Help with REHOMING a pet & helping a shelter pet in need.
Please note that ANY animal that ends up in a shelter is at risk of being euthanized, and in CALIFORNIA that risk is greater than anywhere else in the U.S. as of 2022.
Please note that START Rescue does NOT have a shelter, foster base, or housing facilities for homeless pets.
START Rescue focuses on LARGE-SCALE rescue-transport missions involving large numbers of animals pulled from overflowing shelters in high-kill, California counties.
Please note that listings are NOT endorsements or recommendations. We have not checked them all out. START has compiled this for ease and reference. We strongly suggest that you check them out yourself before using a specific service.
The following is information for any individual near L.A. who:
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-Would like to help a specific animal(s) in a shelter
-Is considering giving up their own pet
-OR is struggling to meet their pet's needs.
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Rehoming support and other support for your pet:
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If you are trying to relinquish your pet, and you adopted that pet from a rescue group, please know that many rescue groups require (by a legally binding contract) that you bring the animal back to them if you can no longer keep her/him. Please reach out to that rescue group first.
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Also, please know that any pet that ends up in a shelter in California (and in many other areas too), has a VERY real risk of being euthanized. Even purebred dogs, even puppies, and even kittens. There are simply too many animals and not enough shelter space or rescue groups to keep up with the pet population.
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We recommend trying to find alternatives to leaving an animal at a shelter if possible, but not if it means the animal is left in pain, injured, uncared for, or otherwise abused or neglected. In this case, relinquishing a pet for care is quite possibly the better choice.
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If you would like to find a way to keep your pet but are unable to for one reason or another, please know that there are a number of resources and organizations that may be able to help you to keep your pet: Resources for keeping your pet
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If you must rehome your pet, there are rescue groups in the L.A. area that might be able to help you. We have compiled a list here.
IMPORTANT TIP:
One of the BEST ways to find support in rehoming an animal is by taking the time to create a really great bio/profile for your animal. Get together photos, videos, vet records, and write a wonderful and honest description of the animal including all of the good, and all of the bad, all in ONE email.
Rescue workers are very busy and there are more people trying to give up their pets than there are rescue workers to help them! Be sure to include whether the animal is friendly with people and other animals, mention if they are potty trained, spayed/neutered, how old, what breed, any medical issues, etc. And only then reach out to rescue groups. A little work upfront goes a HUGE way.
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START RESCUE'S TRANSPORT PROGRAM - For Pets and Shelter Animals
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If you would like to utilize our Rescue-Transport Program (which connects California's abandoned pets to organizations/adopters in the Pacific Northwest) in order to rehome your pet (or another animal, for example, one in a shelter), please note that there are tasks that must be accomplished by you in order for a dog/cat to be transported by us. A large portion of the initial work would be completed by you, then once these tasks are accomplished, assuming we can find a spot for the animal, we will take over. It is very much a TEAM-EFFORT approach, as is necessary due to extremely limited resources.
If you are interested in learning more about the program and what would be required of you in order to save an animal's life, click here: Rescue-Transport Guide
**Please note that dogs must be people-friendly dog-friendly, and cats must not be feral, to be suitable for transport rescue.
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Last, but certainly not least, if you have an issue with an animal that you think we might be able to help you with, please write out the full issue, and add any photos, descriptions, vet records, and anything else you may have, and please let us know what you are hoping to accomplish (etc). Please put it all together in one email, and we will see what we can do to help you and your animal. The START contact to reach out to is: colleen@startrescue.org
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