The Scoop on Adoption—Everything You Need To Know

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If you've decided to add a pet to your family, why not adopt an animal in need? Animal shelters and breed rescue groups are staffed by workers and volunteers trained to help match you with your new best friend. Start the search at your local shelter or breed rescue group, and get ready to open your heart to a one-in-a-million friend.

Animal Shelters

Shelters typically have a wide selection of animals, including rabbits, hamsters, mice and other pets, available for adoption. On average, purebred dogs account for about 25 to 30 percent of a shelter's dog population. 

Unlike buying an animal from a pet store, website or newspaper ad, adopting an animal from a shelter ensures that the pet has been screened for sound health and temperament. In addition, you often have a chance to learn about an animal's background and personality.

If an animal is relinquished to the shelter by pet owners, the shelter staff makes every attempt to collect a thorough history of that pet. It can be helpful to speak to shelter staff and volunteers who have gotten to know the animals because they can help you find a pet to fit your lifestyle and personality. In an effort to ensure life-long matches between people and pets, many shelters provide adoption counseling or follow-up assistance, such as pet parenting, dog-training classes or behavior counseling. Check with shelters in your area for more information.

Read more on adopting from an animal shelter »

Breed Rescue Groups

A breed rescue group is an organization that works with specific breeds or types of animals. For example, there might be breed rescue groups in your community that are devoted to different breeds of dog and cat, as well as rescue groups dedicated to placing pets like rabbits, ferrets or birds. Often these groups work with local animal shelters and animal control agencies. If you're looking for a specific kind of animal and you haven't found who you're looking for at a shelter, a rescue group is a good next step.

Rescue groups are usually run by people with a particular interest in a specific breed or type of animal. A group might keep adoptable animals either in one facility or at a foster home until they can be placed in permanent homes. Adoption fees vary, depending on veterinary and other costs incurred over the course of the animal's stay. Follow-up counseling is usually available to help you through any challenges that can come up after adoption.

There are many ways to find a rescue group that specializes in the breed or type of animal that interests you. You can contact your local animal shelter, veterinarian, search PetFinder.com, Adoptapet.com, or the Internet for rescue group sites. Be sure to find out as much as you can about the breed rescue group beforehand, such as how it cares for its animals, how it decides which animals to adopt out and what the adoption process entails.

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The Adoption Process: What to Expect

Shelters and rescue groups ask a lot of questions of prospective adopters for two reasons: one is to be sure that you are able to provide your new pet with a permanent home and that you are able to meet the time and financial commitments required to have a pet; the other is to help ensure a good match between you and your new pet.

Even though an adopting family might have the best intentions, many animals lose their homes because the family wasn't prepared to invest the necessary money and time to care for a pet.

In other cases, families and pets are mismatched. For example, a high energy dog adopted by a family who doesn't have time for extensive daily exercise is a relationship doomed to fail. To prevent such painful situations for both the pets and people involved, shelters and rescue groups carefully evaluate adopters in the hopes of avoiding these mismatched relationships.

While some questions might seem intrusive, try to remember they are asked to ensure an adopted animal is going to a home for life. Many shelters and rescue groups have information about their adoption process on their websites so you can know in advance what to expect. If possible, it's helpful to examine the adoption process thoroughly before going to the shelter.

You'll have a relationship with your pet for many years to come, so it's worth being patient and taking your time to carefully consider what kind of pet—big or small, energetic or relaxed, older or younger—is right for you. Before you head to the shelter, ask yourself some questions that will help you figure out exactly what kind of critter will best fit your lifestyle and personality.

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Avoiding Pet Stores, Newspaper Ads and Internet Ads

There are a few places you'll want to avoid when looking for a pet. Puppy mills—mass dog-breeding operations that put profit above the health and well-being of the dogs they sell—try to dupe the public by selling their puppies through pet stores, Internet ads and local newspaper ads. Please be sure to avoid these methods when looking for a new pet and instead adopt from an animal shelter or rescue group.

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