Planning to Add to the Family? Consider a Shelter Pet

Thinking about opening your heart and home to a new family member? Before you make an impulse decision to buy that cute ball of fur in the puppy store, stop and consider whether it's the right pet for your family and lifestyle.

Some things to consider:

• How much time do you spend at home? Puppies and kittens need a lot of human attention, especially for housetraining and socialization. If that's not possible, an older pet make be a better choice.
• How involved will the pet be in family activities? If yours leads an active lifestyle, you'll want to consider getting a hardy dog who enjoys the outdoors. These pets must be well-behaved, too, which involves a commitment to ongoing obedience training.
• Are there other pets in the home? Be sure to consider how the resident pets will interact with the new addition.
• Are there children in the family? The age of the children should be taken into account. Very young children may unintentionally injure a fragile small breed dog.

There are a host of good reasons to try your local animal shelter or rescue group for your new pet:

• Puppies and kittens are cute, but the paper-training, teething and obedience skills phase is exhausting. Besides, that cute 8-week-old ball of fur might grow into a 90-pound eating machine!
• Shelter pets, as a group, are healthier than the animals flowing from "puppy mills" into local pet shops. Most are vet-screened and receive good preventative care, spaying or neutering, and vaccinations.
• Most shelters screen for temperament and work to match the pet with the right type of family. Why end up with a cat who hides under the bed when your youngsters try to pet her?
• Shelter pets are a real bargain: you pay only a nominal fee to adopt and most of those first year medical expenses - like spaying or neutering and vaccinations - are already taken care of.

Thinking about a specific breed? Shelters can still be a great option, since they are filled with the most popular breeds in your community. Or contact a breed-specific rescue group.

To locate pets available for adoption in your area, contact your local humane society. Or visit www.petfinder.com to find available pets in your area.

Previous Article | Next Article