If you are looking for a pet to complete your family, your local animal shelter is the best source for a wide Variety of adults, as well as many puppies and kittens. You may be skeptical about the idea of adopting a pet that was once someone else’s, but once you go to the shelter and see all of the animals there just waiting for a home, you will change your mind for sure. If you don’t find the perfect one on the first day, then come again the next week. The truth is that many shelters receive new animals each day. Shelters also keep waiting lists at hand, where you may list just what you are looking for, and they will call you up when they receive an animal that fits the description.

You’ll be surprised what you can find at your animal shelter. Many people wrongly believe that the only kinds of animals in the shelters are problematic animals. They believe that only large, old, vicious and ill-behaved mutts are left in shelters. How wrong they are! The truth is that most of the times dogs and cats are left because their owners had vastly unrealistic expectations of the ease of the commitment required in owning the pet. The dogs tend not to be old though, they are typically very young and healthy, capable of becoming a great companion. Yes, most dogs in shelters tend to be on the larger size. Why? Well because owners easily fall in love with the cute and cuddly puppy that they buy, not realizing that in just a few months their puppy will grow into a large dog that needs lots of time, exercise, trips to the vet, and all around commitment. Generally, the larger the dog, the more time and effort is needed. So there is a general trend in dogs that are given up for adoption. Many common excuses among owners are things like, “we are moving to the city or to a smaller place”, or “We just had a baby, there is no time” etc.

The shelter is in fact lucky if the owner decides to go to the shelter. This way, the shelter is able to attempt to find a home as soon as possible, and collect as much information from the owner as possible. Sometimes, irresponsible owners just drop their dog off on the road. These are the times when other persons find the dog roaming around, and end up calling the shelter, or animal control. Essentially, the animal shelter picks up on the responsibility that the previous owner abandoned. The shelters try very hard to ensure that all of the animals are adoptable. This means that they do temperament tests, and they check for illnesses. The dogs are also spayed or neutered, in order to prevent unnecessary breeding. Many shelters even provide adoption counseling, in order to make sure that the right choice will be made. Shelter animals are also very inexpensive in comparison to dogs from breeders or other sellers. What’s more, they will most likely be vaccinated and spayed/neutered.

If you are looking for a specific breed, you can find it at a shelter too! About 25% of the dogs at shelters are purebreds. Another way to get the breed you are looking for is to go to breed-specific rescue centers.

Thus, the real question is, why wouldn’t you go to a shelter?