Find your new best friend through pet rescue adoption

Let MyPetED help you search cat and dog adoption shelters for the right pet.

Adopt a Pet

Make your decision easier with our online pet adoption Q's and A's below.

Start with realistic expectations — The #1 reason pet owners relinquish their pets is because of unrealistic expectations when they bring the pets home.

Be sure your family understands the time, commitment and expense you're undertaking over the next 15-20 years.

Why adopt from cat and dog adoption centers?

Quite simply, you'll be giving a new home to an abandoned animal that needs a family to care for him or her. Plus, it's much less expensive to adopt a pet from a shelter instead of purchasing a pet from a breeder.

Am I ready to adopt a cat or dog?

Before you decide, carefully consider your role in the following:

The time, effort, and expense needed for training and care
The housing, feeding, grooming, and health care requirements (and expenses) of cats and dogs
Your support system when you're sick or on vacation; to ensure you'll have sufficient care for your pet.

Ask your veterinarian about adopting a pet that's suitable for your home, family and lifestyle, and how to prepare your home for the arrival of your new friend. Your vet has a ton of experience on this topic!

What's the biggest difference between adopting a dog versus a cat?

Let's take a brief look at each:

Dogs:

Dogs require a level of training, exercise, housetraining, and outdoor activities that isn't required by most cats.
Dogs need your help to develop proper social skills with each new animal or person they meet.
They may present a greater challenge for supervision and preventing household damage.

Cats:

Ideally, if you adopt a cat, you'll want to keep it indoors to avoid animals, vehicles, parasites and illnesses that shorten cats' lives.
Cats that live indoors need to take their entire repertoire of behaviors that they might normally do outdoors, and have them directed toward appropriate indoor outlets for toileting, scratching, climbing, perching, playing and feeding/hunting.

What's the first step in pet rescue adoption?

If you've never owned a dog or cat, you may want to spend time with one in your home or theirs. Why not pet-sit for a friend and see what it's really like to take care of a pet? Then you'll have a realistic view of what it takes to keep a dog or cat safe, healthy and happy.

If you're ready to take the plunge and bring a new furry friend home, use our Adopt a Pet to search for puppy rescue adoption shelters, cat adoption centers and other choices. Keep in mind that most shelters require you to meet the dog or cat in person, talk with staff members about the pet, and complete the interview and application process.