The short answer
Work through the Winnipeg Humane Society's own checklist first: family, friends, coworkers, and whoever you got the dog from. Then list your dog free on LocalPetFinder with honest photos and a modest fee, and meet every adopter in person. Do not count on a shelter: the Humane Society has temporarily suspended surrenders and quotes a wait of up to a year, and the City charges $105 to take a surrendered animal. If the problem is money, a hospital stay or a crisis, the programs below may let you keep your dog.
Rehome your dog on LocalPetFinder, free
List your dog at no cost. They stay home until the right family is found, you screen adopters through a verified contact form, and you choose who adopts. Reviewed within 24 to 48 hours.
Listed by Manitoba owners right now
26 dogs in Manitoba are being rehomed by their owners on LocalPetFinder today. Your listing would sit alongside them, on the page for your city.
Surrender in Manitoba right now
The Winnipeg Humane Society says that because of the overwhelming number of applications it is temporarily suspending animal surrenders, and that the wait time is currently up to a year. Surrenders and strays are accepted by appointment only, through the intake line at 204-988-8811. It asks for a donation rather than a set fee, and you may be asked to pay a clinic bill depending on the animal's time in care. Its FAQ is blunt about the other side of the decision: there is no going back, and in most cases the pet will not be returned to you.
Before you apply, the Society asks a short checklist. Have you spread the word through family, friends and coworkers? Have you contacted the shelter, breeder or person you got the animal from? Its own suggestion when the answer is yes is to reach out to one of the other rescues or shelters in Manitoba, or to try a direct adoption program. That is what an owner-to-owner listing is, with one difference that matters: on LocalPetFinder your email stays private and adopters reach you through a verified contact form, so you are not fielding strangers from a classified ad.
The City of Winnipeg's Animal Services lists $105 for a surrendered animal in its 2026 fee schedule but publishes no surrender procedure, so phone before you drive to Logan Avenue. Manitoba Underdogs has had an intake freeze since May 2026; when capacity allows it considers owner surrenders, with any assessment at the owner's expense. If you are outside Winnipeg, call your local shelter directly, because policies and waits differ town to town.
Our screening guide has the questions to ask an adopter, and the safety guide covers fees, meetings and handover.
Help that may let you keep your dog
- Pet food bank. The Winnipeg Humane Society provides dog and cat food to owners in financial hardship, with proof of income, once a month for up to four pets. Call 204-982-7791 or see the food bank page.
- Emergency boarding, free, up to two weeks. For a hospital stay, a lost home or fleeing violence, through the intake line at 204-988-8811. If your reason is a few hard weeks rather than a permanent change, ask about this before you surrender.
- SNAP subsidised spay and neuter. Open to low-income families and individuals; $70 for a dog and $20 for a cat in Winnipeg. Details on the spay and neuter page.
- Urgent care and behaviour help. The Society's clinic offers short-term subsidised veterinary care for urgent conditions in owned animals, by appointment rather than walk-in. Its behaviour helpline at 204-988-8808 is free, and many of the reasons dogs are rehomed start there.
If money or a short-term crisis is the reason, read our financial hardship guide and alternatives to rehoming before you decide. If you work through them and rehoming is still right, that is the responsible call, not a failure.
What Manitoba law says
The Animal Care Act requires anyone who owns or cares for an animal to ensure it has an adequate source of food and water, adequate medical attention when it is wounded or ill, and reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold. Breaking that duty is an offence: a fine of up to $10,000 or six months in jail for a first offence, $20,000 or twelve months after that, and the court can ban a person from owning animals. The Act defines an abandoned animal to include one left behind on premises the owner has sold or vacated, and lets an animal protection officer take it into custody. Enforcement sits with the province's Animal Welfare section, reached on the Animal Care Line at 204-945-8000 in Winnipeg or 1-888-945-8001 toll free. None of this touches an owner who rehomes properly. It is written for the dog left in an empty apartment.
In Winnipeg, dogs and cats over six months must be licensed, and the City lets the current licence number transfer to the new owner when both of you sign the form, so bring the licence to the handover. The 2026 fee for a sterilized dog is $41.50 and $138 for an intact one. Winnipeg also prohibits dogs with the predominant appearance of a pit bull type, so an adopter from outside the city cannot bring one in. There is no provincial minimum age for rehoming a puppy; our puppies guide covers how to place a litter responsibly.
Looking to adopt a rehomed dog in Manitoba?
Dogs listed by their owners appear beside rescue dogs on every Manitoba city page, with the owner's own account of why the dog is being rehomed. Start with dogs for rehoming in Winnipeg or Brandon, or browse every adoptable dog in the province on Manitoba dog adoption.
Frequently asked questions
How do I rehome my dog in Manitoba?
Start with the checklist the Winnipeg Humane Society itself asks: have you spread the word through family, friends and coworkers, and have you contacted the shelter, breeder or person you got the dog from? If that comes up empty, list your dog free on LocalPetFinder so they stay home while adopters reach you through a verified contact form. Shelter surrender is the last step, and in Winnipeg it is currently paused.
Will the Winnipeg Humane Society take my dog?
Not right now, in most cases. Its surrender page says that because of the overwhelming number of applications it is temporarily suspending animal surrenders, and that the wait time is currently up to a year. Surrenders and strays are accepted by appointment only, through the intake line at 204-988-8811. When it does take an animal it asks for a donation, and you may be asked to cover a clinic bill depending on the animal’s time in care.
How much does it cost to surrender a dog in Winnipeg?
The Winnipeg Humane Society asks for a donation rather than a set fee and does not publish an amount. The City of Winnipeg’s 2026 fee schedule lists $105 for a surrendered animal at Animal Services, though the City publishes no owner-surrender procedure, so call before you go. Listing your dog on LocalPetFinder is free.
Is surrender permanent?
Yes. The Winnipeg Humane Society’s surrender FAQ says there is no going back and that in most cases the pet will not be returned to you. Rehoming it yourself keeps that decision with you until the day you hand over the leash.
Does the new owner have to license my dog?
In Winnipeg, all dogs and cats over six months must be licensed, and the City lets the current licence number be transferred to the new owner when both of you sign the form. The 2026 fee for a sterilized dog is $41.50 and $138 for an intact one. Other municipalities set their own rules, so check locally.
Is it illegal to abandon a dog in Manitoba?
The Animal Care Act requires anyone who owns or cares for an animal to provide adequate food and water, adequate medical attention when it is wounded or ill, and reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold. Breaking that duty is an offence with a fine of up to $10,000 or six months in jail for a first offence, and the Act lets an animal protection officer take custody of an abandoned animal, including one left behind on vacated premises. Rehoming through a listing or a shelter is the lawful route.
What help is there if I want to keep my dog?
The Winnipeg Humane Society runs a pet food bank for owners in financial hardship, with proof of income, once a month for up to four pets at 204-982-7791. It offers emergency boarding for up to two weeks free of charge during a hospital stay, a lost home or when fleeing violence, through the intake line. SNAP, its subsidised spay and neuter program, is open to low-income households at $70 for a dog in Winnipeg. Its clinic offers short-term subsidised care for urgent conditions in owned animals by appointment, and its behaviour helpline at 204-988-8808 is free.
Should I charge a rehoming fee?
Yes, a modest one. The reason is filtering, not profit: a free dog draws people who resell animals, and a reasonable fee signals that the dog is cared for. Set it at a level that reflects their age and vet care, and if keeping it feels wrong, many owners donate it to a Manitoba rescue afterward.
Related guides
Rehoming Guides by Province
Surrender rules, fees and the help that lets you keep your pet are different in every province. Each guide covers the shelters, the law and the owner-to-owner route where you live.