How to Adopt Instead of Shop

Pet overpopulation is an ongoing crisis in the United States with less than half of animals that end up at shelters finding homes--so that means approximately 5 million dogs and cats get destroyed in the U.S. each year. This doesn't have to be--and a good way to start is just adopting a pet instead of buying one. You'll be glad you did! Here is how.

Instructions

1. Check your local shelters if you are thinking about adding a pet to your family. Shelters have dogs, cats and rabbits. If it's a specific breed of dog or type of cat you are interested in, odds are you will find one at a shelter. About one-third of the dogs at shelters are purebreds. There are also breed-specific rescues specializing in every kind of breed imaginable.

2. If you prefer not to visit a shelter in person (it's tough for many people), you can search the websites of city, county and private shelters in your area. There will often be a picture of the pet and a description including the gender, breed (or breed mix), age (or approximate age) and personality traits such as whether the pet gets along with other pets and how the pet is with children. Keep in mind, however, that shelters can't always list all of their pets, and it's probably best to go in person.

3. Petfinder.com and Adopt a Pet.com are great sites for finding a pet. They contain a database of pets from over 10,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the United States, Canada and Mexico. On these websites you can put in your zip code, the type of pet you are looking for (including age, breed and gender if you like) and adopt the pet of your dreams.

4. Visit a mobile adoption event. Again, if you have trouble going into a shelter, these events are held at locations such as pet supply stores and parks--and are either sponsored by private rescue organizations or city/county shelters in your area. Certain pet supply stores also have rescued pets available for adoption on an ongoing basis (not to be confused with shops that sell animals).

5. Get on a waiting list at a shelter or rescue if you can't find the pet you are looking for right away. Keep in mind there will always be plenty of adoptable pets to choose from without ever having to buy a pet. There will be an adoption fee, which should be considerably lower than purchasing a dog from a breeder or pet store--plus you're saving a life! And as a wise person once said: "Papers are just something a puppy pees on."

Tips & Warnings

• Pets from shelters and rescues are normally current on their shots and spayed or neutered before you adopt them.

• The number one reason that dogs end up at shelters is behavior problems. Most of these problems can be easily fixed with a little training. Many city shelters offer low-cost training classes and there are tons of training articles right here on eHow, including videos from Dog Training Expert Eric Letendre.

• Pets in shelters are primarily dropped off by their owners, not picked up as strays. In Los Angeles shelters, for instance, about 95 percent of the pets are owner surrenders. Often times it's only because they are moving and can't take their pet or can no longer care for their pet. Due to the home foreclosure crisis, the number of pets being dropped off at shelters has increased dramatically.

• Aside from city and county shelters, private shelters and rescues are great resources for adopting pets. They are "no-kill" and by adopting a pet from a private shelter or rescue you are freeing up space for them to take in another pet from a city or county shelter's "death row." Private shelters and rescues are also good about screening for health and behavior issues, as well as making sure a pet is the right fit for your home and family.

• Consider adopting a pet that's over a year old. Pets that are past the puppy/kitten stage will likely be housebroken and easier to train overall. You will also get a better gauge on the temperament of an older pet. And by the same token, consider adopting a senior pet, since their chances will likely be slim otherwise. Odds are, if a senior pet winds up at a shelter, they didn't have very good guardians to begin with. This will be your chance to finally give the pet the life he/she deserves.

• City shelters normally euthanize their pets after a certain holding period, depending on space and resources. Certain shelters only keep animals for a brief period of time.

• If a shelter pet is "red-listed," it means they could be destroyed at any time.

• Never buy a pet from a pet store. Just about all pet stores that sell puppies and kittens obtain them from puppy/kitten mills (unless they are offering rescued pets up for adoption). The only way to shut down inhumane breeding "factories" once and for all is to stop supporting the pet stores they supply.

Resources

• Petfinder.com
• Adopt a Pet.com
• Animal Shelter.org
• No-Kill Organizations by State