When a pet changes homes, the paper trail usually breaks — and the new owner spends months (or vet bills) rebuilding it. Whether you're the one rehoming or the one adopting, here's exactly what should change hands.
A pet without history is a mystery to its new vet. Vaccines get repeated "to be safe." A past ear infection that was treated and resolved looks, to an insurer, like an undocumented pre-existing condition. A medication allergy nobody wrote down gets rediscovered the hard way. The single kindest thing you can do for a pet leaving your care is send its history with it.
Ask the previous owner (or shelter) for the vet clinic's name — clinics can usually release vaccination certificates to a new owner with the prior owner's consent. Check the microchip registry too; some record rabies details. If the history truly can't be recovered, your vet will likely recommend restarting core vaccines — safe, but avoidable cost that complete records would have prevented.
The only pet app with built-in rehoming: transfer the complete medical history — vaccines, meds, visits, conditions, documents — to the new owner's phone in one tap. No printing, no email chains, no lost history.
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This guide covers record-keeping and organization, not veterinary or legal advice. Requirements for rehoming and registration vary by region — check local rules and consult your veterinarian.