If you’ve spent any time online or looking at community bulletin boards, you’ve probably come across a posting for free companion animals.  “Free to a good home” sounds pleasant enough, but these kittens, puppies, and other animals often end up in environments that provide anything but “a good home.”  The risks are also high for mice, rats, and other small animals so often used as feeders.

Some people may choose to go the more anonymous route of posting a sign or ad online because they want to avoid meeting with an animal rescue worker face to face.  Maybe they fear judgement or assume that since shelters are already overcrowded they won’t be able to help.  Some people may prefer to imagine they can find their friend a cozy fireplace, fenced back yard, or a home full of loving children.

But “free to a good home” isn’t either.  Animals often pay the price, and the “good home” may not be what it looks like upon a casual meeting or interview.  We’d like to believe in a world where everyone loved animals and cared for them, but the reality isn’t so rosy.  Free can cost a life.

“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans” ~ James Herriot

What to do: Whatever has changed since you first brought your companion animal home, you can do more than hope for the best.  If you have to re-home, care enough to help your companion animal find a forever home.  Here are seven simple tips we hope you never need:

• Plan ahead: Waiting until the last minute increases risks
• Be honest – when you talk to others, don’t misrepresent the situation or any special needs, which could lead to delays in finding an appropriate fit
• Contact local animal shelters (no kill, if possible)
• Reach out to nearby rescue groups
• Talk with your veterinarian – and others in professional animal care settings (boarding, grooming, etc.) about people they know who may be looking for a new addition and their rescue connections
• Talk with people you know – your  personal connections are probably both safer and more realistic than posting to unknown groups
• Keep trying – you may have to circle through various strategies more than a few times

Even if your companion animal’s “forever home” can’t be with your household, you can still make a life saving difference.  Don’t substitute good intentions for good judgment.  Patience and clear communication about your situation and a realistic timeline for re-homing will offer the most effective tools for what’s already a difficult process for your family.  Animals are not disposable, and if you have children in your home, they will learn an important lesson about commitment through the process.   You may find someone closer than you think who can help, and your animal friend and whole family will be grateful for your planning.