While euthanasia is always a last resort, it is a possibility for animals with medical conditions or behavior concerns that cannot be treated or managed in a shelter. If your pet falls into either of those categories or you are uncomfortable with the euthanasia policy, then rehoming on your own may be the best option. If you’d like to learn more about CRHS’s euthanasia policy, contact our staff at (608) 781-4014 or frontdesk@couleehumane.com

Legal Owner – The legal owner of the animal must be the one to perform the surrender. If necessary, the owner can also give permission over the phone or in writing for someone else to surrender their pet.

Age - You must be at least 18 years old to surrender an animal.

Identification - A driver’s license or state-issued ID is required.

Please bring all vet records to your surrender appointment.

Once the surrender appointment is complete, you will sign a legal document relinquishing ownership to the Coulee Region Humane Society.

Non-Wisconsin Residents - If you live out of Wisconsin, by law, you are required to have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and a current rabies vaccination certificate for your animal before transporting him or her into the state. A CVI must be done at your vet clinic, in the state you reside in, before surrendering your pet.

Out-of-County Residents – We do require a $50.00 fee per animal for surrenders owned by out-of-county residents.

There is no fee for La Crosse County residents to surrender but monetary donations are greatly appreciated.

Please call us during regular business hours to get the process started (608) 781-4014.

Foster-Based rescues don’t have a physical building. Instead they are a network of citizens who open their homes to fostering animals while they await for adoption. This can provide a lot less stressful of an environment while that animal waits to find its new home than being at a facility because they are in a home setting. Although shelters like CRHS also have foster networks, they typically aren’t as large, meaning shelters must be selective about which animals they send into foster care.

Brick and Mortar animal shelters have a physical building where they primarily house the animals in their care, like Coulee Region Humane Society. This type of environment can be quite stressful for pets, as they are surrounded by unfamiliar animals, smells, and noises on top of being interacted with by unfamiliar people. To pets it can seem similar to staying at a vet clinic. Oftentimes brick and mortar shelters have the added responsibility of acting as a stray holding facility. This also means that the availability of kennel space may be at the mercy of stray animals found and brought in by animal service officers or members of the public. This does not necessarily mean that any given rescue will have more availability, but it does mean that a shelter is more likely to be reserving resources for lost or stray pets, unforeseen medical emergencies or for people experiencing a housing crisis.

It is important that you, the pet owner, do proper research to feel comfortable with where your pet is going. While you are reviewing the list of local options, and while you do any additional searching on your own, you may want to consider the following:

• Ideal options should be foster-based. This will provide an environment that is less stressful during your pet’s transition to a new home.

• Is the rescue a 501C (3)? This is a tax-exempt status assigned to credible non-profit organizations dedicated to a specific purpose, such as animal welfare. This designation is a good standard to look for in your search.