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, from babies to adults, available for adoption, including rabbits, hamsters, mice and other small pets. On average, purebred dogs account for about 25 percent to 30 percent of a shelter's dog population. 

Many pets at local shelters are awaiting new homes because they were obtained by someone with unrealistic expectations about the time, effort, and money required to sustain a lifelong relationship. National figures indicate that about half of the animals in shelters must be euthanized for lack of homes. 

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.

Don't be discouraged if, when you first visit the shelter, there are no animals of the breed or type you want. Shelters receive new animals every day, so you can always make another trip or visit other shelters in the area. Your shelter may also have a waiting list and may call you when an animal matching your preference becomes available.

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.

Shelters go by many different names: Animal Shelter, SPCA, Humane Society, Animal Care and Control, and others. While the names might be different, the mission is the same—to rescue animals in need and help them find permanent homes. Some organizations provide "animal control" services, such as enforcing animal-related laws, and receive some or all of their funding from the state or local government. Others are private non-profits and run strictly on donations. Still others are a combination of the two and perform a variety of services.

There are also different kinds of animal shelters. "Open-admission" shelters generally accept all animals in need. Whether the animals are relinquished by their owner or are strays, the doors of an open-admission shelter are never closed. However, this policy does not always guarantee that all animals will be adopted. Because so many animals come in to these shelters, an open-admission shelter has to continuously make room for new animals. Sometimes, this means euthanizing animals who are not adopted.

"Limited-admission" shelters, which are sometimes called "no-kill", restrict the animals they take in. Because of this policy, limited-admission shelters must turn animals away when their shelter is full or if the animal seems less likely to be adopted. Although limited-admission shelters try to adopt out as many animals as possible, not all will be adopted right away, which means that sometimes animals are in these shelters for longer periods of time.

Both "open-admission" and "limited-admission" shelters help animals in need so it's not necessary to limit your search to only one type. Even though they may have different philosophies, many shelters in the same community work together to rescue and adopt out animals so it's a good idea to visit all of the shelters in your area when looking for a pet.

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Breed Rescue Groups

A breed rescue group is an organization that works with specific breeds or types of animals. For example, there may 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 may 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 may 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 www.Pets911.com, www.PetFinder.com or the Internet. 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 may 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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