Dogs also end up in shelter when someone finds it as a stray. Those who find them won’t know anything about its owner. You need to understand that most of these dogs are great pets and need a family and a home. So, if you want to adopt a dog from a shelter, you must know the amazing benefits of it. Here, we’ve listed some of them:

1. You can know a lot about dogs from the shelter workers

Those who want to adopt a dog from one of the shelters have a lot of questions. So, if you’re one of them, don’t rely only on your own instincts. Volunteers and staff at the shelter can answer all of your questions based on their experiences. They’ll be able to give you some valuable information about the dogs’ personalities, behavior, and health.

They can also find an ideal dog for your family that would do well in your home. Staff members and volunteers at the shelters have all the information about the dogs’ past. They also know about the homes these animals have lived in and how they get along with other pets.

2. You’ll be helping these wonderful pets

When you decide to adopt a dog from one of the shelters, you’ll be giving it a home. You’ll be giving it a loving and caring family that it needs. Moreover, you’ll also be freeing up space at the shelter for another dog to be brought to the facility. These are the dogs that need utmost care since they’ve already lived with families. They need all the love and attention that they deserve.

3. You’ll get lots of love from the dog

By adopting a dog from a shelter, you’ll be giving a home and a family to that pet. The dog must’ve gone through some unpleasant experiences. Suddenly, it starts getting lots of food, attention, and love it was craving for from you and your family. The dog would truly appreciate it and give you and everyone in the family lots of love in return.

Everyone knows the fact that dogs love their people regardless of what their breed is. This is, of course, not exclusive to dogs in the shelter. The feeling of gratitude in a dog from the shelter would be more and there’s a good reason for this. It must’ve truly needed a home and a family all this while and you appeared at the right moment.

4. You can adopt a grown-up dog instead of a puppy

Nearly half of the dogs brought to a shelter come from families that can’t afford pet-friendly housing. There are others who are surrendered because of the lifestyle changes or medical conditions of the dog owner. Many of the dogs living in shelters are grown-ups that have already lived with their previous families.

When you adopt such dogs, you don’t need to spend much time training them. This is not the case with puppies who dig up your garden or chew your shoes. The adult dogs are much more well-behaved and your days would be much more pleasant with them.

5. You can adopt a puppy if that’s what you need

There are shelters that get pregnant dogs or nursing mother dogs once in a while. The foster teams take care of the puppies as well as their mothers. When the puppies are healthy and old enough, they can be put up for adoption. You can give one of these young dogs a home by adopting it.

Once it bonds well with everyone in the family, you can give it some training. In return, you can expect a lot of warm cuddles from the young dog. Choosing a puppy that’s the right one for your family might require some patience. Nevertheless, shelters are a wonderful place to find a new puppy.

6. Most of the shelter dogs are already trained

Grown-up dogs from the shelters already receive their training in all the basic stuff. So, you don’t need to devote much of your valuable time teaching them discipline and socializing skills. Most of these dogs might’ve also received their potty-training. So, they’re pretty much aware that they must not do their business inside the house.

Any dog would need some time to adjust to a new situation. At least the grown-up dogs are capable of doing things the right way. So, you’ll have lesser troubles to deal with.

7. Shelter dogs are cost-effective

Many shelters offer some special schemes such as fee waivers when they’re running out of space. Some of the shelters are registered as non-profits. In this case, the amount that you pay towards adoption may be tax deductible. Usually, the adoption fees that the shelters charge are much less. Many of the organizations charge higher fees for purebred dogs and puppies.

These dogs are the ones that are in high demand. You’ll be able to adopt senior dogs or those with certain medical challenges for a lower fee. The costs involved in adopting puppies from reputable breeders are extremely high. So, you can save a lot by adopting dogs from shelters.

8. Many shelters microchip their dogs

The larger and more progressive shelters microchip their dogs during adoption. You’ll also find a lot of shelters that do not include this in their adoption package. One of the major reasons for this is that they lack the resources for it. Microchipping is a process of implanting a tiny electronic chip under the skin of the pet. This electronic chip is enclosed in a glass cylinder and has the size of a grain of rice.

If the pet wanders off and a stranger finds it, that individual would report the incident first. Then a staff member of the shelter or a veterinarian can run a scanner over the chip. This will give them access to your contact information and you’ll know where your pet is. If the shelter you’re adopting the dog from doesn’t provide microchipping, a vet can do it.

9. Shelter dogs are vaccinated

The American Veterinary Medical Association has standards of care in place. Besides this, the state laws require certain vaccinations to be given to the shelter animals. Animal shelters vaccinate all the dogs that they receive. They do this in order to protect them from harmful diseases.

Once you adopt a shelter dog, you’ll need to provide it the required shots. A dog adopted from a shelter is often ready to mingle with others as they’re fully vaccinated.

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What really matters is whether it’s compatible with your lifestyle. When you visit a shelter for adopting a cat, there are a few questions you need to ask. The answers you get from the shelter staff will give you a good idea about the cat you’ve chosen. You’ll be able to understand whether it is a good fit for your family. Now, let’s take a look at some of these questions:

1. What’s your impression of the cat?

When you ask the shelter volunteer this question, he or she would give you some valuable insights. Since, the individual has spent some quality time with the cat, he or she would know it well. So, the volunteer would tell you more about the cat’s personality.

Even after getting all the details, you might find it tough to understand the cat’s true temperament. After all, meeting new people can be stressful for most of the cats. It’s highly possible that the cat won’t reveal its true self instantly. Once it settles into your home, you’ll definitely get to know it better.

2. How good is the cat in getting along with other animals?

You’ll not miss asking this question if you have other pets at home. It’s important to make sure you’re adopting a cat that gets along with other animals. This is because they play an important role in the well-being of your new feline friend. Some shelters might have behavior tests in place to see whether the cat is reactive to other animals.

They might also help you arrange a meet-and-greet between other pets of your house and the cat. You can also request for a trial period, which allows you to test the cat. This is done by taking it home and understanding whether it’s a good fit for your household. Once you’re convinced that it’s a good fit, you can formally adopt the cat.

3. Is the cat healthy?

Inquiring about the health history of the cat of your choice is essential. There are times when cats arrive in shelters with certain health issues. They include malnutrition, mange, or parasites. The process of recovery from these conditions can be lengthy. It might also require you to continue the ongoing medication.

In this case, you must prepare yourself to take responsibility for its treatment and cover the expenses. If the cat is suffering from any illness, you must do some research before making a commitment. The research must be on the methods of treatment and the costs involved.

4. Do you know about the cat’s background?

This question can give you answers about where the cat has come from. The volunteers don’t often have much information about the background of their pets. In certain cases, they will have all the information. Their answers can help you take some extra care, if needed, during your cat’s transition. For example, if the cat has grown up on the streets, its transition may not be that smooth.

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During this entire process, you can have some time to get your home ready for your cat. Here are a few things that you can do before welcoming your feline friend into the household:

1. Make a list of shelters

You might be already having some details of your local adoption agencies or shelters. However, if you don’t have these details, you can make a list of shelters located close to your home. Look for the reputed organizations that are registered non-profits.

Go to their website and do a little bit of research yourself. This would give you an idea how they treat animals. You can also benefit from a few websites that help you find shelters or rescue organizations in your neighborhood.

2. Have an open mind

Before you take a look at your potential feline friend, talk to your family members. Even if you’re living with roommates, talk to them about your decision. If you’re planning to take care of the cat yourself, you certainly wouldn’t want an objection from anyone. Be clear about the tasks that everyone must perform such as feeding, clean-up, and playtime activities.

This would help in preventing any conflicts later on. Once you’ve done these things, it’s time to see all those adorable faces of cats at the shelter. One important thing to remember is to know whether the cat breed is right for your lifestyle. Kittens that are quite active need a lot of engagement from their owners. On the other hand, matured cats would need a more quiet environment.

3. Get the space ready for your cat

The space you’ve decided for your cat must be kept clean and ready before its arrival. You’d certainly want your feline friend to be happy and safe in its space. Keep all those exposed wires, unsecured furniture, and poisonous plants away. Include a scratching post for the cat.

If possible, you must also have a cat tree to give your furry friend something exciting for its playtime. In this way, you can also prevent it from being on top of a cabinet in your house. To keep your feline friend occupied, you can also include some cat toys.

4. Have the right feeding setup

Cats have highly sensitive whiskers. It’s important, therefore, to have shallow and wide feeding bowls. Arrange a high-quality diet with meat as the main ingredient. The felines are carnivores. So, they need high amounts of animal protein, limited amount of carbohydrates, and moderate amount of fats.

Of course, dry foods offer more convenience, but you’ll need wet food to fulfill your cat’s water requirements. It has been observed that cats often play more and drink less when you give it only water. A mix of different formats and flavors in protein would give them more variety in food.

5. Set up a spare room

A cat needs some time to get used to their new environment. You can help in making them comfortable in the new settings. This might involve giving them a dedicated space to relax. Set up a spare room or the corner of your bathroom with all their essential items. Then, you can allow them to come to you. Although cats may take some time to warm up, many of them get curious after a few days.

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You might’ve also researched enough on the shelters closest to you. However, bringing an additional member into the household is a big commitment. So you need to consider these things while going ahead with the adoption:

1. Take your time to make the final decision

Most of the individuals who come across those adorable puppies in need of homes are tempted to adopt one. What they probably don’t know that this is something serious and needs a careful thought. You must, therefore, take your time and arrive at a final decision. This would involve answering a few questions about your lifestyle and the place where you live.

For example, you might be living in a simple apartment and your family travels a lot. You need to think which dog breed would be comfortable living within a small space. Since the family travels frequently, you also need to know who would look after your dog in your absence.

2. Make sure you’ve got the necessary finances

There’s no denying that dogs need a lot of care and this can add to your expenses. You’ll need to set aside a certain amount to pay for the visits to the vet. Sometimes, you might have to deal with medical emergencies associated with your dog. Besides, you’ll have to provide it with bedding, high-quality dog food, and other items. You’ll need to ensure that you’ve got the ability to pay for all these expenses.

3. Spaying or neutering your dog is important

According to the estimates, the animal shelters receive nearly 6 to 8 million animals every year. This happens in the United States alone. Almost half of them are put to death because of lack of good homes for all of them. Now imagine how you’ll feel if this was to happen to our fellow human beings.

So, it’s absolutely necessary to stop such things. The only way out is to make sure that the unwanted puppies are not born. You’re already preventing a dog from being put to death by adopting it from a shelter. Another extremely important thing to do is to spay or neuter your dog.

4. Microchipping and dog tags

If you can’t find your way back home, you can call someone for help. Dogs are not capable of such things. Despite giving a lot of attention and care to your dog, accidents happen. You never know when your dog will run away or get lost. So, it’s important to get a collar with proper tagging for your dog. It must have your dog’s name and at least two contact numbers.

One must be your number and the second can be of any other member of your family. Microchipping is a simple procedure and you can get it done from the vet. It is an excellent way to ensure that your dog gets back home safely. If you’re moving, make sure that you update the tags or give your new information to the microchip company.

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