Congratulations! You've decided you have the time and resources to adopt a new pet. Cyber-shelters like Petfinder.com let you search hundreds of shelters and rescue groups for the pet of your dreams without leaving your comfortable chair.
Today's shelters and rescue groups are better trained and more willing to provide tips for making your adoption a wonderfully rewarding experience.
Before you begin your cyber-journey, here are a few tips to keep in mind when looking for your new pet.
1. In person is best!
There's no substitute for meeting the pet in person to see if the match is right for you … and the pet. Adopting is a relationship that should last the lifetime of the pet. Impulse buying or the wrong lifestyle match leads to many returned pets.
If you truly don't want to go into the shelter, or the rescue group doesn't have a facility, ask about off-site adoption opportunities or special appointments.
2. Who are you adopting?
The best possible match to your family and lifestyle will help your adoption be a lifelong, rewarding one. Some websites like Petfinder.com allow you the opportunity to search by breed, sex, size and other criteria. Be flexible when looking at the available pets.
Behavior can be more important than size. If the pet's behavior and temperament, including likes/dislikes (other pets, children, etc.) isn't listed, ask the shelter/rescue to include this information. If you have another pet, you should arrange to have them meet.
Medical history. Is the pet spayed or neutered? Will the shelter provide this surgery or do they offer low-cost alternatives? Does it have all its shots (and which ones are given as part of your adoption contract)? If you don't know about breed-specific characteristics, ask!