Before you decide to rehome your animal, please consider some alternatives. 

• If your pet has behavioral issues - talk to your vet to first rule out any health-related cause, then find a trainer or behaviorist. If you cannot afford this, learn about dog training on your own, there are plenty of resources online to help you!
• If you cannot afford to care for your pet - Check out this "Delaware Animal Welfare Low Cost and Free Service Directory"  listing a variety of resources including information on Horse Rescues, Pet Food Banks, Services for Feral and Stray Cats, Spay/Neuter Clinics and Programs, Vaccine Clinics, Vaccination & Treatment Schedules for Dogs and Cats, Veterinary Clinics, How to Cope with High Cost of Veterinary Care & Temporary Sheltering for Owned Pets.  Click here to download the directory! (Faithful Friends)
• If you are moving- "Moving" and "Landlord won't allow" are among the top reasons given by pet owners when relinquishing their animals. If you're a pet owner committed to caring for your pet responsibly, there are several steps you can take to find pet-friendly rental housing. 
• ApartmentList.com  – the world’s first apartment-matching engine. You can modify your search for just pet-friendly housing by choosing the “Pet Policy” option from the “Amenities” tab at the bottom of the page.
• Apartments.com  – you can search apartments in Delaware by many categories, including whether or not they allow cats, small dogs, and/or any size dogs; other states are also available.
• PetsWelcome.com: (Go to the section marked “Listings” and select “Apartments and Rentals,” and request listings for Delaware or other states.)
• RentLingo.com  – a free nationwide service that pulls up-to-date apartment availability for millions of listing from multiple sources, shows if the property is pet-friendly, integrates reviews and gives users the option to connect to Facebook to see more social insights on the area and property.
• Rent.com  – a free nationwide service that pulls up-to-date apartment availability for millions of listing from multiple sources, shows if the property is pet-friendly while integrating reviews and pricing. This unique link shows all pet-friendly apartment options in the Wilmington and surrounding areas.
• Other tips  to find pet-friendly rental housing.

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Re-Homing

Rather than turning the animal over to the local shelter or humane society, where the animal may be euthanized, use these tips to help find them a good home.

A) What to do when you’ve found a stray

1. Check for a tag or microchip.

If you’ve found a stray, do the obvious first – check for a tag. If there is a tag, and the owner’s name is on it, call and arrange for a pickup, and know you have done your good deed for the day. If the tag gives the name of a veterinarian’s clinic, call during business hours and get the name and phone number of the owner using the code num­ber on the tag. Then follow up to return the dog or cat. If the animal has no tag, there may still be a way to identify the stray if he/she has been micro­chipped. A veterinarian can help you find out.

2. Notify your local shelter that you have found a stray animal.

There are different laws in each city regarding stray animals. In some communities, finders of lost animals are legally required to either surren­der the animal to the animal shelter or to report to the shelter that they have a stray animal. Check with your local animal control or animal services department in your city to find out what your legal obligations are.

Even if you’re not legally required to notify the shelter, you’ll still want to let them know that you have a stray. If the owners of the animal are look­ing for their pet, they will most likely start by call­ing the shelter, so it’s very important that the shel­ter knows that you have found the pet. Also, some shelters have bulletin boards on which people can list lost and found pets, so it’s a good idea to post a photo of the pet at the shelter.

If you have some hesitation about trying to find the owner, keep in mind that just because an animal is injured, scared, or without identification does not mean that he has a “bad” home. Your stray might have lost his identification; he might have been lost for a long time; he may even be a rescued ani­mal who was scared when he was adopted.

If you must take the animal to the shelter, and you wish to do everything you can for the animal, be sure to claim last rights. Claiming last rights gives you adoption privileges if the animal is not claimed within a given time period and is due to be put down. It is a good idea to call the shelter daily to let the staff know that you are interested in the animal’s welfare.

3. Make every effort to find the owner.

Besides notifying your local shelter, you’ll want to check lost-and-found ads in the local newspa­pers. Try placing an ad in the lost-and-found sec­tion yourself. Another good strategy is to post flyers in the vicinity where the animal was found.

A typical ad describes the type of animal, the lo­cation where he/she was found, and the coloring and other distinct characteristics of the animal.

You want to leave out some crucial characteristic, though, so that when someone calls claiming to be the owner, you can verify that the animal really belongs to him/her. This helps guard against turn­ing strays over to bunchers (see  an explanation of what bunchers are) . For example, you could leave out the gender of the animal, or the fact that she has white socks on her front feet or a really bushy tail. Don’t forget to give your phone number and times you can be reached.

4. Be wary of dishonest callers.

When someone answers your ad, make sure the person gives you a detailed description of the ani­mal. To ensure that you have found the animal’s real owner, here are a few additional tips:

• Ask the caller to bring a photo of the animal to the meeting place.
• Ask for their veterinarian’s phone number, and make a follow-up call.
• Watch how the animal reacts to the caller in person. If you are not satisfied, ask for more proof of ownership.
• Remember to get the owner’s phone number and address.
• Ask them to bring their photo ID.

B) How to get the word out

If you do need to find a new home for a pet, you’ll want to advertise as widely as you can, in as many places as possible. Creating a flyer is a great way to start. Here’s what to put on the flyer:

• Describe the appearance, size, and age of the animal.
• Include the pet’s name and a good photograph of the pet (see the sidebar below).
• If the pet is spayed or neutered, include that information.
• Describe his/her nature and appealing qualities.
• Define any limitations the pet might have (e.g., not good with cats or small children).
• Don’t forget your phone number and the times you can be reached.

Depending on the situation in your area, you might want to add “No Bunchers” to your flyer. Bunchers are people who pose as prospective adopters, pretending to be loving and concerned. The pets they obtain are then sold to dealers who in turn sell the pets to research laboratories. (There’s more information on this subject in the  section on screening adopters.)

When you’ve made copies of the flyer, post them throughout your community, wherever a good pro­spective adopter might see them. Ask to put them up at veterinarians’ offices, pet supply stores, and the workplaces of your family and friends. Places like health food stores, supermarkets, libraries, churches, and health clubs often have community bulletin boards where anyone can post flyers.

Tips on Taking Good Animal Photographs Since photos really help people make a con­nection to an animal, you’ll want to use a good-quality photograph. Color is best. (If you don’t have a color printer, copy places like Kinko’s can print the flyers for you.) When you take the pho­tographs, use a background that is in con­trast to the ani­mal, to high­light his/her best features. Keep the pho­to simple and clear, with few background distractions, though you might want to use a person, a hand or some other means to show the scale of the pet. Before snapping the photos, take the time to get the pet as calm and relaxed as possible, so the photos don’t show an animal who looks anxious or scared. Ideally, the photo you choose for the flyer should have the eyes of the animal in focus.

But don’t stop with posting flyers. There are many other ways to spread the word:

1. Contact as many shelters and rescue groups as possible. Most agencies will be overloaded, but they might allow you to bring your pet to one of their adoption days. They might be able to put you in contact with someone who is looking for the kind of pet you are trying to place, or they could have some other suggestions. You can find local shelters and rescues by searching the listings on the  Best Friends Network  and  Petfinder.com  (look for “Find animal welfare groups”).

2. Contact breed rescue groups if you’re try­ing to place a specific breed. If you have a pug or a Persian cat, for example, there may be rescue groups or clubs that have lists of people looking to adopt that particular breed. Some breed rescue groups might even be willing to place a mix, as long as the animal is close to purebred.

You can find local listings of breed rescue groups by doing an Internet search on a search engine such as  www.google.com  or  www.yahoo.com.

Here’s a sample search combination:

Siamese + breed rescue + Montana

3. Place a classified ad in your local paper. When you write the ad, be creative. Try to make the ani­mal as appealing as possible, but tell the truth. If you’re trying to place a dog who absolutely can’t be around cats, put that in the ad. Run the ad as many times as you can afford – you are looking to reach a wide audience.

It’s a good idea to mention in the ad that an adop­tion fee will be required. The bunchers we men­tioned earlier gravitate toward ads that offer pets “Free to a good home.” Asking for a fee will dis­courage these people from following up on your ad. If you feel uneasy about asking for a fee, you can always donate the money to your favorite charity.

4. Post your pet on adoption websites. There are general adoption websites, as well as specific sites for certain types of animals (for example, FIV-positive cats, disabled pets, or senior dogs).  Wagaroo  and  Pet Bond  are good examples of general adoption websites.

Another option is Rehome, a peer-to-peer self-service platform launched by Adopt-a-Pet.com. The site allows pet owners who cannot keep their pets to find new loving homes in their own community.  Rehome  is a free service for the pet owner. The new adopter pays a small adoption fee that is then donated, in full, to an animal shelter or rescue group of the original owner’s choosing.

5. Use any and all of your community contacts. Ask friends and family to mention the animal in their church or community newsletter; send an e-mail about the pet through your office memo system; post a notice and photo on your Facebook page; or share some flyers with members of clubs or associations to which you belong.

6. Don’t underestimate word of mouth. Tell anyone and everyone about the pet who needs a home, and ask friends and family to help with spreading the word. You never know – your fa­ther’s neighbor’s daughter could be looking for just the pet you have to offer.

7. Get the pet out there. (This works especially well with dogs.) The more your pet interacts with people, the more likely he/she will charm the right person. If you’re trying to place a dog, take him/ her on walks, to pet supply stores, to the local park. Put a colorful bandana on the dog that says, “Adopt me.”

C) How to prepare the pet for adoption

First and foremost, spay or neuter the pet or the stray you are trying to place. Without this proce­dure, no reputable humane rescue group will help you. Pet overpopu­lation is an over­whelming problem and we all need to do what we can to prevent more unwanted animals from being born. If you want informa­tion on low-cost clinics in your area, call SPAY/ USA at 1-800-248-SPAY. You can also visit their website,   spayusa.org .

Next, make sure the animal is up-to-date on vac­cinations. Prepare a complete medical record that you can give to the adopter. If you’re trying to find a home for a stray, you’ll need to bring the animal to a vet for a thorough checkup. Low-cost assistance may be available through local humane groups.

You should also prepare a general history of the pet. Include as much information as possible about the pet’s likes and dislikes, current food preferences and favorite treats, relationship to other animals, and preferred types of toys. All this information will help the adopter get acquainted with the pet and make the transition easier on the animal.

To show the pet’s best side, groom and bathe him or her before taking your flyer photos and before showing the pet to a prospective adopter. If it is relevant, talk to a trainer about your pet’s dis­position. The help of an experienced and caring professional can often help you resolve quirky or destructive behavior, making it easier to place the pet in a new home.

D) Screen and interview potential adopters

When someone responds to your flyer or ad, you’ll want to interview them over the phone be­fore introducing them to the animal. By doing so, you can eliminate unsuitable potential adopters early on. 

E) Remember that you are this pet's best option for finding a new home

 You might think shelters or rescue groups would be more adept at placing the pet because we have experience, facilities, screening guidelines, etc. But, an individual, particularly one who knows the animal, can focus all his or her efforts on that pet, provide the most information to prospective adopters, and best determine the appropriateness of a new home. Also, any shelter or sanctuary is stressful for an animal. The shelter setting, no matter how nice, can bring on stress-related problems. Anxiety, aggression, and even illness are common and these natural reactions may make adoption difficult or impossible.

Source and additional information: https://bestfriends.org/resources/for-shelters-and-rescuers/rehoming-dog-or-cat