Have you adopted a pet from a shelter or adoption center?

Question

Thinking about getting another dog and was just curious about adopting instead of buying from someone.

Answer 1

rescue groups and shelters are a great place to find another dog! all my dogs are rescues. i've been involved with greyhound rescue for a couple years now. if you are just looking for a "dog" then a shelter is a great place to go. if you are interested in a specific breed, then go to PETFINDER.COM. there are enough dogs listed to make your head spin! most of the dogs end up at rescues and shelters because of the PEOPLE'S mistakes, not the dogs. Good Luck!

Answer 2

My family has never 'bought' a pet. All our dogs and cats have been shelter animals, and we would never have it any other way. There are many homeless pets out there, and if you brought one home you wouldn't be disappointed. It might not be a 'pedigree' animal, but you'd get a loyal, friendly companion.
Keep in mind that many shelters now require you to fill out an application, and some even come to your house to inspect it. All this is so they know that you will give a good home to your new friend. And there's usually an adoption fee, which includes shots, spay/neuter, deworming, and anything else the animal might need before going home with you; but the fee is far less than you'd pay a breeder for a pedigree pup. And you'll sleep better at night knowing there's one less homeless dog!

Answer 3

That's a great choice. As a rescue volunteer, I can tell you that far from being "deficient", dogs are dumped in shelter and rescue for some of the most utterly moronic reasons you can imagine. Shelters are chock full of amazing dogs, purebreds and mixes alike, that are terrific family dogs dropped off because of things like divorce, moves, or even awful things like their family wanted to go on vacation and couldn't be bothered to find a kennel (yes, this really happens).

Many rescue dogs do need some help to make the adjustment to a new home, but then, puppies are pretty much a guaranteed two year training process -- when you look at in from that perspective, even a rescue dog that needs work is likely to be faster to train than a baby puppy.

Of my three current dogs, two are rescues and one I've had since a puppy, from a breeder I carefully selected. All of them have needed training, and I'll tell you that the one I've had since puppyhood is a far greater challenge than the other two. There are no guarantees on any dog!

Do visit your local shelter or adoption center, check out adoption events that are often hosted at places like PetSMART, and don't forget about http://www.petfinder.com!

There can be very good reasons to go with a breeder too, but truly good breeders are far and few between. If you don't have any existing relationships with a breeder and there is no pressing reason to buy a dog from particular lines (like if you're planning to show or are planning serious performance competition), then there's no reason to fork over a bunch of money for the the magic piece of paper that states all of the dogs relatives. That's all a pedigree or even an AKC registration do -- it means absolutely nothing for genetic quality. And if you don't know what you're looking for, you could be paying big bucks and trading on future heartache for a dog with a strong genetic legacy of hip displasia or retinal atrophy or von Willebrand's disease.

Answer 4

I'm a great fan of adopting from shelters. Heck, the greatest rage in "purebred" dogs right now, are intentionally bred mixed breed dogs. Go figure!

You would be surprised the genetic problems one can run into with purebred dogs. Go to your shelter, get a mutt or an alley cat, save a life. Some people do find purebred dogs at shelters too, but, I'm a fan of the common man and animal.

Answer 5

Both of my dogs are from a shelter, one was put down a water drain to die and the other was abused and had never had any shots or spayed so when she got pregnant she was dumped on the shelter doorstep malnurished and terrified, they are both the most wonderfull dogs, they are so caring friendly and i truly beleive they know this was their second chance and they really appreciate everything you do for them. Save a life their are so many dogs in shelters that deserve a good home. petfinder.com is also a great place to find a specific breed if your after a certain type of breed and alot of the times there are purebred dogs in there for 5 times less than you would pay for a purebred. I also agree with another poster saying they get less health problems ive owned purebred cocker spaniels and talk about health issues my gosh. Good luck

Answer 6

Yes we adopted our dog from a shelter.It was our first time so we were reluctant.However it turned out to be the best choice we ever made.The animals there are socialized and the shelters are particular in matching the right pet with the right family or person.This is very important because animals have distinct personalities just as people have personalities.they are screened health wise and all around it is just a much better choice.If you buy a pet from a private person you don't know exactly what you are getting.

Answer 7

I believe that getting a pet from a shelter is the only way to go about it. There are so many animals that need homes and this is a wonderful way to make sure that no more are put to sleep. make sure though that you spay or neuter your pet when you do get one. I have always gotten my pets through a shelter, or in the case of a cat outside the grocery store. Animals need your love and if you want a purebred you can get them at the shelter too.

Answer 8

Absolutely!

Go somewhere reputable where they check the temperament of the animal & the dog has a lot of human interaction. We got Casper, our Dalmatian, from the RSPCA. He was surrendered by a couple who couldn't handle him anymore (hello - dally's are pretty full on dogs!). He came with papers & everything, he was already desexed & past all that puppy peeing stage but he's still young enough at 2 to be trained & has found the transition not too bad at all.

We also got one of our cats, Artus, from the vet. He was dumped in a bin at an industrial site as a tiny baby kitten & they cared for him for 4 months & no one wanted to adopt him so they were going to put him to sleep until I went & saw him & took him home.

I really believe these animals know you're providing them with a better life than what they were having & are somehow super loving because of it.

Answer 9

Yep. Make sure the shelter is clean and well run, animal is healthy, and is playful. Make sure the pick is one with a tempermnt suited to your family (a high strung animal is not a good choice with kids for example, neigther is a more likely to get aggressive pit bull). Make sure eyes are not matted or red or have excessive discharge, that you like the way the shelter is run.

A vet is also a good place to look to adopt.

Consider an adult animal too.

I got a great grey tabby at a shelter and the hard part was choosing one!

Answer 10

Yes. I adopted my dog (a jack russell terrier mix) from the local humane society and he is a wonderful pet. He was so easy to train and he's so smart. I think it's a great idea to adopt a pet. There are so many animals who are homeless that it is always best to think adoption first. These animals make wonderful pets!!! Best of luck!