SURRENDER FAQs

What kind of animals do you take in?

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Our animals come to us in a variety of different ways, there is not one specific avenue that brings our dogs and cats to us at The Little Guild.  One thing is for certain though, each resident who comes through our doors comes with a story to tell, and in need of a safe loving environment to stay in until their forever family comes to take them home.

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What does Limited Admission and No Kill mean?

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 We have, in the past, been known as a "no kill" shelter.  One of our 2018 goals is to work away from the use of that terminology, while promoting education and understanding about what we do here at The Little Guild.  We are a lifesaving organization, with a 99% live release rate, committed to the preservation of life.  This means that we do not euthanize due to space constraints, time limits, color age or breed.  Euthanasia is performed when it is the only alternative to end an animal's suffering due to terminal illness, severe injury, mental deterioration, or when the animal poses a safety concern for other animals or humans and all attempts at behavior modification have been exhausted and have failed.  To read more about what are policies are on Limited Admission and Euthanasia please CLICK HERE to be redirected to our education page.  

Can I bring you my friends (relatives) cat/dog?

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You must be the legal owner of any animal you wish to surrender to The Little Guild.  When you do a surrender you will need to sign a contract to certify that you are the legal and rightful owner of the animal you wish to place with us.

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Why do you have a wait list?

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Unfortunately the need for rescue far outweighs the space available, not only at The Little Guild but at any animal rescue/shelter across the country.  It's a particularly difficult balancing act for organizations who do not euthanize for space.  It's very rare that we don't have a waiting list and if you are sending a surrender request you should be prepared for a waiting period even if we are able to accept your animal into our program.

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Why won't you take my animal?

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As discussed in our overview page - we consider a wide variety of factors when considering an animal for placement in our program.  If we are not able to accept your animal for surrender we will do our best to explain our decision.  We also can direct you to a variety of other rescues or programs that might be a better match for your particular situation.

You can also CLICK HERE to view a list of resources in our area.

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Do you accept all breeds of dogs into your program?

We do NOT discriminate based on breed.  However we do need to maintain a variety of options for our adopters in order to viably sustain our program.  In order to do that we MAY not be accepting some breeds for limited periods of times on occasion.

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What if I change my mind after I surrender my animal?

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Once you surrender your animal to The Little Guild we become the legal owners.  If your situation changes and/or you DO change your mind you are welcome to fill out an adoption application.  If you do choose to do that your application will be processed as any "regular" application would be, and any applicable adoption fees will apply.

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Do I have to pay you to take my animal?

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We do not require any payment when we agree to accept an animal into our program.  If you wish to make a donation towards the care of the animal it is appreciated, and can be done either at the time of surrender or later on.  We always accept donations of any type either in person, via telephone or through our pay pal account.  

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Can you hold my animal for just a little while?

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We do not do temporary housing for individuals.  If you have a specific situation we may be able to help you find other alternatives, or direct you to an organization that might better fit your situation.  For domestic violence victims who are looking to keep their animals safe during a time of crisis or transition we suggest reaching out to the Susan B. Anthony Project in Torrington, CT, or Women's Support Services in Sharon, CT, depending on where you live.

You can find more information about the project on our Programs page.

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Why do I have to provide you with vet records?

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When we have complete and accurate veterinary records we are able to provide the best possible care and transition for the animal.  If they are spayed/neutered and up to date on shots their quarantine period is a lesser amount of time, and they can be made available for adoption more quickly.  When the records are complete we have a much clearer picture of what the needs of the specific animal are, and that allows us to more effectively and efficiently get the animals ready for adoption.

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What if I don't have vet records?

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Not having veterinary records is not an automatic rejection of placement.

Each case is reviewed on an individual basis taking ALL factors into consideration.

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I found a stray dog can I bring it to you?

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If you see a stray dog, or if one happens onto your property the best course of action is to call your local animal control officer.  You can find a list of local animal control agencies by clicking here to go to our resources page.

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There's a feral cat outside, if I trap it can you take it for me?

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We do not accept feral cats for placement in our program.  We adopt out to homes and families and so placement of a feral cat is a not a good fit for our program here at The Little Guild.  You can visit our resources page by clicking here to see other organizations and programs that might be able to assist you.

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Can I bring you my barn cats?

As with feral cats, barn cats are often not suitable for placement into the type of home environments that we adopt to.  On a limited and a case-by-case basis if we happen to know of a suitable match / situation we are happy to share the information between parties.

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My dog bit someone, will you still take it in?

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A dog having a bite history does not exclude it from placement in our program.  It's important that we know the details surrounding the incident that happened.  The severity of the incident, the circumstances surrounding it, the details all make a difference in our evaluation. 

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What do you mean you have to "evaluate" my animal?

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We evaluate the animals we are considering for placement to ensure that we are taking on placements that we genuinely believe that we can make a difference for.  Not every animal is suited for rehabilitation and re-homing within the confines of our program.  Anytime our evaluation leads us to believe that we are NOT the best option for a specific animal we will do our best to provide you with information and resources to help you find a suitable placement for your animal.

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If I get added to the wait list, how long do I have to wait?

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The time on the waiting list depends on several factors including but not limited to:

• Current number of animals we have in-house

• Rate of adoptions

• How many approved surrenders on the wait list before you

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Why do you need to know what behavior issues my animal has?

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When you surrender an animal to our program it's critical for us to have as much relevant information as possible.  If your dog has food aggression or a bite history that you do not tell us about you are endangering the animals, our staff/volunteers and any potential adopter.  If your cat does not use the litter box there may be a host of medical or behavioral reasons for that behavior that we can address while the animal is here, making him/her more adoptable and more likely to find successful placement in their forever home.

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What if I just leave my animal at your location?

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We STRONGLY discourage abandonment of your animal at ours or any other shelter, not least because it is ILLEGAL.  When you do there is no guarantee someone will "find" the animal before something might happen to it.  It's traumatic and cruel, and if The Little Guild has concrete information about anyone engaging in this practice we will make a report to the proper authorities. 
 

Abandoning an animal is a violation of the laws of the State of CT as follows: 

From the Ct. Animal Cruelty Statute CGS: 53-247

Cruelty to Animals
Connecticut law defines “animals” as all brute creatures and birds.  CGS 53-247(a), as amended by PA 12-86, prohibits people from overdriving, overloading, overworking, torturing, depriving of substance, mutilating, cruelly beating or killing, or unjustifiably injuring any animal.  If impounding or confining an animal, it prohibits:  Failing to provide it proper care
Neglecting to cage or restrain it from injuring itself or another animal
Failing to supply it with wholesome air, food and water

The statute also bans unjustifiably administering or exposing a domestic animal to any poisonous or noxious drug or substance intending that the animal will take it. Individuals in custody of an animal may not act cruelly to it; fail to provide it with proper food, drink or shelter, abandon it; or carry or cause it to be carried in a cruel manner.  Fighting with or baiting, harassing, or worrying an animal to make it perform for amusement, diversion, or exhibition is also prohibited. A first offense is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.  Each subsequent offence is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Under CGS 53-247(b), maliciously and intentionally maiming, mutilating, torturing, wounding, or killing an animal is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, up to five years imprisonment, or both. 

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I've read everything, I think my cat/dog is a good candidate for surrender to The Little Guild - what's next?

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If you would like us to consider your animal for placement at The Little Guild the first step is to fill out a surrender request here online.  Once your request is received you will hear from us within 48-hours to discuss the status of your request.  We will advise if you if we are able to consider you for placement, if we need to schedule an evaluation, and/or provide you with other options if we are unable to accept placement.  

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PLEASE NOTE:

* Incomplete surrender requests will NOT be considered and will need to be resubmitted.

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*We do NOT accept surrender requests via telephone-all requests must be made online.

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To submit a surrender request please click HERE.

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