Pets With A Mission, Inc.: Where To Look For Your Next Pet
There are many options for where to find a new pet. There are shelters, rescue organizations, breeders, pet shops, neighbors, or stray animals that show up in the yard. Most shelters, rescues, and breeders post pictures and information about their animals online so you can check availability before you leave home.
A shelter is an excellent source because often there is a shelter located nearby. They have a variety of animals, mostly dogs and cats, but some shelters have other species, as well. Shelters have mixed breeds and purebred animals, babies through seniors, and males and females in many sizes and colors. Some shelters welcome people to come in and check out the animals anytime during normal business hours. Other shelters work on an appointment basis. Generally, shelters have reasonable adoption fees and the animals will be spayed or neutered prior to adoption.
Some rescues are breed specific such as a Beagle rescue only takes in Beagles. Other rescues take in any dogs or cats that they think are adoptable. Also, there are rescues for rabbits, birds, and other animals. Some rescues have on-site kennels where the animals are kept. However, it is very common that rescue organizations do not have kennels. Instead, they place animals in foster care with approved families (fosters). Fosters get to know the animal’s behavior and provide some basic manners training to increase the animal’s adoptability. Information about the rescue’s animals is posted online. Interested adopters contact the organization and go through an adoption approval process before they are put in touch with the foster. Since the animals live with fosters they can provide more behavior information and whether the animal gets along with men, children, and other species. Either type of rescue can be a good place to look for an animal. As a note of caution, there are a few rescues that makes it extremely difficult to adopt their animals. Most likely that “rescue” is a hoarder in disguise. But the majority of rescues really want their animals to get permanent homes.
Obtaining a new pet from a breeder is always a possibility. There are two types of breeders. The first type is a responsible breeder who is truly concerned about advancing the breed that they handle. Those breeders carefully study the ancestry of the male and female animals in the attempt to produce the best offspring possible. They may undertake genetic testing of the parent animals to screen out any potential genetic diseases such as eye disorders or hip dysplasia. In most cases, their female animals have only one litter a year. That limits the availability of puppies or kittens while providing beneficial care to the mom. It costs more to purchase an animal from a responsible breeder but you are much more likely to obtain a quality pet who comes with a warranty. If the offspring develop health issues or the adopter is unable to keep the pet, the breeder will take the animal back.
Another type of breeder is a backyard or hobby breeder. Often times the hobby breeder has a female pet, such as a Golden Retriever, and they decide that the dog should have puppies. They locate someone who has a male Golden Retriever and they let nature take its course to produce puppies to sell. In most cases, the pet owners will not have explored the ancestral background of either potential parent animal or done any genetic testing. They are more interested in making a few bucks selling puppies than advancing the breed. There are some good hobby breeders out there but it might be hard to identify them.
Pet stores are not the best place to look for baby dogs or cats. They may have cute baby animals but it is likely that the babies came from a puppy mill type of environment. Frequently, those babies have unknown health conditions but that is not always the case. There are some pet stores who carefully source their animals for sale. Many pet stores cooperate with shelters and rescues by allowing those organizations to periodically bring their adoptable animals to the store to gain more visibility and hopefully facilitate more adoptions. Still, it is a good idea to use care when shopping for a pet.
Neighbors may have a pet who has given birth and the family is looking for homes for the offspring. Often it was the case of an unplanned pregnancy in which they may or may not know who the dad is. You may already know the mom so you will have some information about her breed, adult size, appearance, and behaviors which may be passed on to the puppies. But some of the health information will be missing.
Another possible source for a new pet is your own yard when a stray shows up. The stray could be very young, an adult, or a senior. With a stray there is no choice of age, gender, size, or breed. Most stray animals need a bath and treatment for fleas and parasites. Some strays are generally healthy while others may have serious medical conditions. If efforts to find the previous owner are unsuccessful, it is time to decide whether to keep the stray or turn them in to a shelter or rescue. If your home is going to be their new home, the animal should be taken to the veterinarian for a general checkup. The stray will need some good care and attention. Then, there is a good chance that the stray will turn in to an exceptional pet who appreciates their new home.
There are many places to look for your next pet. Some of the sources may be better than others, but all shelters, rescues, and breeders have animals that need new homes. Check out one or more of them. Good luck in the search for finding a new family member.
There are many options for where to find a new pet. There are shelters, rescue organizations, breeders, pet shops, neighbors, or stray animals that show up in the yard. Most shelters, rescues, and breeders post pictures and information about their animals online so you can check availability before you leave home.
