top of page

Surrendering a Chinchilla

If you are looking to surrender, please review the below information and fill out our surrender form HERE.

Surrender Policy

On occaision, we do take in surrenders on a case by case basis. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you would like to surrender your chinchilla(s):

​

  • We DO NOT purchase or pay for an animal to come into our rescue.

  • We DO NOT buy back chinchilla(s) that have been adopted from Sunshine Chinchillas. If you cannot keep the chin(s) that you adopted from Sunshine Chinchillas you may contact us to see if we have room to take them in.

  • Animals surrendered to us are NEVER used for breeding purposes, no exceptions.

  • Sunshine Chinchillas NEVER advertises on websites such as Craigslist, Hoobly, Classifieds, or Facebook Marketplace.

  • We MAY share photos of our rescues on our official Facebook and Instagram page to bring attention to our website. 

  • We WILL assign a name to every rescue, this is their name used on the website and in our records attached to their information. This speeds up the process of locating their history in our records in the future if necessary.

  • We DO add photos of newly surrendered chinchillas to our website fairly quickly, sometimes the same day as their surrender. This DOES NOT mean they have been adopted or are being adopted that same day; we simply do it to up their chances of finding their perfect person. 

  • We do not give out potential adopter information to families looking to surrender or rescues looking for adopters. The animal(s) must be surrendered to Sunshine Chinchillas and will be adopted out through our adoption process only. This protects adopter's privacy, the family surrendering's privacy, and the safety of the chinchilla(s) involved. We vet ALL adopters to ensure animals go to the best home possible. 

  • We are a NO KILL facility, every animal is found a home or stays with us indefinitely until their perfect home is found.

  • We are a private home-based facility and DO NOT allow "tours" of the chinchilla room.

  • Once surrendered the animal becomes the property of Sunshine Chinchillas and we DO NOT adopt back out to the individual(s) who surrendered said animal(s). This is for the health and safety of the animal, which is our main focus. 

  • Sunshine Chinchillas WILL NOT travel to pick-up animals, it is the responsibility of the owner/inquirer to set an appointment and bring the animals to surrender at our public meet-up location.

  • Sunshine Chinchillas will accept any animal adopted or purchased from us in the past, no surrender fee required and no judgement.

  • Sunshine Chinchillas will only schedule surrenders and adoptions in public locations. This ensures our safety, the safety of others, and the prevention of COVID-19. 

  • Non-refundable surrender fee must be paid prior to scheduling an appointment to surrender. We do not have space to take in every animal, this fee ensures a spot will be open for an animal needing to be surrendered. If the invoice is not paid within 24hrs, we will move on to the next person.

Animals with illness:

 

  • We DO NOT accept animals with obvious malocclusion or a malocclusion diagnosis. Malocclusion is not curable and there are no treatments, it is the responsibility of the owner to provide veterinary care to their pet if malocclusion is suspected. Malocclusion involves the overgrowth of the teeth/roots, leading to rupturing the nasal cavities, eyes, and/or brain, causing immense pain and eventual starvation. Teeth trimming or removal will not cure the affliction nor provide pain relief. Humane euthanasia is the kindest method of ending their suffering. If an animal is surrendered to us and is later found to have malocclusion, Sunshine Chinchillas will have the animal humanely euthanized. 

  • We DO NOT accept animals with abscesses, infections, or respiratory illness. We have the right to refuse an animal upon visual inspection and determination of illness upon surrender appointment; if the surrendering party does not indicate the animal has illness (including malocclusion) prior to meeting at the surrender appointment, we will NOT provide a refund for the surrender fee. It is the responsibility of the owner to provide vet care for their pets, we will not endanger our chinchillas and rescues by taking in animals with highly contagious ailments.

  • For animals with general health problems not requiring immediate veterinary care, please specify these in detail and provide vet records if possible. The more information we have, the better so that we can provide the best care. 

Supplies/Cages:

​

  • Supplies, cages, toys, ect. are greatly appreciated as we try to setup each rescue in a similar environment that they are used to. This is to help reduce stress and provide comfort. However, it is not required for you to surrender a cage and/or supplies. 

  • All cages must be taken apart/broken down for transportation in a vehicle. If you cannot take apart the cage, you do not have to bring it. 

  • We do not accept wooden cages; these must be recycled or disposed of by the pet owner. 

  • Sunshine Chinchillas will require that all chinchillas coming in with a cage setup will need the cage/supplies to be washed with soap, water and bleached prior to the chinchilla being surrendered. I will not accept a cage that is unsafe or unsanitary. I reserve the right to refuse a cage upon inspection. It will be up to the owner surrendering the chinchilla to dispose of the cage if it is not up to cleanliness standards. This is to protect the health of any other rescues that may be in our care.

  • Once you have surrendered your chinchilla(s) to Sunshine Chinchillas they and their supplies become the belongings of Sunshine Chinchillas. More often than not the chinchilla will be adopted back out with their setup. If the cage is in poor condition or filthy (dirty enough that a power washer can't clean it) it will be disposed of and the chin will be adopted out with no cage or a different cage setup.

  • If you need help locating another rescue or breeder to take in your chinchilla closer to your location, send us a message. 

​

For chinchillas with malocclusion, elongated roots, or those that need routine teeth filings, the kindest thing you can do is humane euthanasia. Malocclusion is the excessive overgrowth of the teeth and/or their roots into the eye sockets, nasal cavity, and jaw; this is an excruciating affliction that has NO CURE. Chinchillas are a prey animal, they hide pain well to avoid drawing attention from predators. Most often, chinchillas only start to show pain from malocclusion when they are nearing the advanced stage of overgrowth; this can mean rupturing the eye ball or nasal cavity, starvation, or GI stasis from complications of not eating due to pain. 

 

TEETH TRIMMING IS NOT A CURE, this only prolongs their suffering; you cannot file the root of the teeth or remove teeth, this has been done before and does not work for chinchillas. It is the responsibility of the owner to humanely euthanize an animal with malocclusion. 

 

For more information on malocclusion, review our illnesses page here.

Surrender Fee

  *AS OF Feb. 2023- due to the rising cost of gas / food / hay / shavings / treats etc. we have had to raise our surrender fee.  We are a privately run facility and all costs are funded by Sunshine Chinchillas. This surrender fee ensures that we can provide basic needs for all rescues that come into the facility. 

Please review further down on this page why we ask for a fee, this explains our reasoning behind it. Donations of any kind are welcome as well, this all helps us to take care of these animals who need to find their new homes. Surrender fees will be as follows:

*Please Note*

Surrender fee must be paid in full within 24 hours of invoice being sent. If this fee is not paid, a surrender appointment will not be scheduled. 


Due to the large increase in owners looking to surrender, this fee must be paid prior to scheduling an appointment. If it is not paid, we will move on to the next person needing to surrender their pet. 

Surrender Fees

​

One Chinchilla

$35

​

Two Chinchillas

$70

​

Three Chinchillas

$105

​

Four Chinchillas

$140

​

Five or More Chinchillas

Please contact us with how many and we can work out the surrender fee

​

If you are looking to surrender, please review the above information and fill out our surrender form HERE.

Mission Statement

We at Sunshine Chinchillas try our best to take in any and all chinchillas that are in need of homes. That said, we do take our time in finding each animal the best home possible for their individual needs. We take into consideration personalities, temperaments, needs, and care when looking for potential adopters. If at any time we feel an individual is not fit to adopt a rescue animal in our care, we reserve the right to refuse an adoption.

Each chinchilla we take in deserves to find the best home that we are able to find for them. Thus, we take great pride in matching our rescues with their perfect future adopters. This process does take time and we will hold onto an animal for however long that process may take. While housed with us, our rescues are treated just like our personal herd of chins. They too get the highest quality pellets, timothy hay, fresh water, apple wood chew sticks, toys, and a fresh clean environment. If you would like to see a photo of some of our cage setups, check out our chin room here.

Another reason we do ask for a fee is to discourage those who may adopt a chinchilla on a whim and then decide to rehome them soon after. This fee helps any owner who is considering surrender as option to stop and consider if it is right for them before making this serious decision.

If you have any questions regarding our surrender or adoption processes, please feel free to send us a message.

Our Credentials

If at any time you would like some references to ensure our credibility as a rescue and/or breeder, here are some contacts below that we have known personally for several years:

 

RDZC Ranch:

https://www.facebook.com/RDZCChinchillaRanch/

 

ABC Chinchillas: 

https://www.facebook.com/abcchinchillas/

 

Humble Acres Ranch:

https://www.facebook.com/HumbleAcresChinchilla/

 

Carolina Chinchilla Ranch 

https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyschinchillas/

 

 

Why Do We Have a Surrender Fee?

Unfortunately, with the high volume of surrender emails we get on a daily basis we do have to set a fee in place to help with the care of these animals. This fee is based on how many chinchillas need to be surrendered. Fee is non-negotiable and will need to be paid prior to the surrender appointment. If fee is not paid within 24 hours of being issued, no surrender appointment will be scheduled.

At no point would we consider taking on an animal if we did not have the means to care for them. Thus, the surrender fee ensures their initial cost of care is covered. The fee guarantees that a spot will be opened up for them to arrive into our care so that we may start the process of finding them their forever home. This fee can help to cover food, water, supplies, and the cost of travel if we are meeting to pick up the animal. This also helps keep our rescue operating so that we can continue taking in any chins in need.

Another reason we do ask for a fee is to discourage those who may adopt a chinchilla on a whim and then decide to rehome them soon after. This fee helps any owner who is considering surrender as option to stop and consider if it is right for them before making this serious decision.

If you are considering surrender, take your time and weigh your options. If you feel you do need to find your chinchilla another home and would like to contact us, please feel free.

Meet Bunny!

Bunny was surrendered to us in late 2020 as her prior owners were moving and did not want to make her embark on the long journey. She is considered elderly as she is almost 19 years old!

Bunny is just one example of the care we try to provide to each and every one of our rescues. They all get treated like family and are spoiled until they find their furever homes.

Because of her age and special needs, Bunny stayed here at Sunshine Chinchillas until she found the perfect home for her needs. She spends most of her days sitting on her favorite hidey hut and chewing all the apple wood sticks she wants. 

Each animal that comes into our care stays with us indefinitely until the perfect family comes along.

Want to Help?

Donations are always welcome as they help us to fund our rescue and continue taking in chinchillas in need of homes. We operate on a very small scale, thus any and all donations are greatly appreciated. Here are some things we use donations for:

- Chinchilla Food; chinchillas must only eat certain brands of food, thus we always are stocking up on chinchilla food.

- Timothy Hay and Alfalfa Cubes; chinchillas need the ruffage of hay in their diet, it helps with their digestion and to keep their teeth at a healthy length.

- Water; we only use reverse-osmosis bottled water for our chinchillas, this helps to prevent any water borne illnesses such as Giardiasis.

- KD Pine Wood Shavings; we purchase our shavings in bulk and always have some on hand as a chinchilla safe bedding in their enclosures.

- Anti-Pill Fleece; fleece items are the only safe fabric for chinchillas, we use this as a soft spot for them to sit as well as a material to make hammocks, hay holders, pillows, and tube covers.

- Dust; just like our food, hay, and bedding, we also like to buy our chinchilla dust in bulk for our furry friends to bathe in.

- Apple Wood; chinchillas absolutely love apple wood, this chin-safe wood is a favorite of our herd and rescues to chew on.

- KD Pine Wood; here at Sunshine Chinchillas, we purchase our own kiln-dried pine wood to make all of our own chin toys such as wood chews, hidey huts, shelves, ledges, tubes, and hanging toys.

- Cages; to provide proper living quarters for our chins, we do occasionally have to purchase new cages when surrenders come in without them.

- Water Bottles and Food Bowls; we only use glass bottles and ceramic dishes, sometimes if they break or we need more we do purchase these as well.

- Dust Houses; every chin loves to flip around in their dust in a dust house, we like to purchase metal ones that are chew-proof for our chinnies.

- A/C Maintenance; since chinchillas are from the Andes Mountains, they have a dense coat for the harsh cold temperatures. Thus it is imperative that we have a special A/C unit for them to keep them cool in the hot Florida summers, we are always making sure to clean and maintain their A/C unit.

- Travel; sometimes we do meet to take in surrenders, this does require gas and wear on our vehicle.

- Emergencies and Hurricanes; since we are in Florida, we do also use donations as a backup fund for emergencies such as Hurricanes. This helps us to stock up on supplies as well as provide funds in case of evacuations.

- Vet Bills; sometimes a vet visit is necessary, donations help us to provide this care to rescues who need it. 

If you'd like to donate, check out our GoFundMe here:

bottom of page