Pet adoption is how people try to care for animals that have been abandoned, neglected, abused, lost or otherwise are homeless. If new homes aren't found for them there are government agencies that will take them into a shelter. But once the animal is unclaimed for a certain amount of time or is of a certain age or with medical problems, they will be euthanized.
This solution does not sit well with many animal-lovers and the people who work with animals. There are now a new generation of "shelters" devoted to caring for these marginalized animals. There are many pet adoption organizations that make it their jobs to find homes for lost and abandoned pets without euthanasia being an option at all. A lot of them work together with large pet supply stores in order to reach a wider audience and find homes for all the animals that need them.
Stores like PetCo and PetSmart sell pet supplies and dog supplies, but they also use Petfinder to bring animals and people together. Petfinder claims to have brokered 12 million adoptions since 1995. They have a function where you can learn about the animal you want to adopt before you adopt it. You can also use it to find other adoption groups in your area, and search for pets that are available for adoption.
At Petfinder, you can search for pets in the following animal categories: barn yard, bird, cat, dog, horse, pig, rabbit, reptile, and small & furry. The service will tell you what is available in your exact area.
Best Friends is an organization devoted to rescue and "no-kill," as it is called. They are a non-profit group working with other non-profit groups to offer medical assistance, foster homes and adoption services. It was started in 1998 by two women who had previous volunteer experience with animal care and rescue. They saw there was a need for animal lovers to band together to provide care and homes for any animals that need it.
Animals who wind up at Best Friends have usually been abused, abandoned or neglected and are in serious need of medical attention. Best Friends makes that happen and then finds the animal a home where they can be safe and feel loved.
Whichever service from which you choose to adopt, it is important to be sure you are ready for the love and commitment it takes to own a pet. They should not be viewed as just play things that need to be disposed of when they bore us. They are (arguably) sentient beings and deserve a safe home free from abuse. You don't have to have any moral qualifications when buying a pet, but it's a good concept to consider before spending money on an animal and pet supplies or dog supplies - if you're not able to commit to providing for the animal (health care, food, play time) then perhaps owning a pet isn't the best idea.
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, pet care, and recreation. For more of her useful articles on pets, please visit pet-mart.com Pet Supplies, supplier of information about pet care, pet accessories, and more.
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