I have decided to adopt a pet. Now where do I go?

I have decided to adopt a pet.  Now where do I go?

We are fortunate in the St. Louis area that there are such a large number of individuals and groups that are working to try to find homes for homeless pets.   When you are starting to look for a pet to adopt, the choices can be a bit overwhelming.  There are pluses and minuses to each type of rescue agencies and you need to explore all of the choices to find the one that is the best fit for you.

One type of agency that is available is the humane society or animal control shelter.  They are usually larger shelters and are typically associated with some type of government entity, such as a city or county.  In St. Louis, there are several, such as Humane Society of Missouri, St. Louis County Animal Control, St. Charles County Humane Services and others.  One benefit to these types of agencies is that they often have a larger number of available pets to choose from.  They can often offer adoptions at lower prices than some of the smaller agencies and the pets in these shelters usually have had thorough medical care, including spay and neuter surgery, prior to adoption.  You also have the opportunity to go to the facility where the pets live and meet a larger number of them at one time, which is convenient.

There are also different types of smaller agencies that offer pet adoption in our area.  One type of smaller agency is a breed specific rescue.  These rescues only have pets available of a particular breed, such as Phoenix Pack, which offers pit bull rescue, Golden retriever rescue, Siamese cat rescue, etc.  Another type of rescue offers cats and dogs of multiple different breeds and/or mixed breeds.  The pets in these smaller rescues are often kept in “foster” homes and are offered for adoption via websites, adoption events, etc.  If you have firmly decided on a particular breed, a breed specific rescue might be a good choice for you.  These groups are often extremely knowledgeable about their particular breed.  There is a big benefit to adoption of a pet that has been fostered in a home.  When pets are kept in an individual family home versus a shelter situation, it is easier to know more about their personality.  The more you can determine about a pet’s behavior, personality, habits, etc.  prior to adoption, the more secure you can be in determining if the pet will fit into your home.  Costs of adoption from these types of agencies can vary and medical care that has been given prior to adoption can vary depending on the philosophy of the individual rescue. 

Pets that are available for adoption can also be found at veterinary hospitals, retail pets stores, etc.  The Pet Doctor usually has several cats and dogs available for adoption through our rescue (The Pet Doctor to the Rescue)

Although all of the rescue agencies have the pet’s best interest at heart, there is a wide variation on services provided, follow up care available, etc.      

• Before adopting a pet from any organization, be sure that the following topics are covered:
• Is there any information on previous history about the pet?  Why did it end up in a rescue?
• Is there a complete medical record available on the pet?  Will you receive a copy?
• Is the pet up to date on vaccinations and deworming?
• Has the pet had diagnostic testing for illness such as fecal parasite exam, heartworm test in dogs and FELV/FIV test in cats?  
• Is the pet spayed or neutered prior to sending the pet home with you?  This is one area that is very important.   Most of the committed rescues make sure that they are not sending pets out into the community that could add to the pet overpopulation problem.  Occasionally this surgery cannot be done prior to adoption, due to a pet’s age, illness, etc.  An arrangement should be made in advance to make sure that the alteration surgery is a priority and will be done as soon as medically indicated. 
• What if my new pet gets sick within a short amount of time after adoption?  Does the rescue provide any type of health guarantee?  What measures need to be taken if my new pet gets sick?