To surrender an animal to MSPCA-Angell, start by filling out the MSPCA animal surrender form online for the Adoption Center closest to you. The form is an inquiry, not a confirmed appointment: intake staff will contact you afterward to talk through your situation and schedule a time to bring the animal in.1MSPCA. Surrender Information: Boston MSPCA
What to Have Ready Before You Fill Out the Form
MSPCA asks you to have two things in hand before you sit down with the form: your pet’s medical records and the name and phone number of the animal’s most current veterinarian.1MSPCA. Surrender Information: Boston MSPCA The vet contact lets staff pull additional records or follow up on the animal’s health history without relying on memory alone.
Think through the behavioral details too. Staff will want to know how your pet interacts with children, other animals, and strangers, along with house-training, leash behavior, and any history of aggression or biting. Not all of this goes on the online form itself, but having it organized will make the follow-up conversation much shorter. If your pet takes medication, note the drug names and dosages.
How to Find and Submit the Form
Each MSPCA location has its own surrender inquiry form on the organization’s website. Go to the page for the Adoption Center you want to use and look for the inquiry form at the bottom. It collects your contact information, basic details about the animal, and the reason you’re looking to surrender.2MSPCA-Angell. Surrender Information: MSPCA at Northeast Animal Shelter
Once you submit, the form goes to intake staff at that location, who will reach out to discuss your situation and schedule a surrender appointment.1MSPCA. Surrender Information: Boston MSPCA MSPCA does not publish a response timeline, so keep your phone and email accessible. If a week passes with no reply, calling the Adoption Center directly is a reasonable next step.
Which Location to Choose
MSPCA accepts surrenders at five facilities across Massachusetts. Choose based on distance and on the type of animal: the Equine and Farm Center handles horses and farm animals, while the four Adoption Centers take dogs, cats, and small animals.3MSPCA-Angell. Surrender an Animal
- Boston Adoption Center — 350 South Huntington Avenue, Jamaica Plain (Boston), MA 02130
- Methuen Adoption Center — 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844
- Cape Cod Adoption Center — 1577 Falmouth Road, Centerville, MA 02632
- Northeast Animal Shelter — 347 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA 01970
- Equine and Farm Center (MSPCA at Nevins Farm) — 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844
One boundary worth flagging: MSPCA takes stray cats and small animals, but not stray dogs. If you’ve found a stray dog, contact the animal control officer in the town where you found it rather than an Adoption Center.3MSPCA-Angell. Surrender an Animal
What Happens After You Submit the Form
When staff schedules your appointment, plan to bring the animal in a secure carrier or on a fixed-length leash. Arrive with physical copies of the veterinary records, any current medications, and a small supply of the animal’s regular food so a diet change doesn’t compound the stress of the transition. Staff will review the animal’s condition in person and compare it with what you provided during the inquiry.
Expect a conversation about temperament, daily routine, and any behavioral quirks. Honest answers about aggression, anxiety, or house-training setbacks lead to better placement decisions, not to refusal.
The $150 Donation
MSPCA requests a $150 donation at the time of surrender to help cover the cost of caring for the animal while it awaits adoption. The organization is explicit that it will never turn away an animal because the owner cannot afford the donation.4MSPCA-Angell. Surrender Information: Methuen MSPCA If $150 is beyond your means, say so when you talk with staff.
Signing the Surrender Agreement
The final step is signing a surrender agreement that permanently transfers ownership of the animal to MSPCA-Angell. Once you sign, you give up all legal rights and decision-making authority over the pet, including any say in adoption, medical treatment, or placement. Shelters treat the transfer as final so they can move forward with medical evaluations, behavioral assessments, and adoption placement without legal complications. Getting an animal back after signing is extremely unlikely. If you have any hesitation, resolve it first.
Try to Resolve the Underlying Problem First
MSPCA’s surrender page asks people to treat surrender as a last resort and points to help that may let you keep your pet. That includes financial assistance for veterinary costs, temporary pet food, and low-cost vaccines and spay/neuter services through their Community Outreach program. Free owner guides on the MSPCA website cover common behavioral and medical issues, and calling your nearest Adoption Center puts you in touch with staff who can suggest options for your situation. If the barrier is housing, MSPCA can point you toward resources that may help you find pet-friendly housing. Private rehoming, where the animal stays with you while you screen new owners, is another option MSPCA suggests before formal surrender.
Abandonment Is Not an Alternative
Leaving a pet behind when you move, releasing it outdoors, or tying it to a post outside a closed business is not surrender. Massachusetts treats willful animal abandonment as a criminal offense under the state’s animal cruelty statute. A first offense carries up to two and a half years in a house of correction or up to seven years in state prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. A second or subsequent offense increases the maximum to ten years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.5Animal Legal and Historical Center. MA Consolidated Cruelty Statutes The surrender process exists so that people who can no longer care for an animal have a legal and humane path forward.