Pets 101: Adopting a shelter dog

Choosing to adopt a dog is just the beginning of a much bigger process. Petfinder.com's "The Adopted Dog Bible" shares information on what steps you should take and what challenges you should expect. An excerpt.

You may have thought that deciding to adopt a dog rather than buy one from a breeder would be the toughest part of the whole dog acquisition process. But choosing to adopt a dog isn’t the end of a process, it’s the beginning.

You might feel a bit overwhelmed when you try to figure out where to look for your adopted dog. Lots of options confront you: animal shelters, rescue groups, advertisements, and even dogs that might choose you by following you home. But take heart! This chapter gives you all your adoption options to find the dog of your dreams.

Gimme shelter
Your local animal shelter can be a great place to find your dream dog. Generally, shelters are run by local governments or local humane organizations. Almost every county and medium-to-large city in the United States has a shelter; some may have several.

However, all shelters are not created equal. Some are state-of-the-art facilities with climate-controlled apartments, piped-in music, and full-time trainers who socialize the canine guests, teach them some new tricks (literally), and otherwise keep them as happy as possible until they’re adopted. Such shelters are in the minority, though, because building, creating, and maintaining these ideal shelters requires funding and personnel that most communities don’t have. These communities do the best they can with the relatively meager resources available to them, and they make every effort to provide a safe, clean refuge for the animals they shelter. And almost all shelters, regardless of the luxuriousness of their accommodations, have employees who do their very best to care for the unfortunate animals who need a shelter’s services, and to find permanent homes for as many as they can.

In addition to paid staff, many shelters have volunteers who help with duties such as socializing dogs, screening adoption applications, and introducing applicants to available dogs. Some fortunate shelters have full-time trainers who show selected volunteers how to teach the dogs basic manners. A dog who responds to simple cues such as “come,” “sit,” and “heel” is much more likely to make a good impression on a prospective adopter than a dog who hurls himself at an approaching human in a joyous frenzy or hugs the rear wall of his enclosure when someone passes by. But keep in mind that just because a dog has not yet learned basic manners does not mean that he won’t make an excellent companion once you put in some time socializing and educating him.

There are as many reasons for a dog to wind up in a shelter as there are dogs that need homes. According to Petfinder, purebred dogs make up at least 25 percent of the adoptable dogs available. While young puppies occasionally come to a shelter (often with their mother), many shelter dogs are adolescents — between six months and two years of age. Among these canine teenagers are dogs whose former families adored them when they were cute little puppies, but couldn’t or wouldn’t cope with their adolescent unruliness just a few months later. Other shelter dogs are senior citizens whose folks might not have wanted to be bothered with taking care of an elderly animal, or perhaps, whose people were seniors themselves and no longer able to provide their beloved friend with a home.

Shelter dogs also come in all sizes and shapes. One enclosure might house a high-strung silky-haired toy-sized pooch; in the next might be a big couch potato of a Pit Bull mix. When it comes to shelter dogs, diversity is the name of the game.

Regardless of their age, appearance, or temperament, many shelter dogs find themselves homeless due to circumstances beyond their control, or because they have minor issues that would respond to a little time and effort by a caring human being or a family.

Most shelters have a three-part adoption procedure: preparing a dog for adoption, selecting an adopter, and following up after the adoption.

Typically, when a dog first arrives, shelter personnel evaluate his temperament, immunize him against rabies and other serious canine diseases, perform a heartworm test, and check for internal parasites. The dog then goes to live in his own enclosure among the other canine guests. The enclosure may include a blanket, toys, or other goodies to help the dog feel more at home. During his stay, shelter employees and volunteers not only feed the dog but also try to spend some quality time with him: taking him for walks, playing with him outdoors, and even teaching him basic good manners such as coming when called and sitting when told. Such efforts not only help acclimate the dog to the shelter but also help prepare him to be adopted.

While the dog is being prepped for a forever home, other shelter staffers and volunteers work to find that home. They might photograph the dog and advertise his availability on Petfinder.com and/or on their own web-site. They also might place a classified advertisement in their local paper, or put up flyers on community bulletin boards or at pet supply stores. When prospective adopters show an interest in the dog — through phone calls, e-mail, or a visit to the shelter — employees usually ask them to fill out a questionnaire or application. Such applications can be quite extensive (see “So You Think You Can Just Adopt a Dog?” on page 9), but if used properly, they can open a constructive dialogue between shelter personnel and would-be adopters to make the best possible match between the dog and a prospective family.

Shelter employees evaluate each application, check references, and interview the applicant either by phone or in person. Based on those evaluations, shelter staff can help match the right dog with the right family. Some shelters will then perform a home evaluation in which a shelter staffer or volunteer visits the adopter’s residence to make sure that it’s a good place for the dog to live and to help the new pet-parent-to-be with dog-proofing tips.

If you think your dream dog may be waiting for you in a shelter, take these steps to advance your quest:

Find some shelters. Don’t know where your local shelters are? Simply log on to the Internet and point your browser to  Petfinder.com/shelters.html. If you don’t have access to the Internet at home, work, or through a friend, log on to a computer at your local library. There you’ll find Petfinder’s searchable database of animal welfare organizations. Decide whether you want to search by location or by state, and follow the prompts.

Visit online. Almost all shelters maintain a web page on Petfinder.com — along with a list of available dogs for adoption. Some also link to their own website. Whether on Petfinder or through an organization’s website, you should be able to gain vital information about the shelter’s visiting hours, adoption procedures, and how dogs are made available for adoption. You may also find the organization’s adoption questionnaire or application.

Visit in person. Once you have all the information you need, pay the shelter a visit — even if their current listings don’t include a dog who interests you. If you’re a parent, try to make this visit on your own, so that you’re not subjected to the nagging pleas of your kids. Visit the dogs there and fill out an application. Talk with the shelter employees or the volunteers who handle adoptions, and let them know about the kind of dog you’re hoping to adopt. They may remember you when a dog who may be suited to your needs comes along. As you chat with the shelter staff and watch them at work, evaluate your experience: Do you feel welcome? Does the staff seem genuinely interested in helping you find the right dog for your family? Do they show real compassion and concern as they interact with the dogs in their care? (For more suggestions on what to look for in a shelter, see Chapter 5.)

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