tips that can help you with the same thing: placing a pet in a new home.

Email/Web postings

• Use the Internet to send emails, make Facebook and Twitter postings and get the word out quickly to friends that you have a pet that needs a new home.
• The Animal Rescue & Foster Program offers courtesy listings at www.arfpnc.com and www.petfinder.com. Email the following information to savapup2@aol.com with “Courtesy Listing” in the subject line: three good digital pictures, a positive bio/story about the pet and your contact information. Postings will remain online for 60 days.
• Sharon Gray, executive director of ARFP, says many rescue groups do not recommend using Craigslist to post an ad, but she does. “The homes are going to be as good as you want them to be. You might get one good inquiry out of every five, but that is better than death at a local shelter. If you screen properly and are picky about where the animal is going you can find good homes on Craigslist.”

Rescue groups
Find area rescue groups that may be willing to take the pet. You can find a list of Triad rescue groups on our blog. Caitlin Daly, an adoption counselor at the SPCA of the Triad, says that rescue groups try to take in only highly adoptable animals because space is limited and they do not euthanize. She advises, “If someone needs to relinquish an animal that is old, ill or has behavioral issues, we recommend reaching out to friends, family, veterinarians, behaviorists, trainer or sanctuaries.”

Local animal shelter
The ARFP says there is an approximately 75% kill rate at our local shelters. It may be the best or only option for you, but check the shelter’s policies on euthanasia. Contact the Guilford County Animal Shelter by calling 297-5020 or visit www.adoptshelterpets.org.

Placing an ad/put up fliers

• Place an ad with your local newspaper’s classifieds section. You can contact the News & Record’s Classified department at 373-7355 or email adtext@news-record.com.
• Create a flier with the pet’s picture and include detailed information. The ARFP recommends you include detailed information on the flier such as age, behavior, health, and what type of home the animal is best suited for. Include a phone number and time of day you can be reached. Good places to hang fliers are veterinary offices, parks, coffee shops, pet stores, grocery stores, daycares, churches and community centers.

Tips for screening potential pet owners
ARFP recommends the following:

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Look for a family or older person who has time to spend with the animal.
• Make sure the person is in a financial position to care for a pet.
• Ask about living conditions for the pet. In most counties, proper shelter (defined as one doghouse per dog) is the law.
• Meet a potential family at their home and bring along the pet.
• Ask for a recommendation from their veterinarian.
• Use your gut.

I hope that if you need to place a pet in a new home you are able to find a wonderful family like we did for Roxie. She is thriving with her new family.