ADOPTING A PET FROM MITCHELL'S ANIMAL SHELTER OR MITCHELL ANIMAL RESCUE
If you are interested in seeing or adopting one of the pets at the city shelter, please call 605-996-3242. The cost of adoption from the shelter is $50.00 plus tax, which includes shots that must be given before the animal will be released. We also recommend you have your new pet spayed or neutered as soon as possible.
You may want to call ahead to be sure the animal you are interested in is still in the shelter, especially if you are driving a considerable distance. This website is maintained by volunteers who also have outside jobs, so please be aware that, though every effort is made to keep it current, some of the pets shown may already be adopted.
The cost of adoption from Mitchell Animal Rescue varies depending on where we get the animal (surrendered to us, adopted from the city shelter, assisting with rehoming) and how much care it needs before it is adoptable. If we need to adopt an animal from the shelter when its time is up, we pay the $50 plus tax also, plus we usually need to spay or neuter it, or it may need extra veterinary care. We then need to find foster care, provide food for the pet, and pay for the advertising to find the pet a new home. Mitchell Animal Rescue's adoption fee may be from $50 to $125, depending on whether or not we pay to adopt the animal from the shelter, have to spay/neuter or provide additional vet care. The cost of a spay/neuter alone is anywhere from $85 to $130, so you can see the highest adoption fee of $125 does not nearly cover the cost of some of the animals we provide care for. We will continue to keep the adoption fee as low as possible, but as costs continue to rise, it may be necessary to raise the adoption fee.
We are always looking for foster families to help us take care of these animals once their "time is up" at the shelter. Mitchell Animal Rescue covers all costs. We are currently trying to compile a list of willing foster parents to help us. If you are interested in fostering a pet, you can email us at mitchellanimalrescue@yahoo.com. The animal will be adopted from the shelter by the rescue and will be listed on the available dogs page. We will then list your choice of contact (phone, cell,e-mail) for prospective adoption families to contact you to meet the animal. Please realize it may take some time for the pet to be re-adopted. During this time, we work on housetraining, some commands, and socialization of the pets so they are ready for their new families.
HOW TO SURRENDER A PET
Although we highly recommend you do whatever it takes to keep your pet, we realize sometimes that's not possible. If you need to find a new home for your pet, try advertising in the Mitchell Daily Republic for 3 days at no charge. Other out of town newspapers may advertise for free also. You can try advertising on craigslist or keloland online advertising for no charge.
If none of these methods work and you still need to rehome your pet, contact us at mitchellanimalrescue@yahoo.com or call 999-9644. As we do not have a facility and never enough foster families, we will not be able to take your pet, but we will try to help you find a new home for your pet. Please realize it may take a while to find a new home for your pet as it takes the right person looking for your type of pet. Do not feel your only option is to put your pet to sleep.
Due to the overwhelming requests for assistance with rehoming and requests to surrender pets, many of which are not neutered or spayed nor utd on shots, Mitchell Animal Rescue has no choice but to request a surrender fee. This does not even come close to the costs incurred to get the animals ready for adoption, advertising the pet, plus just the everyday expenses of the daily care of an animal, but it is less expensive than euthanization.
If there is space available, Second Chance Rescue in Sioux Falls and the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society, and the Beadle County Humane Society, also take surrendered pets. They will make the best effort to take your pet and place it a new home. There may be a small surrender charge for a rescue to take your pet.
The City of Mitchell's Animal Shelter DOES NOT accept surrendered pets or pets from other shelters. Mitchell Animal Rescue will try to help you. Contact us if you need us!
