How to Adopt a Dog or Cat From an Animal Shelter

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Be aware of the commitment you are making. Adopting a rescue pet is not the same as bringing home a puppy or kitten that is a few weeks old. Those pets will grow with your family and in most cases, they will adapt accordingly. An animal that has been rescued or given away to a shelter, however, has a history of which you and even the shelter will not be fully aware. They may have certain temperament, health or other issues that could require time, patience and even acceptance that some traits will never change. If you are not sure you can dedicate the time or accept the pet’s quirks, perhaps you should reconsider this method of adding a new member to your home. The pet who needs extra care will suffer if you are unable to provide it, and you may not receive the full rewards of pet companionship that you expected.
Step 2

Spend some time with the pet you think you want to adopt. Most shelters have a match up system set in place to attempt to place the right pet with the right family. Make sure to visit the pet more than one time at the shelter to get better acquainted. Often times, love at first sight happens, and people are anxious to take that dog or cat home right away. Once home they may find that the animal does not work well with their family and regret having made a hasty decision.
Step 3

Consider fostering first. Shelters usually offer a fostering program, so perhaps signing up to temporarily foster a pet can provide you with the opportunity for you and the pet to get to know each other better in your home and decide if this is a perfect match without already having made a commitment to permanently adopt. Though shelters always offer the opportunity to return the pet at any time for any reason, it is still a good idea to have a trial period to help avoid having to return a pet to life in a cage or the heartbreak and guilt of having to return the animal.
Step 4

Be prepared for interviews, paperwork and a home inspection. The shelter will expect you to fill out several forms of paperwork before adopting your cat or dog. They will want you to fill out an application and an adoption agreement. They may even ask for proof of home ownership or lease with a letter from your landlord stating you have permission to have a pet at your residence. The shelter’s main interest is in the welfare of the pet and they want to insure that you are indeed who you say you are and that you will provide a loving and safe environment. Be prepared to have a home visit from a representative of the shelter. It may sound invasive, but you are after all, agreeing to house, love and care for a living being and the shelter has the responsibility of checking that you are, in fact, a home suitable for a pet.
Step 5

Make sure the timing/reasons for wanting to adopt are right. Make sure the timing is right for you to adopt a pet and that you are making this decision for the right reasons. If you know you will be moving soon or having a new baby, this may not be the best time to add a pet. Both your family and the pet will have to adjust when adopted, only to have to readjust after the move or the baby or whatever the case. Don’t make the decision based on an emotional upheaval either. We adopted our two year old cat from a shelter after I suffered a miscarriage. Because I was reeling from the grief, I suddenly had a need to nurture something. I chose our cat from a picture/bio online, contacted the shelter, went for two visits and brought her home. In the beginning, she seemed the perfect match, but after a couple of weeks, it turned out she was quite nippy, which was a problem since we had a three year old child. The cat required a lot of patience and nurturing. Soon I was pregnant again and worried about how I would keep the cat from biting the new baby as well. We debated returning her, but decided to work with her and give it more time. Eventually, things calmed down and she is still a happy member of our family, but if I had been thinking more clearly, I would have likely realized that the timing was not the best for us to add a pet to our family. This is not to say you should never adopt a pet, just that maybe you should wait for a better time if you are experiencing some kind of life changing or emotional event now or in the near future.
Step 6

Factor in the cost of a pet when making your decision. Most shelters will charge a small adoption fee to help cover the cost of their operation. Our cat cost $60.00, which was a bargain considering we were getting a pet that was already spayed and up to date on her shots. But there are other costs involved, including an animal carrier, food, litter box and/or leash, licensing and future veterinary visits. If you can’t afford to provide for a pet, the pet would be better suited with a family who can.
Step 7

Once you have made the decision to go ahead with an adoption, you will need to prepare for the animal’s homecoming. Designate one room for the pet to inhabit at first, as he may be frightened and desire limited contact as he becomes familiarized with his new surrounding. Set up a bedding area and food and water in the room, leave the pet in the carrier you brought him home in, open the carrier door and leave. Let the animal come out and explore at his own pace. When he is ready, introduce him to other rooms and let him come around to interact with family members. This way the pet won’t be overwhelmed or overly frightened and will become adjusted at a pace that is not upsetting to anyone.
Step 8

Hopefully, now that you have carefully selected your pet and brought her home, she will become a wonderful addition to your family. In the event that she is not, however, don’t be afraid or ashamed to contact the shelter for help. They want this to work out as much as you do, but no one wants to see the pet and family suffer if things don’t work out. They may be able to provide some recommendations or guidance to help resolve some issues. If things still aren’t working, they will take the pet back and try to find it a more suitable home. They will also work with you to find another pet who is a better match for your family.

Comments

StoneBridgeFarm said

on 3/3/2009 I love this article. So many times people want cookie cutter pets from breeders. IMO... MUttly animals make way better pets. The two animals we got from the shelter were awesome! They had wonderful personalities.. and call me crazy, but they KNEW they were rescued!!!