Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

#EducationandTraining

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Shoshana Mostoller
Director of Programs
My Dog Is My Home
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This is so incredible! Thank you for sharing, Shoshana. I introduced this concept to my team at the shelter and they were so excited to learn more. I can't wait to take them through some of the resources in this toolkit :) 

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Aliyah Moore
Digital Media Specialist
Humane Society of St. Lucie County
FL

Original Message:
Sent: 04-13-2026 11:24 AM
From: Shoshana Mostoller
Subject: Trauma-Informed Owner Surrender

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Shoshana Mostoller
Director of Programs
My Dog Is My Home
------------------------------

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing this toolkit-this was extremely insightful. One of the biggest takeaways for me is how clearly it highlights that owner surrender is often tied to personal crisis situations such as housing instability, illness, or financial hardship, rather than a lack of care for the animal.

I really appreciated the emphasis on shifting language and approach. Using phrases like "seeking help" instead of "giving up a pet," and asking open-ended questions, creates a more supportive and less judgmental environment. That shift alone can reduce shame and help build trust between the public and shelters.

Another important point in the toolkit is recognizing staff reactions, biases, and moral distress. It made me realize how critical self-awareness is in these interactions. If staff are overwhelmed or operating from assumptions, it can unintentionally escalate situations instead of helping resolve them. The idea of reframing-asking "what else may be true?"-is a powerful way to approach each situation with empathy rather than judgment.

I also think the focus on accessibility and communication is key. Many people may hesitate to reach out for help because they fear being judged or don't know what resources are available. Creating a system that is not only compassionate but also clearly communicated and easy to navigate can make a significant difference in both preventing surrenders and improving outcomes when surrender is necessary.

Overall, this toolkit reinforces that trauma-informed care is not just about policies, but about changing the culture of how we interact with people. By prioritizing empathy, consistency, and support, shelters can better serve both animals and the people connected to them.

A personal example that connects to this is a dog our rescue helped named Pudge. His owner suddenly passed away, and while the family cared deeply about him, they were unable to take him in due to already having multiple dogs and limited resources. They were visibly struggling-not because they didn't care, but because they felt ashamed that they couldn't help their family member in the way they wanted to. Pudge is a French Bulldog with respiratory issues, and they were worried that a shelter environment would cause him to shut down or decline.

Because our rescue was able to step in, we provided a solution that met both the dog's needs and the family's emotional situation. This experience really reinforced for me what the toolkit discusses-people are often navigating grief, guilt, and overwhelming circumstances all at once.

It also made me reflect on how shame and emotional distress can impact decision-making. I believe that in some cases, animals may be abandoned or dumped not out of neglect, but because the emotional weight of surrendering them in a formal setting feels unbearable. This highlights how important it is for shelters and organizations to create environments that feel supportive, accessible, and free of judgment.

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing this toolkit-this was extremely insightful. One of the biggest takeaways for me is how clearly it highlights that owner surrender is often tied to personal crisis situations such as housing instability, illness, or financial hardship, rather than a lack of care for the animal.

I really appreciated the emphasis on shifting language and approach. Using phrases like "seeking help" instead of "giving up a pet," and asking open-ended questions, creates a more supportive and less judgmental environment. That shift alone can reduce shame and help build trust between the public and shelters.

Another important point in the toolkit is recognizing staff reactions, biases, and moral distress. It made me realize how critical self-awareness is in these interactions. If staff are overwhelmed or operating from assumptions, it can unintentionally escalate situations instead of helping resolve them. The idea of reframing-asking "what else may be true?"-is a powerful way to approach each situation with empathy rather than judgment.

I also think the focus on accessibility and communication is key. Many people may hesitate to reach out for help because they fear being judged or don't know what resources are available. Creating a system that is not only compassionate but also clearly communicated and easy to navigate can make a significant difference in both preventing surrenders and improving outcomes when surrender is necessary.

Overall, this toolkit reinforces that trauma-informed care is not just about policies, but about changing the culture of how we interact with people. By prioritizing empathy, consistency, and support, shelters can better serve both animals and the people connected to them.

A personal example that connects to this is a dog our rescue helped named Pudge. His owner suddenly passed away, and while the family cared deeply about him, they were unable to take him in due to already having multiple dogs and limited resources. They were visibly struggling-not because they didn't care, but because they felt ashamed that they couldn't help their family member in the way they wanted to. Pudge is a French Bulldog with respiratory issues, and they were worried that a shelter environment would cause him to shut down or decline.

Because our rescue was able to step in, we provided a solution that met both the dog's needs and the family's emotional situation. This experience really reinforced for me what the toolkit discusses-people are often navigating grief, guilt, and overwhelming circumstances all at once.

It also made me reflect on how shame and emotional distress can impact decision-making. I believe that in some cases, animals may be abandoned or dumped not out of neglect, but because the emotional weight of surrendering them in a formal setting feels unbearable. This highlights how important it is for shelters and organizations to create environments that feel supportive, accessible, and free of judgment.

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

this is such a great resource will be definitely adding this to our pet helpdesk resources I was as well as in the AWRN resource library! Thank you so much for sharing this

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

This is such a great reminder, especially when you look at how differently people react to rehoming depending on the size of the dog.

There's a real adoptability bias at play that we don't always acknowledge. Small dogs are typically in much higher demand-they're easier to place, and are usually a more sought out breed. When a small dog is posted for rehoming, the reaction is usually excitement: people lining up, calling them cute, asking how to adopt.

Large dogs, on the other hand, face a completely different reality, often being unfairly stereotyped. Because they're harder to place, the public response tends to shift from "I am interested in adopting?" to "why did you get this dog in the first place?".

But that reaction misses something important: the difficulty in placing large dogs is exactly what makes these situations more urgent, and we shouldn't judge more harshly.

In many cases, the person rehoming is navigating limited options in a system that already makes it harder for certain dogs to succeed. The frustration we see in the comments is often a reflection of that larger issue, not just the individual situation. They blame this owner for the crisis of stray/homeless dogs, seeing them as the reason we have all these breeds of dogs in the shelter. In reality, this person didn't cause the issue but we as a society did. 

It's a good reminder to pause and ask what might be going on beneath the surface. The dogs that are hardest to place are often the ones who need the most empathy from all of us.

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Wow, this is great, thank you for the wok in putting it together to share,

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

I got teary reading this, it's so powerful.  I am wondering what doing the intake experience is like for those doing the intake with this informed approach?  It's the heroic professional who can be present and truly empathic to so much pain and vulnerability and continue to work, not be overwhelmed by their own responses and stay boundaried, etc.

What a valuable toolkit. 

Thank you,

Audrey

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Thanks for that question, Audrey.  We believe that having the skills to handle tough conversations in a trauma-informed manner will lead to increased job satisfaction and readiness. You bring up such a good point that being empathetic to others can take a toll on ourselves. We need to be aware of the reactions we are having during this work so that we can manage and care for our own emotions. It is not possible to be truly empathetic to others without offering ourselves the same grace. I really think the two things go hand-in-hand. I really appreciate your thoughtful response!

I got teary reading this, it's so powerful.  I am wondering what doing the intake experience is like for those doing the intake with this informed approach?  It's the heroic professional who can be present and truly empathic to so much pain and vulnerability and continue to work, not be overwhelmed by their own responses and stay boundaried, etc.

What a valuable toolkit. 

Thank you,

Audrey

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

This is amazing thanks for sharing. 

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

I really enjoy the depth of that document. Especially regarding the monthly email, which can also double as staff huddles/meetings which is more consistent with my facility. Much appreciated.

I just wanted to add, that in my community I've identified that there is absolutely trauma involved in our Spanish-speaking community that come to see help (or those too scared). I've noticed so many people involved in this work shy away from interacting with any language barriers, and it typically doesn't come from a place of bias and racism in my opinion, but it does heavily derive from anxiety on both ends. Imagine not speaking the language well and asking for help and being unable to fully articulate what's happening. Conversations are either aborted quickly, not fully represented because of the language barrier, and even using applications like Google Translate are never going to be enough. Overall, its a problem that feels impossible to solve without a bilingual staff or volunteer or investing in language learning (which can be either expensive monetarily or time-wise). I just truly feel for the Spanish-speaking community for being so tragically underserved here, and while I'm taking steps of my own,  can you imagine getting brave enough to ask for help somewhere with this barrier nearly constantly? And then not even being about to receive the care you need either for yourself, or the animal you're caring for. I just think it's something a lot of localities have in common, and its not explored enough in terms of the trauma this can cause, for people, and the people trying to care for them.

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!

I really enjoy the depth of that document. Especially regarding the monthly email, which can also double as staff huddles/meetings which is more consistent with my facility. Much appreciated.

I just wanted to add, that in my community I've identified that there is absolutely trauma involved in our Spanish-speaking community that come to see help (or those too scared). I've noticed so many people involved in this work shy away from interacting with any language barriers, and it typically doesn't come from a place of bias and racism in my opinion, but it does heavily derive from anxiety on both ends. Imagine not speaking the language well and asking for help and being unable to fully articulate what's happening. Conversations are either aborted quickly, not fully represented because of the language barrier, and even using applications like Google Translate are never going to be enough. Overall, its a problem that feels impossible to solve without a bilingual staff or volunteer or investing in language learning (which can be either expensive monetarily or time-wise). I just truly feel for the Spanish-speaking community for being so tragically underserved here, and while I'm taking steps of my own,  can you imagine getting brave enough to ask for help somewhere with this barrier nearly constantly? And then not even being about to receive the care you need either for yourself, or the animal you're caring for. I just think it's something a lot of localities have in common, and its not explored enough in terms of the trauma this can cause, for people, and the people trying to care for them.

Hi everyone - a couple of weeks ago there was a great discussion around trauma-informed owner surrender. I wanted to share a toolkit that I created with staff from a municipal shelter in Virginia Beach about how to create a trauma-informed owner surrender program at your shelter.  I am attaching the toolkit to this post. Please reach out to me with any questions or suggestions. Thanks!