Dog AdoptionKnow Your Options Before ProceedingDog adoption is a great way to obtain a companion canine, as well as to save a dog’s life. If you want a younger companion, puppy adoption gives a homeless youngster a loving start. Every year many canines are put to sleep in dog pounds because no one adopted them. This is a sad and very tragic fact. Many of these pets could have become loving, well-behaved pets if only someone would have taken them into their homes and hearts. “No kill” shelters are actually becoming more common and animal lovers are very pleased with this new trend. These shelters do not put pets to “sleep”, if not adopted within a few days. Instead they will work to place families in foster homes until they can permanently adopt them out. Kill shelters often allow as little as three to five days for a pet to be reclaimed by an owner if the canine is lost or to be adopted before its life is ended. One of the reasons there are so many puppy adoptions available is the fact that far, far too many people do not breed their pets responsibly. Unlimited, random breeding results in more pups than there are homes desiring them. These beautiful, healthy little darlings are then abandoned at a shelter and their little lives are only a few days long. This is a tragedy for which there is no excuse. If you have room in your home for a wagging tail, you can obtain a healthy pet through dog adoption or puppy adoption from a dog shelter, no kill shelter, or the local dog pound. Canines of all ages, breeds, sizes, colors, and dispositions appear in shelters for adoption. Many of these pets are perfectly healthy. Some are even purebred dogs! Others may have been abused and have required medical attention and rehabilitation in order to recover. Still others may be special needs canines as a result of abuse, accident, or birth defect. Many of the special needs dogs make the most loving pets. In most cases, the dog adoption process requires an applicant to provide information about the home they can offer the companion canine. This screening process is required to ensure that the right pet is matched into a family where the pet will fit properly. For example, if you have children, you will not be able to adopt a companion canine that does not get along well with children. Instead, the shelter will match your family with a puppy or adult canine that is known to love children. Along the same lines, if you live in a small apartment, the shelter will not match you with a huge Labrador Retriever or other large breed that needs large amounts of exercise. Instead, a toy breed or small pet will be recommended. The shelter employees also watch your interactions with those pets being up for dog adoption to ensure that there is a good match in personality. These shelters want the canines to be happy in their new homes and their human family to be thrilled with their new pet. When a puppy adoption is agreed upon, most pounds and shelters will provide the pup with required shots and have the new owner sign an agreement to bring the pet, when mature, back for a low-cost spaying or neutering. If an adult canine is the choice for adoption, the spaying or neutering is usually performed before the pet is taken to its new home. Most adoptions require payment of a nominal fee to cover the cost of neutering if performed before adoption, feeding and housing the adoptee, medical health check and treatment cost if disease is found, and supporting the animal rescue organization. Often, pets that would cost hundreds of dollars if purchased from a breeder can be found for fees of less than $100 by choosing to give an unwanted pet a loving home. When selecting a pooch for potential adoption, look for a pet that is attentive, has bright, shiny eyes, a good coat, and approaches you with a wagging tail. Check the cleanliness of the shelter and the area in which the potential adoptee is being kept. The area should be clean and, while all shelters smell of cleanser, there should be no noxious odors from dirty housing areas. The staff should be knowledgeable about canines in general and show real concern about matching you with the right adoptee. If you and your family have room in your hearts and home, dog adoption not only offers an affordable means of owning a loving pet but provides a way to save unwanted canines from certain death, or in the case of no kill shelters, save them from loneliness and feelings of abandonment and rejection. Adopt instead of purchase and consider a special needs adoptee if you have the ability to care for the pet properly.
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