Animal Adoption Centers have popped up all over the country in every major city. It’s a great idea for those looking to get a pet, but are not sure where or how to go about finding one. Below, we’ll go over some of the most important criteria to keep in mind when searching.
How To Find An Adoption Center
Probably the easiest way to discover an animal adoption center to adopted from is to visit your local animal shelter. In previous articles, we shared a few sources to locate shelters that help you locate animal adoption centers for pets.
This article was first posted on 5/5/14. We’ve updated it with new information. We originally wrote this article to give people a brief introduction to how to find a local animal shelter to adopt a pet from. This article now provides additional information on 10 unique places across the US to adopt pets from. Some of these pet centers offer spaying/neutering programs, and some even do microchip implants.
When To Adopt
Many animal shelters are only open during certain times of the week. For example, a shelter might not be open during the middle of the day, so you’d have to call or visit in advance to see if the shelter would take the pet on a specific day. Some shelters also don’t accept pets during the cold months of winter, as well as at night.
Where to Adopt. Once you’ve found an adoption facility to which you’d like to give your pet, where to adopt a pet from should be a relatively easy decision. Ideally, you want to locate a facility near your home. If you live in an area where there aren’t any pet friendly areas to adopt pets, you could consider a center that works with a rescue group, or one that specializes in pets who have been abused or who need extra care when first arriving at the shelter. Be sure to check with the shelter if you have any questions about their policies before adopting.
How To Adopt
At each shelter, it’s required that you register your pet with them before bringing the pet home. You’ll probably be given the keys to the animal’s cage, and told to look out for the shelter staff or other adopters when you arrive. Once you’re at the adoption center, you’ll be given a number or name that you can call to find out whether or not the animal you’re adopting is currently homesick.
Food and Grooming. The environment at an animal shelter or animal adoption center is generally very clean and very well-kept. There are typically several types of beds and dishes for the new pet to eat at, along with plenty of toys to keep the animal busy and happy. The staff may even prepare some healthy meals for the pet to enjoy. You can ask about what they use for cat or dog food while taking care of the new pet as well. The staff can also help you with grooming requirements, so be sure to let them know what type of grooming the pet will need before bringing it home.
Summing Up
Pet Adoption Centers are a great place to adopt a pet from. If you don’t live near one, there are many that you can visit. You can learn about different breeds, different pet needs and maybe look into a pet that is closed to the public. These shelters do not allow pets to enter the street and do not allow pets to run free. It’s just something that they do to ensure that animals do not suffer from unwanted exposure and can be properly taken care of in an loving and safe environment.
