Surrenders
It is the policy of the Bow Valley SPCA to care for orphaned cats and dogs in the Bow Valley until suitable permanent homes can be found. The Bow Valley SPCA believes that all life is valuable and that all animals are worthy of having their needs met. It is a privilege to own a pet and a lifelong responsibility. If a person can no longer properly honour their commitment to their pet and feels the need to surrender him/her to the Bow Valley SPCA it should be because all other options have been exhausted.
Surrender is by scheduled appointment only and we CANNOT accept walk-in or day-of surrenders. Surrendering an animal should be a last resort for pet owners.
Alternative Options to Surrendering
Before surrendering a pet, we encourage all pet owners to pursue and exhaust all other options before making their final decision. These options include:
- Training: Seek help from an animal behavioural specialist or training classes.
- Medical Care: Have your pet seen by a veterinarian for a health exam. Many behavioural issues (cats peeing outside the litterbox, sudden aggression, etc.) can be due to undiagnosed medical issues or underlying pain.
- If you are unable to afford medical treatments or to fix your pet, find information on our subsidized spay/neuter program, consider pet insurance, and seek additional pet health resources.
- Safekeeping / Emergency Boarding: Contact the Alberta SPCA or Calgary Humane Society for their Pet Safekeeping and Emergency Boarding Programs, which offer safe refuge for pets facing temporary emergencies or escaping situations of domestic violence
- Re-Home: Make attempts to re-home the animal yourself. Screen potential families thoroughly to ensure your pet will be properly cared for, and reference our adoption application for important questions to ask.
- Place the pet with family, friends, or a trusted community member who will love and care for him/her temporarily, or permanently.
- Contact your veterinarian to have them spread word to clients, advertise online or local bulletins, etc.
- Check if there is a breed-specific rescue group and contact them.
- Check with the source of the pet (i.e. the breeder or original rescue/shelter - good ones will attempt to help with any problems or will take their animals back).
- Lifestyle Changes: Make necessary changes to your lifestyle to accommodate your pets needs. It is a privilege to own a pet, and you should be willing to adapt your lifestyle to give your pet the care that they need.
- eg. Hire a dog walker or bring your dog to daycare if you feel you can no longer provide your dog enough exercise or enrichment.
- eg. Manage reactivity with muzzle training and walking your dog at quiet times in non-popular areas, while working with a trainer.
- eg. Secure pet friendly accommodations before moving to a new area, or consider moving out of an area if pet friendly accommodations are not found.
Surrender Policy & Requirements
The Bow Valley SPCA will need time to make arrangements to accept the pet(s), so people wishing to surrender their dog or cat must wait until space is available, and understand that they will likely be placed on a waitlist. Wait times for dog surrenders may be longer than usual as we are currently operating at/above capacity (approximately 6 months or longer, dependent upon adoption rates). Please consider the options listed above during the interim wait period. We are unable to accommodate emergency surrenders at this time.
Behavioural assessment prior to intake of surrendered dogs will be required. As we are a limited admission Centre, we cannot take dangerous dogs.
Ownership of the animal must be signed over to the Bow Valley SPCA. The Bow Valley SPCA will make every possible effort to find a suitable forever home for the animal. The Bow Valley SPCA will provide the animal with food, shelter, ongoing veterinary care (including spay/neuter surgery), vaccinations, regular exercise, obedience training, love and attention for the duration of their stay at the Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre.
Repeated and continual surrender of animals will not be tolerated or accepted by the Bow Valley SPCA. If recurring surrenders occur for puppy litters, the mother of the litters (weaned or unweaned) must be surrendered, along with the litter, to the Bow Valley SPCA, whereupon, she will be spayed at one of the veterinary clinics in Canmore. It is then only at the discretion of the Bow Valley SPCA staff whether or not she will be returned to the owner.
Surrender Process
If you have exhausted your options and you have decided that surrendering your pet(s) is the best option for you and your cat/dog, please follow these steps:
- Read through and ensure that you agree to our Surrender Policies and Requirements above.
- Fill out a Surrender Request Form. These can be filled out digitally or by hand. (Form is at the bottom of the page)
- Submit your completed Request Form AND provide the pet(s) medical records (including vaccination history). Please email submissions to Daisy Hilchey, the Adoption Centre Manager, at daisy@bowvalleyspca.org or drop-off in person at the Adoption Centre during public hours (Wednesday to Saturday, 12:00pm to 4:00pm).
NOTE: Submission of an request is NOT acceptance of a surrender. We cannot accept walk-in or day-of surrenders. - Once your request has been received, the Adoption Centre Manager will be in touch to discuss your request, waitlist times and next steps.
- Closer to when space becomes available, a behavioural assessment will be arranged at the Carla Cumming Sojonky Adoption Centre. The BVSPCA cannot accept surrenders of dogs proven dangerous, and acceptance may be conditional upon the Behavioural Assessment.
- If your request is approved and once we have space for your pet(s), as arranged by the Adoption Centre Manager, you will be asked to bring the animal’s food, crate, collar, and any familiar toys or blankets that may help them feel more secure.
- At the time of your scheduled surrender intake appointment, you will be required to sign official paperwork signing the ownership of the pet(s) to the Bow Valley SPCA, as well as pay the surrender fee.
We understand that surrendering a pet can be a very difficult process and time. These decisions should not, and do not, come lightly. If you have requests about how you would like to say goodbye to your pet(s), please inform the Adoption Centre Manager at the time of booking your surrender intake.
Surrender Fees
The Bow Valley SPCA asks that the former owner contribute to the ongoing care of the animal financially, by way of a one-time surrender fee as follows:
| Cat | $200 | |
| Dog | $200 | |
| Litter of Kittens | $300 | |
| Litter of Puppies | $300 | |
| Litter with Mother | $350 |