Unexpected circumstances can force families apart. We're here to help.
As the largest animal welfare organization in our region, we take in more than 17,000 dogs and cats a year across our entire footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. That's nearly 50 pets per day. As the only shelter in the District accepting lost pets, our intake can be unpredictable and our space limited. We understand how difficult the decision can be to rehome a pet and want to support you the best we can. Our first priority is to help keep pets with their families whenever possible. Below are resources you might not realize are available to you should you wish to keep your pet but need support to do so. If keeping a pet isn't an option, below are resources to help you rehome your pet.
It's never easy to make a decision like this. We're here to help find a new home for your pet.
Our goal is to keep pets with their people during challenging financial times. We offer free pet food at our shelters during open hours; just ask at the front desk (hours & locations). For medical needs, contact our Pet Resource Center to see if we might have options available to help with your pet's medical needs.
It can be difficult to find rentals that welcome pets or with modern pet policies that don't discriminate arbitrarily. The links below can help you find pet-friendly housing.
Pet Friendly Zillow Listings
Pet Friendly Apartment Listings
Bring Fido Rental Listings
Hotpads Pet Friendly Listings
Our behavior resources contain a wealth of information to help you work through challenging behaviors exhibited by your cat or dog. For dogs, the list below summarizes area trainers who may be helpful. For adopters, we at the Pet Resource Center and, if needed, our behavior team can provide free guidance across the lifetime of your adopted cat or dog.
If you've considered all the options available and rehoming is the next step, the least stressful option for your pet would be for you to rehome the pet directly. Below are resources to help with that, and here are tools from Best Friends Animal Society to help with writing a pet bio and rehoming a special needs pet.
Whiskers got his leg caught in a fox trap after getting loose from his home. He lost a lot of skin, suffered nerve damage, and had a quickly spreading infection. His family brought him to our New Castle Animal Health Center. They couldn't afford the entirety of his care and were considering euthanasia since the infection would soon be life-threatening. Thanks to our Pet Retention Grant from Petco Love, we were able to bridge what his owners couldn't afford and saved Whiskers by amputating the badly damaged leg. Whiskers now lives a life of three-legged luxury.
All rights reserved. © 2025 Brandywine Valley SPCA.
