Bringing home a puppy may be an exciting experience – maybe you want to surprise a loved one for their birthday or Christmas, or you want to add a member to your family. It seems like puppy heaven when you approach a shelter or adoption centre to pick up your pet and bring it home for the first time. However, due to various reasons, the adoption process for a canine may not be as simple as choosing and delivering. These days, due to past experiences of pups being taken to the wrong home where they were mistreated or used for financial or personal gain, the laws have become stricter and until you abide by them, you can throw your dream of having a furry roommate away. Here we help you with Understanding The Adoption Process:

Questions You Need To Ask

If you choose to approach a shelter to adopt your pet (and rescuing an abandoned animal is probably the most saintly thing you can do for it), you need to first question as to why the animal was abandoned in the first place –

  • Is it troublesome?
  • Has it attacked strangers in the past?
  • Does it have a deadly disease?
  • Also, has the animal been through trauma in it’s previous home?

These are concrete questions that are valid. So first, you need to ask the shelter about the history of the animal.

Questions They Will Ask You

Depending on the adoption centre, the breed you are planning on adopting, etc., you will be asked a list of general questions. Do not take it personally – these are procedures that shelters have to ask, so be co-operative and answer them as best as you can –

  • Are you financial stable enough to provide daily and medical care to the animal?
  • How many pets have you had? What happened to them? Have there been any instances of them being injured while in your care and why?
  • How many people live in your home? What is the size of the home?
  • Do you own other pets at the moment?
  • Will you be willing to neuter the pet or are you planning on breeding them?
  • While you are away, are there adequate measures taken for someone else to care for your pet?

Not all shelters will ask the same questions. Sometimes, you may even be rejected. You need to ask them why this happened. Also, sometimes you may not be able to take the pet home, unless a worker from the shelter does a once over of your home and approves the adoption.

If you are determined to adopt a pet and are sure that you can provide it with all the love and care that it could possibly require, don’t feel afraid to speak out and keep trying. Remember that a pet is another living being and will need to be taken care of like any child or even a grown adult would. An animal is not merely a pet for showing off. It is just as important as an intricate member of the family.

For more on pet laws and to find out the pet laws in your state and country, Click Here.