Adoption Process
What to think about before pet ownership
What are your family’s expectations of the pet? For example: If you’re looking for a dog, they can take hiking but yours suffers from arthritis, it’s not a strong fit.
Are there small children in the home?
If there are small children in the home, do they have any experience with pets, and will parents supervise appropriately and take the bulk of responsibility for the pet?
Pets are a great way to teach kids about responsibility, but they shouldn’t be the sole caregivers. You also want to ensure that no harm will come to the animal or child due to a lack of supervision.
Where will the pet stay while you’re at work?
How many hours per day will the pet be left alone? Most older cats and dogs can handle being alone for the length of a normal working day (8-10 hours), but young puppies and kittens shouldn’t be left alone for more than 4 hours a day.
Do you plan on crating, and for how long each day?
Reasonable crating can be helpful in acclimating a pet to a new environment or routine. However, you certainly don’t want him spending 12 hours a day caged, so use your best judgment.
Would you be willing to adopt during the weekend or work vacation time to help him transition more easily?
Will the pet be going outside at all?
Allowing a dog to be indoors and outdoors is acceptable so long as he isn’t left outside on a regular basis while the family remains inside or away from home, but cats should be indoors-only pets.
Do you realize that cats can live for 20 or more years, and dogs for 15 or more years?
This may seem obvious, but unfortunately, not everyone realizes that pet ownership is a lifelong commitment.
If the pet has an accident, what type of correction will you use?
There are various acceptable answers to this, the key being to show patience and consistency. And a general familiarity with pet training doesn’t hurt, either!
What about the financial expense?
Owning a pet can be expensive. You’ll have additional expenses from food, toys, and visits to the vet. While having pet insurance is crucial, it also means paying for premiums. These are things that you’ll have to incorporate into your household budget. Dog owners spend an average of $1,201 each year. This amount can vary, depending on its size. In comparison, owning a cat means you’ll shell out an average of $687 annually.
Where do you live?
Rent (will they allow all breeds), own (Is the breed size accurate with the size of house), fenced in yard (larger and more active breeds need to run).
If adopting an animals still fits for your family here are some steps to follow to adopt your fur baby.
Step 1: Determine the pet that is best for your lifestyle.
Browse through the helpful topics at the left and determine what type of pet will best suit your lifestyle. Since your new pet will be with you for many years, this is an important commitment that should not be rushed into!
Step 2: Gather the required forms of identification.
Step 3: Select your pet!
All animals are available to be seen at Chesapeake Square and Harbour View PetSmart. (Or you can click here or look below to see their featured pets!) Once you select your pet, Suffolk Humane Society will process your adoption.
Step 4: See your veterinarian.
Your new pet will want to meet her new veterinarian! During your first vet visit, your veterinarian will help you with a host of questions including integrating your new pet with your existing pets and family members, what type of food to choose, and to get a more in depth view of your pet’s health and age- or breed-related needs
100,000 homeless pets are put to death each year in Virginia. A staggering number…
Healthy, well-adjusted puppies, kittens, cats, and dogs, including purebreds and “designer dogs”, are among those put to death. The shelters cannot support and save the large number of accidental litters, strays, and family pets that are brought to the shelter doors every day.
Adopting a pet from a shelter or rescue can reduce this number.
Adopt
The adoptable dogs in animal shelters are not damaged material, nor are they vicious or “bad” – they are lovable, healthy dogs who are looking for the gift of life – and they are the products of unlucky circumstances. Some of these pets originally belonged to people who weren’t ready for the responsibility of pet ownership. Other adoptable pets arrived at the shelter because their owners couldn’t keep them any longer, perhaps because of divorce, or moving, or family tragedy. Still others are strays that wandered away from often-neglectful homes. All of them need homes, and owners with big hearts and the right attitudes.
If you’re ready to add a pet to your family, visit your local shelters and get to know the wonderful pets who need a second chance. Suffolk’s shelter is the Animal Control shelter. You can also do some homework first by checking out the pictures of available shelter pets at www.Petfinder.com. There are more than 250,000 pets listed on the Petfinder site, and you can narrow your search by city, state, breed, and numerous other factors. View the pictures of the adoptable animals at Suffolk Animal Care Center by clicking here.
Purebreds are Possible
If your heart is set on a purebred, you should know that 25%-30% of adoptable pets in shelters are purebred. Start your search at the shelters for the purebred you’re looking for – and check back often – strays and family pets come in to shelters daily.
Your next best option for a purebred dog or cat is to contact a breed rescue group. Click here for a sampling of the rescue groups in Tidewater area. Otherwise, simply do a Google search for the breed and add the word “rescue” and your state. This works for “designer dogs”, too. For instance, if you’re looking for a “labradoodle”, do a search for “poodle rescue” or “labrador rescue”. Or call us at (757) 538-3030 – we have a list of breed rescue groups. Rescue groups will undoubtedly have the purebred pet you want.
Find a Responsible Breeder
And finally, if you have exhausted your search for a particular dog and have decided to buy a dog from a breeder, please be sure you are going to a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders do NOT sell their dogs to pet stores and they will require that you return the dog to them at any time in the dog’s life if you cannot continue caring for it. Responsible breeders have the dogs’ interest in mind, not making a “sale”. Click here to learn how to find a good breeder.
Beware that pet store puppies may come from breeders who operate puppy mills. These puppy mill puppies are often the products of inbreeding and can have medical issues unknown to you until you own the puppy. Additionally, the mothers of these pups are kept in deplorable conditions and are made to breed repeatedly until they can no longer produce a litter, and then they are disposed of. The result is thousands upon thousands of puppies churned out each year for sale at pet stores, over the Internet, and through newspaper ads.
If you are unable to visit the breeder’s facility and see where the mother dog lives and breeds, or where the dogs are kept, please go back to searching your area shelter. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop buying their dogs. When people stop buying dogs at pet stores or over the Internet, the number of homeless animals that are put to death in Virginia will decrease.
Make Adoption Your First Option
We urge you to visit your local shelter or rescue, where you are likely to find dozens of healthy, loveable animals – including purebreds – just waiting for that special home – yours.
Be patient in your search for your new family member. Pets are a life-long commitment and deserve serious consideration.
