So you’ve decided you’re ready to adopt a pet. Great! But where to begin? Simply visiting a shelter or rescue can be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. You wouldn’t want to choose a dog or cat based solely on their appearance. It’s important to prepare and ask yourself questions before you arrive at the shelter. The first step is to understand your own lifestyle. Do you like to exercise and be outdoors or do you prefer to relax in front of the TV most of the time? Maybe it’s a little bit of both. Do you have children or children in your life who often visit? How much time do you spend at home? Does your job require you to travel or be away from your house a majority of the time? Then, ask yourself what your expectations are. What do you picture doing with your new pet? What will you be expecting from your new friend? How much training does he or she need to have already and how much time are you willing to put towards training?
Once you understand and have answers to these questions, you will have a better idea of what kind of pet you’re looking for. Try not to restrict yourself by age, breed, or size, unless you are doing so for lifestyle reasons. Puppies and kittens always require more time, patience, and dedication to training. However, you may think you want a young dog, but fall in love with an older one once you arrive at the shelter, and that’s OK! When you do arrive, talk to one of our staff members or volunteers about what you’re looking for. You might say something like, “I’m looking for a dog who’s somewhat active, but also knows how to relax. He or she needs to get along with children and should be able to be crated for a portion of the day while my spouse and I are at work.” Our staff and volunteer spend a lot of time with the animals and will be able to point out a few animals that meet your needs. Next, you’ll want to make sure that the whole family gets a chance to meet the pet. We have various areas to meet with the animals outside of the kennels. When you do meet with the animals, be aware of the ones that you and your family seem to bond with easily. Remember, you can always take time to think about which pet is the best fit for you, and come back to make the final decision.
We hope this is helpful in your decision about which animal to adopt. We are always here to help if you have questions!
