Alternatives to Surrender
We know that surrendering your pet is a very difficult decision, and that sometimes resources or support are all you need to keep your pet with your family.
If any of these situations apply to you, please review possible alternatives to giving up your pet.
My pet has a behavior issue that I have trouble managing.
- If behavior issues are the reason for surrendering, we encourage you to visit our online Behavior Resources library where you can access articles that provide assistance with common, challenging pet behavior issues. You can also reach out to our highly skilled Behavior & Training Team before surrendering your pet.
I am not able to afford to have my pet spayed or neutered, or, I am not able to afford my pet’s vaccinations and routine medical visits.
If veterinary expenses are the reason you are looking to surrender your pet, please reach out to our Pet Retention Team for a list of reduced fee veterinarians and other related resources.
You can also contact one of these area organizations:
- Pet Resource Center of Kansas City
- Humane Society of Greater Kansas City
- NAWS – Northland Animal Welfare Society
I am not able to afford to feed my pet.
- Contact Wayside Waifs’ free pet food pantry at 816-761-8151.
Surrender Process
What to do if you need to surrender your pet.
You have a number of choices, and just one of them is surrendering your pet to Wayside Waifs. If you have exhausted alternatives to pet surrender, here is how our pet surrender process works. Wayside Waifs will accept the surrender of animals by appointment only.
Please note: Only the legal owner of the pet can surrender the pet unless a power of attorney is provided.
We recommend filling out the online application on a desktop computer. The pet surrender process starts by:
1. Locate the appropriate form link below and click on it.
2. Fill out the entire application form and click “Submit”. This form will automatically be sent to our Admissions Team. You will see a confirmation screen that your application has been submitted.
This form is for owned animals only. Click on the following link by species:
- Dog: Click on this link for the online application
- Solicitud de entrega de mascota – Perros
- Cat: Click on this link for the online application
- Solicitud de entrega de mascota – Gatos
- Small Mammal: Click on this link for the online application
- Solicitud de entrega de mascota – Mamífero pequeño
- Litters of Animals: Click on this link for the online application
- Solicitud de entrega de mascota – Camadas de mascotas
Pet Surrender Fees
- $75 – Puppies and Kittens under 3 months, FEE WAIVED with age verified at time of appointment.
- $55 – unaltered (not spayed or neutered) animals
- $45 – altered (spayed or neutered) animals
- $30 – small mammals (spayed or neutered)
Why A Pet Surrender Fee?
- The average cost to care for each animal in our shelter during their stay at Wayside Waifs is $500. This includes: age appropriate vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery, flea/tick control, food, shelter, and medical care. Some pets require more extensive care.
- Wayside Waifs is a private, not-for-profit charity organization that meets a specialized need in our community.
- Wayside Waifs relies on donations and fees to care for more than 6,000 animals each year. Wayside does not receive any government funding or tax revenue.
- Adoption fees do not offset the cost for care and comprise only a small revenue each year.
- There are no length of stay time limits for animals in our shelter.
What You Should Expect
- If we have space available in our shelter, and your application has been approved, we may schedule a behavior and/or medical assessment appointment for your pet. The wait time for an appointment may vary significantly, depending on the time of year, availability of appointments, species/size of the animal, and other factors.
- A non-refundable deposit is required at the time the surrender appointment is made. Any cancellation less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment or a no-show will result in forfeiture of the deposit and we will move on to the next animal in-need.
- A behavior evaluation may be required for all pets and complete medical records are required for older pets or pets with any other known medical issues. (Pets that do not pass behavior and/or medical will not be accepted.)
What to bring with you at the time of your pet’s assessment appointment
- All veterinary records, unless already provided
- Your pet’s medications
- The remainder of the non-refundable pet assessment fee is due at the time of the assessment appointment, if not already paid in-full.
- While Wayside will accept new and lightly used pet supplies with a surrendered pet, we cannot guarantee those items will follow the pet to their new home. All such in-kind donations are sorted by type and placed with like supplies as storage space is very limited.
How the pet surrender process works at the time of the appointment
- A member of our admissions team will have you fill out and sign the owner relinquishment form and collect any veterinary records if not already provided.
- Remainder of the surrender fee is also due at the time of the assessment appointment.
- If the pet is not current on vaccinations, a member of our admissions team will give the age/species appropriate vaccinations, de-worming, flea prevention and heart worm prevention.
- If your pet does not pass the behavioral assessment and/or the medical assessment, we will not be able to accept your pet into the adoption program. A member of the admissions team will provide you with other resources for your pet.
Wayside Waifs
3901 Martha Truman Road
Kansas City, MO 64137
816-761-8151
Adoption Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Friday: 11am - 7pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am- 5pm
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