Animal shelters are your best source when looking for a pet. Not only do they have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but many of them also have puppies and purebred animals. On average, purebreds account for about 25 to 30 percent of a dog shelter's population.
Did You Know:
Many pets at your local shelter are waiting for new homes because they were obtained by someone with unrealistic expectations of the time, money and effort required to sustain a lifelong relationship with your pet. National figures indicate that about half of the animals are euthanized for lack of homes. Animals at your local shelterare just waiting for people like you to give them a new home.
You can depend on responsible shelters to assess the animals' health and temperament in order to make the best adoption matches possible. When animals are relinquished by owners, the shelter staff makes every attempt to collect a thorough history of the pet. Then, while caring for animals, staff and volunteers try to learn as much as they can about these animals, as well as those who come to the shelter as strays.
Waiting For Just The Right One:
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. Your shelter may also have a waiting list and can call you when an animal matching your preference becomes available. Before choosing your pet, you can even speak to an adoption counselor about whether your choice of a particular type or breed will be best for you.
Shelter Advantages:
In an effort to make good matches between people and animals and to place animals in lifelong homes, many shelters provide adoption counseling and follow-up assistance, such as pet parenting, dog training classes, medical services and behavior counseling. Or they may be able to refer you to providers of these services.
Another advantage to adopting from shelters is that the fees are usually much less then the purchase price of an animal from a pet store or breeder. And your new pet is more likely to be vaccinated, dewormed, and apsyed or neutered.
To locate your local animal shelters, check the links page on HRDogs4Adoption.com. All of the shelters listed have web sites that feature animals available for adoption. Some of these sites even allow you to download adoption forms directly from their site. You can also check the Yellow Pages under "animal shelters," "animal control," or "humane society. In addition, many shelters promote their animals for adoption on national web sites such as http://www.petfinder.com/. and http://www.adoptapet.com/.
About Purebred Rescue Groups:
Purebred rescue groups are usually run by people with in-depth knowledge of a specific breed. Rescue groups keep adoptable animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. These animals may come from failed breeding operations; arrive from boarding kennels and veterinarians, where they were abandoned; be rescued as strays living on the streets; or obtained through the cooperation of local animal shelters. Adoption fees vary, depending on veterinary and other costs that have been incurred. Follow-up counseling is usually available.
To locate a rescue group that specializes in the breed of dog that interests you, check our links page, contact your local shelter or search the Internet. When you contact a breed rescue group, be sure to find out as much as you can about the group, how it cares for its animals, how it decides which animals are adoptable, and what other adoption and post-adoption services are available.
Portions were originally published October 28, 2009 on the Humane Society of the United States web site.
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/adopt/tips/adopting_from_shelter_rescue.html
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