{"id":231,"date":"2014-10-15T20:56:39","date_gmt":"2014-10-15T20:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.communityanimalhosp.com\/blog\/?p=231"},"modified":"2022-06-20T13:57:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T13:57:40","slug":"adopting-pet-shelter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.communityanimalhosp.com\/blog\/adopting-pet-shelter\/","title":{"rendered":"Adopting A Pet From A Shelter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdoptOctober is “National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month”.\u00a0 So we thought we would share some information about just how rewarding it can be to adopt a pet from a shelter and give it a wonderful, loving home.\u00a0 There are dogs and cats of all ages, sizes and colors available through shelters and you have a great chance of finding a companion to match your family and lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Why Adopt a Shelter Pet?<\/h1>\n

You are saving lives!\u00a0 Sometimes dogs and cats wind up in a shelter due to situations like a death in a family, illness, moving, or divorce.\u00a0 These animals have already lived in a home and will usually\u00a0be affectionate and healthy.\u00a0 There are\u00a0other animals that are given up due to behavior problems that were never addressed by the previous owner or they weren’t able to resolve.\u00a0 These animals are a little more challenging and will need some training or retraining to learn to live in his new home.\u00a0 Most shelters evaluate a dogs or cats behavior and will match him with a knowledgable or willing new owner.\u00a0 Some shelters have volunteers who will work on retraining before the pet is adopted.<\/p>\n

There usually is an adoption fee which helps support the work of the shelter in rescue, exams, vaccines and spaying\u00a0or neutering pets before adoption.<\/p>\n

Before Going To The Shelter<\/h2>\n

It is a good idea to have a list of questions to ask the shelter staff about dogs or cats prior to adopting a pet from a shelter.\u00a0 Some questions to ask are:<\/p>\n

Is the pet good with children?<\/p>\n

Is the dog good with cats or other animals:<\/p>\n

What do they know about their history?<\/p>\n

Is there a behavior evaluation?<\/p>\n

What is his personality like?<\/p>\n

Does he walk well on a leash?<\/p>\n

Is he affectionate, calm, energetic, fearful, shy, outgoing?<\/p>\n

During The Shelter Visit<\/h3>\n

During your visit to the shelter don’t be surprised when the shelter asks you for a reference, or asks you a series of questions to be sure you are a good fit the animal.\u00a0 They need to make sure you know you are making a lifetime commitment to give your new pet a forever home.<\/p>\n

Walk through the entire kennel area at least one time to see which dogs or cats appeal to you.\u00a0 Look for signs of friendliness (wagging, wiggling, pawing).\u00a0 If you have children you may want to stay away from dogs that hang back in cage or seem fearful.<\/p>\n

Due to the stress of being in a kennel situation sometimes dogs can be shy and quiet while others bark and jump like crazy.\u00a0 You can ask the shelter staff if you can visit the dog outside of the kennel to\u00a0see if he is calmer and friendlier.<\/p>\n

Spend some time with your top choices.\u00a0 Most shelters will let you visit the\u00a0cat or dog\u00a0several times before you make a decision.\u00a0 You may even be able to take the dog for\u00a0a walk around the grounds.<\/p>\n

It is a good idea to visit your chosen pet\u00a0more than one time.\u00a0 If a shelter allows a 24 hour hold, take advantage of it.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Make sure your\u00a0family meets the new family member.\u00a0 You want everyone to feel\u00a0comfortable with\u00a0the new pet.\u00a0\u00a0And\u00a0it’s a good idea to see how the pet reacts to everyone in your household.\u00a0 When everyone is happy your new pet will be a part of your family for years to come.<\/p>\n

For more detailed information visit:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/virtual-pet-behaviorist\/dog-behavior\/adopting-shelter-dog<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.communityanimalhosp.com\/pet-resources\/articles.html<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

October is “National Adopt a Shelter Dog Month”.\u00a0 So we thought we would share some information about just how rewarding it can be to adopt a pet from a shelter and give it a wonderful, loving home.\u00a0 There are dogs and cats of all ages, sizes and colors available through shelters and you have a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[62,63,64,61,60],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pet-adoption","tag-adopting-a-dog","tag-adopting-a-pet","tag-adopting-an-animal","tag-cat-adoption","tag-pet-adoption-2"],"yoast_head":"\nAdopting A Pet From A Shelter | Community Animal Hospital<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Information on Adopting a pet from a shelter. what to look for when adopting a pet from a shelter.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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