Adopting a Pet
Why adopt from a shelter or rescue organization?
When you adopt a pet from a shelter or rescue organization, you are not only saving a life, but supporting organizations who are working hard to advance important animal welfare initiatives (low cost spay/neuter, humane education, feral cat colony management, etc.).
How much does it cost?
Adoption fees to the shelter or rescue organization vary, but typically cover their costs to include spay/neuter, immunization shots, and often micro chipping. Beware of anyone who is giving away a pet for free. You will likely end up spending more money in having all of the necessary shots and medical procedures than the adoption fee at a shelter or rescue organization. By choosing to adopt from a shelter or rescue organization you are helping the problem of over population of pets and supporting animal welfare programs.
What to consider before adopting
For a list of things to think about prior to adopting a pet, read the ASPCA's Questions to Ask Yourself before adopting.
Thinking about adopting a kitten? According to Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty, a local rescue organization that specializes in kittens, they recommend adopting in pairs. Read about why adopting a pair of kittens is the way to go. Also, please consider adopting an older pet. These deserving animals may be just perfect for your lifestyle. There are many benefits to adopting a senior pet. With a mature pet, what you see is what you get. In addition, older pets have stable, developed personalities, are fully grown, house trained and often are less destructive. For some further insight into adopting mature dogs, check out the Senior Dog Project.
Thinking about adopting a kitten? According to Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty, a local rescue organization that specializes in kittens, they recommend adopting in pairs. Read about why adopting a pair of kittens is the way to go. Also, please consider adopting an older pet. These deserving animals may be just perfect for your lifestyle. There are many benefits to adopting a senior pet. With a mature pet, what you see is what you get. In addition, older pets have stable, developed personalities, are fully grown, house trained and often are less destructive. For some further insight into adopting mature dogs, check out the Senior Dog Project.
Where do I find animals to adopt?
Please refer to the directory for a list of shelters and local rescue groups who have animals up for adoption. The volunteers and staff at these organizations are very knowledgeable, and will help you make the right match. The majority of these organizations have listings of their available animals on their own website, and contribute these same listings to online websites such as Petfinder.com, AdoptaPet.com and Pet Harbor.com. These sites can help you with a preliminary search by location and type of animal you are looking for, however please note that especially for shelters, their online listings for animals may not be up to date (this takes resources). Why not go down to the shelter and take a look around or find out where the rescue group is having an adoption fair? Your perfect pet may be waiting for you!