Surrendering a Pet

If you are a resident of Chatham County and can no longer care for your pet, you may surrender your dog or cat to Chatham County Animal Services (CCAS). Surrendering your pet to CCAS should be an absolute last resort. Remember, you are your pet's best advocate! Try speaking with family members or friends about taking your pet in first, or contact local rescue groups (there is a list of local rescues at the bottom of this page), or use placement services like Rehome by Adopt a Pet or Rescue Me!

If you are surrendering your pet due to behavioral issues, please see these behavior archives for help dealing with common behavioral challenges:
Dogs: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues
Cats: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues

If you are experiencing financial strain, there are low-cost resources for food, housing, medical care, and more below:

• Humane Society of Greater Savannah
  Pet Food Bank: https://www.humanesocietysav.org/pet-food-pantry/
  Pet Fix clinic: https://www.humanesocietysav.org/pet-fix-savannah/
  
  
• Renegade Paws Rescue, food bank, low cost spay/neuter, homelessness support: https://www.renegadepawsrescue.org
  
  
• Savannah Spay Alliance, spay/neuter and medical: https://www.nationalspayalliancesavannah.com
  
  
• Georgia Pet Resources, various resources: https://www.gapetresources.com/
  
  
• Humane Society of the United States, various resources: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/are-you-having-trouble-affording-your-pet
  
  

For information on surrendering your pet, please visit the following page for more details and link to the form. https://chatham90.org/surrender-to-a-shelter

We respect the difficult decision owners are making when deciding to surrender a pet, and understand it is sometimes unavoidable. We will work with you to find the most appropriate outcome for you and your pet.

CCAS is an open admission facility, meaning we take in any pet that is in need of shelter or care regardless of age, medical status, or behavior. Because of this, euthanasia is sometimes the most humane outcome for some animals. There is no determined time limit on length of any animal's stay.

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Surrender FAQ

Why do I need to make an appointment to bring in a pet?
In order to attempt to secure resources (food, enrichment items, cage space, etc.) when a pet arrives, CCAS requires a scheduled surrender 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.

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 CCAS accept?
CCAS provides care for cats and dogs.

If you have an exotic pet or livestock, we can offer resources to help you find a place for your pet.

Can I find out what happened to my pet after it was surrendered to CCAS?
No. You relinquish all rights of ownership and any right to information on the disposition of the animal described to Chatham County Animal Service.

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Local Rescues

Humane Society for Greater Savannah
https://www.humanesocietysav.org/

Coastal Pet Rescue
coastalpetrescue.org

GRRR (GA Rescue, Rehab & Relocation)
https://www.grrrsavesdogs.org/

One Love Animal Rescue
www.oneloveanimalrescue.com

Renegade Paws Rescue
https://www.renegadepawsrescue.org/

Save-A-Life
www.savealifepets.org

Imagine Pet Rescue
http://imaginepetrescue.org/

Use PetHarbor.com, PetFinder.com, or AdoptaPet.com to find other rescues and shelters nearby.