Instructions
Check your local shelters if you are thinking about adding a pet to your family. Shelters have dogs, cats and rabbits. If it's a specific breed of dog or type of cat you are interested in, odds are you will find one at a shelter. About one-third of the dogs at shelters are purebreds. There are also breed-specific rescues specializing in every kind of breed imaginable.
If you prefer not to visit a shelter in person (it's tough for many people), you can search the websites of city, county and private shelters in your area. There will often be a picture of the pet and a description including the gender, breed (or breed mix), age (or approximate age) and personality traits such as whether the pet gets along with other pets and how the pet is with children. Keep in mind, however, that shelters can't always list all of their pets, and it's probably best to go in person.
Petfinder.com and Adopt a Pet.com are great sites for finding a pet. They contain a database of pets from over 10,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the United States, Canada and Mexico. On these websites you can put in your zip code, the type of pet you are looking for (including age, breed and gender if you like) and adopt the pet of your dreams.
Visit a mobile adoption event. Again, if you have trouble going into a shelter, these events are held at locations such as pet supply stores and parks--and are either sponsored by private rescue organizations or city/county shelters in your area. Certain pet supply stores also have rescued pets available for adoption on an ongoing basis (not to be confused with shops that sell animals).
Get on a waiting list at a shelter or rescue if you can't find the pet you are looking for right away. Keep in mind there will always be plenty of adoptable pets to choose from without ever having to buy a pet. There will be an adoption fee, which should be considerably lower than purchasing a dog from a breeder or pet store--plus you're saving a life! And as a wise person once said: "Papers are just something a puppy pees on."
How to Adopt Instead of Shop
Pet overpopulation is an ongoing crisis in the United States with less than half of animals that end up at shelters finding homes--so that means approximately 5 million dogs and cats get destroyed in the U.S. each year. This doesn't have to be--and a good way to start is just adopting a pet instead of buying one. You'll be glad you did! Here is how.