Introduction

Adopting a pet from a shelter is a great way to save an animal and help the environment. But not all shelters are created equal, so it’s important to do your research before adopting a pet. Here are some tips for choosing a dog shelter or rescue program:

Take your time.

When you’re considering adopting a new dog, it’s important to take your time.

It’s tempting to just pick up the first puppy that comes into your life and call it a day. But if you want to make sure that your new pet is going to be happy and healthy in its new home, it’s worth taking some time beforehand to make sure you have all the information necessary before bringing him or her home.

It could also save you from making an expensive mistake down the line when adopting a pet from an animal shelter isn’t quite what it seems like on paper.

If you haven’t visited any shelters yet or heard anything about them, start by asking friends who have adopted pups themselves how their experiences were at different shelters around town (and remember: social media is great for this kind of thing!). If they’ve got good things to say, then there might be something worth checking out!

Consider working with shelter programs first.

Consider working with a shelter program first. If you live close to a university, consider contacting their animal science department and asking if they have any available shelter programs. Most universities offer these programs as extensions of their research; they’re usually cheaper than private shelters, and typically have more animals in their care because there are many more staff members to help take care of them!

Visit the shelter and request a tour.

The first thing you should do is visit the shelter. You don’t need to set up an appointment, and it can be beneficial to go during off hours (late afternoon or early morning). If a volunteer isn’t available, ask for one of the employees so that they can give you a proper tour of their facility.

Bring treats with you! The dogs will love them and it will help relieve some stress in them when meeting new people at their new home. Make sure that if there are any puppies running around, that they are not in heat because otherwise it could cause issues later on with breeding them properly.

If possible bring along a friend or family member who doesn’t have allergies so that they can help take notes on what kind of interactions occurred during your visit so far – this way when/if something happens later down the road where something could’ve been prevented earlier on by simply being more knowledgeable about things like this beforehand before adopting out pets from shelters where volunteers might not necessarily know what they’re doing yet (which happens more often than we’d like) then hopefully those mistakes won’t happen again due diligence being taken care beforehand when signing up as someone’s caregiver instead just trusting blindly despite having no experience whatsoever working with animals whatsoever…

Find out about the care and feeding of animals at the shelter.

Make sure you know how the animals are cared for. You should ask questions like:

• How often do they feed the animals?
• What do they feed them?
• How much exercise do they get?
• Do they have access to fresh water at all times?
• Are there any restrictions on visitors (such as pets or children) entering the shelter, and if so, what are those restrictions?
• Are there any specific cleaning rules in place at this particular facility (like mandatory cleaning schedules or even time limits on when people can come visit)?

If you have a particular fondness or aversion toward certain types of animal care facilities—for example, maybe you absolutely love dog parks but loathe cat catteries—it may be helpful to inquire about how many dogs and/or cats live in each section of the shelter.

Ask about pet adoption rates.

Ask about pet adoption rates.

How many animals are adopted out each year? How many animals are euthanized each year? Ask for the organization’s intake and adoption data, which should be readily available. Some shelters keep records of every single animal that comes through their doors (we do), while others might only have a general idea of what’s going on at the shelter. If you’re not sure if a shelter keeps complete statistics, ask to see any records they have kept over time—if there aren’t any, it may not be worth your time or effort to adopt from them. In general, we recommend finding a shelter that keeps detailed records so you’ll know how long an animal has been waiting for adoption and whether or not he or she is likely to be adopted soon.

How many dogs at the shelter are purebred? This can sometimes be difficult to determine unless you’re looking at purebreds specifically—but if there are tons of breeds represented in their population but only one or two types seem popular (i.e., poodles), then chances are most of those dogs were bred in puppy mills and/or bought from breeders instead of coming from shelters themselves!

Ask about services for vetted pets.

• Are spay/neuter services offered?
• What about vaccination services? Do they offer low-cost vaccinations to help get your pet on a schedule and keep them healthy?
• What other services are available for pets that have been adopted from the shelter, such as microchipping and heartworm prevention.

Inquire about their volunteer program.

Ask about the shelter’s volunteer program. Volunteers are an important part of any animal shelter, and can help with cleaning, walking dogs, fundraising, and more. They might also assist with social media or public relations.

Inquire about non-dog animals they may have in their care.

If you’re looking for a dog, but would consider adopting another animal, inquire about what they have available. Sometimes shelters will only have dogs on their premises and other times they’ll have both cats and dogs. If you are interested in adopting other animals, ask them how they handle this process. Are there different forms to fill out? Do they work with rescue groups to save non-dog animals? Do they accept donations of food or other materials from people who want to help the cause?

They may also be able to tell you about their adoption process for non-dog species or perhaps provide examples of success stories that include adopting a rabbit or cat at the shelter instead of buying one from a pet store or breeder.

Check online reviews if possible.

If you don’t have the opportunity to visit a shelter’s facilities in person, try looking online. Many shelters have websites where they post information about their animals, adoption policies and procedures, and even photos of the animals that are available for adoption. Check these sites before making an appointment with a shelter so that you can learn more about how they operate and what kinds of services they provide.

When reviewing online reviews for a particular dog shelter or program:

• Consider the source. If someone has written a review about an organization on Facebook or another social media platform (rather than on an independent site), then take their opinion with a grain of salt—after all, people aren’t always honest when it comes to voicing their opinions online!

Consider any special education or rescue efforts they may be doing.

As you’re considering a specific shelter, it’s important to ask some basic questions about their special education or rescue efforts. How many animals are they rescuing? If they don’t rescue animals, do they know of other shelters that do? If they do rescue animals, what kind of training is provided and how often is it available?

For instance, if your dog has started barking at strangers in the park because he sees them as intruders to his territory (and thus has begun acting aggressively), consider asking about any special programs that focus on behavior modification for dogs with this issue. If your dog does not have an issue but may encounter one in the future (like being afraid of thunder), find out what type of training would be most helpful in addressing those issues before they arise.

Take your time when adopting a pet from a shelter, but make sure to spend at least some time!

There are many things to consider when choosing a shelter, but the most important is to take your time. When you visit a shelter, take the time to ask questions. Ask if they have any special education or rescue efforts going on. Check online reviews from past adopters and volunteers who have adopted from that shelter in the past. Do not be afraid to ask about their adoption rates as well; this will give you an idea of how successful their programs are for finding homes for animals staying at that shelter!

Conclusion

You know what? You’re ready for this! You’ve done the work, you’ve thought about the important questions, and now it’s time to go out there and find your new best friend. We hope these tips will help you feel confident in your decision, but remember that even if you make a mistake—which is completely normal—you can always fix it. The most important thing is to keep going and never give up on finding your perfect match, because they do exist!