Transfers & Transports from Our Shelter - Placement Partner Program

Download our Glynn County Animal Control Placement Partner Program Application

By working with Placement Partners, we can provide a second chance at life and the opportunity to find long-lasting homes to some of our shelter pets. We invite other animal welfare organizations to become a Placement Partner. Together, we can improve the lives of animals in our communities.

Program Goal: Find alternative placement options for animals at our shelter.  This “transfer”, “transport” (aka “pull”) is a legal transfer of the ownership of the dog or cat from Glynn County Animal Control to the receiving shelter or rescue group. Transfers and transports are essentially a form of adoption.

When Do GCAC Shelter Animals Become Eligible for Transfer/Transport? Most of the dogs and cats in our care are required by law to be held at our facility for a certain period of time. Examples of required holding periods include:

• Protective Custody – animals who are being housed by Animal Control at the request of the court because they are evidence in a criminal case or other legal dispute. These animals are considered to still be legally owned by their owner until their disposition is determined by a judge;
• Bite Quarantine – animals who have been placed in a mandatory bite quarantine by the Georgia Department of Health for 10 days to determine if they are symptomatic for rabies. The Dept. of Health must end the quarantine before the dog or cat can be available for adoption;
• Stray Hold – Animals who come into our shelter without a known owner must be held for 7 days to give their owners a chance to reclaim them. This includes animals abandoned by known owners, animals found deceased who may have an owner and, also, animals found with deceased individuals.
• Owner Surrender - Animals turned in to our shelter directly by the owner must be held for 3 days to give the owner an opportunity to change their mind and reclaim their pet.

Find out which dogs and cats are available for transport by visiting Doobert (click on badge) 

GCAC Placement Partner Program Policies 

• How to Become a Placement Partner: To become a Placement Partner, shelters and rescues apply, interview and are approved  by the Animal Control Division Manager or designated staff member. This process helps us ensure that our shelter pets are not going into dog fighting, hoarding, research, or unlicensed/unregulated situations.
• GCAC is concerned for the welfare of all dogs and cats in our care and as the legal owners of all animals in our care, we reserve the right to retain control over the transfer process for all such shelter pets. Transfer shall be deemed complete upon completion of all GCAC required paperwork and departure from the GCAC facility.
• GCAC transfers dogs and cats to Placement Partners to save lives. Dogs under 25 pounds and kittens have the best chance of being adopted from our shelter. GCAC reserves the right to not transfer any shelter pets to Placement Partners when space and resources are available for their care at our facility.
• GCAC understands that sometimes receiving shelters hold space for dogs or cats that they have agreed to receive from us. We also spend money to have a veterinarian do an exam, any needed vaccinations and spay/neuter in addition to issuing a health certificate for shelter pets traveling out of the state of Georgia. With these considerations, we will hold specific dogs and/or cats for up to 72 hours prior to an out-of-state transport. Holds for any other transfer will be at the discretion of the GCAC Division Manager or designated staff person.
• Depending on the amount of time the dog or cat has been in GCAC’s care, a shelter pet may not yet have been vaccinated, spayed/neutered or tested for contagious diseases such as heartworm or FIV/FeLV. GCAC does not make any guarantees as to the health or behavior of any dog or cat transferred to a Placement Partner. Placement Partners are financially responsible for the cost of any needed vaccinations, altering, testing and/or treatment not provided by GCAC for the dogs and/or cats that they have received.
• To minimize legal liability and maintain our commitment to providing safe and adoptable companion dogs and cats, GCAC reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the suitability of any dog or cat for release to a partner organization. GCAC will not knowingly release an animal that poses a threat to public safety. In situations where an animal has a history of behavior that causes concern or is showing behavior that is questionable, GCAC will attempt to disclose all the information within its control to the Placement Partner and will only make the shelter pet available to individuals or organizations with expertise in appropriate behavior modification.
• When approved by GCAC, the Placement Partner can take dogs and cats diagnosed with a medical condition to another veterinarian for a second opinion at the cost of the Placement Partner before agreeing to accept the shelter pet at the expense of the Placement Partner. After the transfer takes place, GCAC will not be responsible for any medical conditions the dog or cat may have, either diagnosed or undiagnosed, once they have been transferred. The Placement Partner will assume full responsibility for the shelter pet’s medical needs and associated costs until such time that the animal is placed into a permanent home.
• GCAC requires that all Placement adhere to the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulations, state law and local ordinances for animal welfare in whatever locale they are based.
• Glynn County reserves the right to deny the application of or suspend the Placement Partner relationship with any rescue group or shelter based on any Georgia Department of Agriculture violation by the rescue group or shelter or if the potential Placement Partner lacks any legally required licensing.
• Rescue groups and shelters are required to provide a copy of their current state license or federal- or state-issued nonprofit animal welfare organization status on an annual basis as they renew their partnership with us.

GCAC’s Commitment to our Placement Partners 

Once the applying organization is accepted as a Placement Partner, GCAC agrees to do the following:

1) Provide the information that we have about a shelter pet (which could include copies of veterinary records, behavior assessments, and daily animal care notes) to enable the Placement Partner to make an informed decision about the animal.

2) Provide instructions on GCAC’s procedures that impact the Placement Partner.

5) Acknowledge the skills and individual expertise of the Placement Partner to provide a successful outcome for the shelter pet.

6) Provide feedback on program statistics and provide an opportunity for the Placement Partner to give us feedback so we might mutually better accomplish our respective tasks.

7) Be available to the Placement Partner and willing to discuss issues of concern to the Placement Partner, either in an impromptu discussion or by arranging a specific meeting time.

For more information on our Placement Partner program, please contact us at (912) 554-7501 or animalservices@glynncounty-ga.gov.