Great Advice From adoptapet.com

Common Questions About Pet Adoption

Q: Although there are millions of pets in shelters needing homes each year, many pet-owners-to-be

don’t think about pet adoption when they’re looking for their new four-legged friend. Why do you think
this is, and what can be done to turn that around?

A: Many people who want to get a pet just are not aware of how many great pets are available at
shelters. They might also have the misconception that pets in shelters might be there because there was
a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem with pet
behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn't have the time or money to care for the
animal. In some cases animals are lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and
very eager to please. Rescued pets are wonderful- just ask anyone who has one.

Some people are seeking purebred animals or puppies and think these animals are not available in
shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an
expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these
animals are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter. Puppies and kittens often up in shelters
as well, but it is important to note that puppies require a lot of work and training and can be quite
destructive (peeing on the carpet or chewing shoes). Puppies are great, but often people are much
happier getting a dog who is older, and whose size and temperament is a known quantity.

Through Adopt-a-Pet.com and without even leaving their home, people can search all their local shelters
and see pictures and descriptions of the pets available for adoption. This way, they can find the exact
pet they want, call the animal shelter or rescue group, and get information on how to adopt that specific
animal.

Q: What are the 5 most important things a potential adopter should consider when choosing their new

A: We actually have a blog post on this highlighting the top 10 things we believe are important when

adopting. Here are five, the rest can be located by visiting this page http://www.adoptapet.com/public/
guides/permanentpets.html.
1. You need to make a real commitment to care for your pet for its entire life.
2. Verify in advance that you’re allowed to keep a pet where you live.
3. Never adopt a pet on a whim or because you feel it’s love-at-first-sight
4. Provide sufficient exercise and stimulation during the first few weeks, this will help the pet adjust.

A:

1. When you adopt an adult animal, you can see his/her size and temperament. This helps ensure that
the pet is right for you and your family.
2. It feels great to know you have saved an animal’s life and everyone you meet will give you kudos for
that for years to come.
3. Adopted pets are very loyal and know they have been given a new home.
4. Adopting a pet can be an important lesson to teach your children-- both about the value of life, and
also about civic responsibility and even recycling- in this case recycling a living and loving animal into a
new home.
5. Choosing a mixed breed animal can help avoid many of the genetic health problems that have
developed in purebred animals due overbreeding and inbreeding.

Q:

If someone reading this isn’t in a position to adopt a pet right at this time, but still wants to help
homeless pets, what are 5 things they can do to get involved?

A:

1. People can do Social PETworking and Twitter Critter! They can run a search on Adopt-a-Pet.com, find
a pet they want to help get exposure for, and use the share tools on our site to post the pet link on their
Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or other social network page. Or, they can email the link of a pet in need
from our site to their friends.
2. They can place a link/graphic or even a search widget for Adopt-a-Pet.com on their personal website
to encourage their users to see pets in need at local shelters.  http://www.adoptapet.com/public/searchtools/
3. People can add their info to our volunteer database  http://www.adoptapet.com/volunteer/
signup so shelters who need volunteers can find them.
4. People can search Adopt-a-Pet.com to find a local shelter, and make a cash donation to that shelter to
help them with the costs of housing, feeding and medical care of shelter animals.
5. People can encourage other pet owners to spay or neuter their pet
http://www.adoptapet.com/public/spay_and_neuter/index.html) to help prevent unwanted births.