Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi there,

As we try to normalize our operations, I am looking for a form to provide as a template for city animal control/shelters to release/transfer animals to our non-profit rescue. Yup, that small but mighty sheet of paper that memorializes the transfer of the animal, and the decision-making for that animal's medical treatment, custodial care, and placement. It's time!

This is a new thing, Im looking for simple, as our couple of shelters are probably going to apprehensive about signing anything, lol. Thanks so much! If the form is available as an easily editable file (word doc), that is appreciated!

Gratefully,
H (The Underground Dog)

Hi there,

As we try to normalize our operations, I am looking for a form to provide as a template for city animal control/shelters to release/transfer animals to our non-profit rescue. Yup, that small but mighty sheet of paper that memorializes the transfer of the animal, and the decision-making for that animal's medical treatment, custodial care, and placement. It's time!

This is a new thing, Im looking for simple, as our couple of shelters are probably going to apprehensive about signing anything, lol. Thanks so much! If the form is available as an easily editable file (word doc), that is appreciated!

Gratefully,
H (The Underground Dog)

Hi there,

As we try to normalize our operations, I am looking for a form to provide as a template for city animal control/shelters to release/transfer animals to our non-profit rescue. Yup, that small but mighty sheet of paper that memorializes the transfer of the animal, and the decision-making for that animal's medical treatment, custodial care, and placement. It's time!

This is a new thing, Im looking for simple, as our couple of shelters are probably going to apprehensive about signing anything, lol. Thanks so much! If the form is available as an easily editable file (word doc), that is appreciated!

Gratefully,
H (The Underground Dog)

I work at a county shelter, and this is the agreement that I have our rescues sign annually. They also sign a basic "Transfer Out" Contract through our Pet Point software each time they pull from us, but I need to update that contract text since it's from past management and doesn't make much sense tbh LOL 

Hope this helps give you some ideas in creating yours! I actually created mine from the form I saw another county shelter use and they agreed to let me basically copy it haha so you're also welcome to take it and make it your own :) 

Hi there,

As we try to normalize our operations, I am looking for a form to provide as a template for city animal control/shelters to release/transfer animals to our non-profit rescue. Yup, that small but mighty sheet of paper that memorializes the transfer of the animal, and the decision-making for that animal's medical treatment, custodial care, and placement. It's time!

This is a new thing, Im looking for simple, as our couple of shelters are probably going to apprehensive about signing anything, lol. Thanks so much! If the form is available as an easily editable file (word doc), that is appreciated!

Gratefully,
H (The Underground Dog)

Catherine, as a rescue that pulls a lot of dogs from public shelters, I wouldn't sign that contract.  I would walk away from your shelter instead of pulling a dog. 

First, there is no universe in which I'd sign an indemnification agreement with a shelter I'm trying to help by pulling a dog.  Those have to be disclosed to our insurance carrier -- and that's true of every rescue, by the way.   They increase the cost of the rescue's insurance, and it's already hard enough to find an affordable policy.  You're basically trying to put your rescue partners out of business by making them uninsurable.   I would put your shelter on a "do not ever pull from those guys" list over that.

Also, I won't work with shelters that demand secrecy, NDAs, etc. -- and if you have a "social media policy" about what we can say, I am out.   We're super supportive of lots of shelters on social media, but the principle of the matter is that I don't work with shelters that hide their shady sheenanigans behind these sorts of policies.  You say "rumors" and "inaccurate statements," but my experience is that folks often don't agree what those are.   THE ONLY SHELTERS WHO USE SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTIONS IN CONTRACTS WITH RESCUES ARE SHELTERS WHO HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE.  

I'm at a point where I won't sign any restrictions on what I'm allowed to say -- and if the shelter receives public funds, I'll send any NDA-like contracts to the state AG and ask if it violates state open records laws.  I'm totally over shelter staff trying to hide shady stuff and muzzle the community from talking openly.  If you do your stuff properly, you can be transparent -- if your shelter needs secrecy agreements, interrogate why.    If your community has an adversarial relationship with your shelter, again, interrogate why -- and what can be done to change that.

I work at a county shelter, and this is the agreement that I have our rescues sign annually. They also sign a basic "Transfer Out" Contract through our Pet Point software each time they pull from us, but I need to update that contract text since it's from past management and doesn't make much sense tbh LOL 

Hope this helps give you some ideas in creating yours! I actually created mine from the form I saw another county shelter use and they agreed to let me basically copy it haha so you're also welcome to take it and make it your own :) 

Hi there,

As we try to normalize our operations, I am looking for a form to provide as a template for city animal control/shelters to release/transfer animals to our non-profit rescue. Yup, that small but mighty sheet of paper that memorializes the transfer of the animal, and the decision-making for that animal's medical treatment, custodial care, and placement. It's time!

This is a new thing, Im looking for simple, as our couple of shelters are probably going to apprehensive about signing anything, lol. Thanks so much! If the form is available as an easily editable file (word doc), that is appreciated!

Gratefully,
H (The Underground Dog)