Dog Adoption
There are
many situations nowadays when the dog owners must find somebody else to take
care of their dog. Reasons are different Some people need to change location or
a new location does not permit dogs or other animals. Some of the owners lost
their job and are simply not able to afford to take care of a dog anymore. I
have heard many stories throughout adopting community, unfortunately not all of them had
a happy ending.
Think of
that this way: when you adopt a dog you actually rescue two dogs - the one you take, and
the one that shelter or rescue group take in instead.
Before you adopt a dog there are many things to
consider. In this article I will try to point out all the things you should
think of before you make this step.
1. Money
Adopting process is not free as some of you
may think. If you adopt a dog from a shelter you must be prepared to pay about
$65 ( municipal shelters) or up to $500 ( purebred rescue groups). Those costs
cover veterinary care, food etc. that shelter had to provide
during the time the dog was under their roof.
After you
pay the shelter and take your new puppy home there are many more expenses that
have to be considered. Dog license, food, veterinary care, identification tags, leash, grooming supplies, toys, dog collar, etc. As you can see
list is almost endless. You have to be prepared that many costs are unexpected.
For example your dog may suffer from a disease that needs to be taken care of
immediately - veterinary costs are sometimes very high. Furthermore behavior of
your dog could be something that you need to work on - you would have to hire a
professional trainer, etc.
2. Time
Another BIG
question before adopting a dog is - will you and your family have time for a
puppy. Nowadays most people don't even have the time for themselves so this has
to be decision thought through well. You would have to take your dog for a walk
several times a day, must provide it with food and water two or more times per
day.
If you get
long-haired dog you would need to spend at least 15 minutes a day grooming.
Grooming itself also needs some training so you need to be prepared for that.
When adopting very young puppy or energetic dog you must be aware that you
would have to play, socialize and exercise with a dog about an hour per day.
3. Your
lifestyle
Is my place
big enough for a dog?
Size of the
place you live in must be suitable for a dog. Some breeds need to have more
space to play and exercise on a daily basis, while some will do just fine in a
small apartments
Travels
If your
occupation or a lifestyle requires a lot of traveling and absence than you need
to ask yourself a question how do I take care of my dog while I am away. Some
extra expenses like dog sitting or boarding must be added to you calculations
Dirt
What is your
tolerance level for dirt? Especially during first couple of weeks when your new
dog feels insecure and nervous "accidents" can and more likely will
happen.
BIG questions
Before you
adopt a puppy you and your family need to answer all of the questions below.
Remember that getting a dog should be decision of all your family and everybody
should be participating in choosing and taking care of a dog.
1) What is
the main reason you want to adopt a dog?
2) Do you
need a dog to spend your free time more active or do you rather see your dog as
a house toy for your children or maybe you need a guard dog for your
protection?
3) Will you
have patience to do a lot of grooming?
4) Will you
have time for a larger breed of dog? It will need a lot more attention and time
spent on general care
5) Do you
have other animals in the house that may be dangerous to keep close to a dog?
Where to
adopt a dog?
Dog Shelters
are operated under government supervision or are non-profit organizations
(American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - ASPCA). Those facilities employ paid
staff as well as use volunteers services. They take care of abandoned dogs as
well as prepare puppies for an adoption process.
Rescue
Groups is quite different institution from the above. It does not employ
anybody - they rely on a network of volunteers who keep the dogs in their
houses until adopted. Very often those groups simply take dogs from shelters
with bad conditions and place the dogs with foster families till somebody
adopts them for good. You can find rescue groups that only deal with certain
breed ( for example: Groups for Labrador or Groups for German Sheppard).
Main
difference between Rescue Group and Shelter is that dogs adopted from Rescue
Groups live closer to their foster families while dogs from the Shelter live rather
in an overcrowded place full of other dogs. That said you can be sure that by
adopting a dog from Rescue Group you will get much more info from the foster
home than from the Shelter staff. Relationship between a dog and the foster
families are much more intimate and you can get a lot of information about a
dog's health condition as well as any behavioral issues.
Adopting a
dog from a rescue group is more expensive than the one from the shelter. That
is because rescue groups rely solely on donations and adopting fees while
shelters get some money also from the government.
Where do I
start adopting process?
Go to http://www.petfinder.com or http://www.adoptapet.com to find a pet you wish to adopt in
your area - you simply search by breed and type in your postcode. When you find
a dog you are looking for go to the shelter's website to check what their
procedures are as well as get contact information to ask any further questions.
Make sure
you ask the questions below to the shelter staff
How old is a dog?
What is the Dog's History. Ask as many questions as possible about dog's
temperament, food preferences etc.
How does the dog behave around children - crucial question when you have a
child
Adopting a
dog is a great adventure. Keep in mind that you give second chance to another
animal being. Make sure though that your choice is thought through and followed
with the steps described in this article. Good luck!
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