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Pet Care
Interested in
adopting an animal?
Before you go ahead and contact the
shelter, you should give some thought to some practical issues. Do
you have time for an animal in your life? Do you have a suitable,
stable and safe home to offer it? Do you understand what is involved
in looking after the sort of animal you want? Do you know where you
can find a vet and food suppliers? How will you arrange care for the
animal when you want to go on holiday or out for the day?
A
little research and serious thought at this stage can save a lot of
trouble later on - for you, the animal and the shelter.
Adoption
If you have read this, done your
research, thought it through and still want to proceed, now it is
time to call the shelter and make enquiries about the animal you
have seen on RescuePet. The shelter will tell you whether that
animal is still available and will probably suggest that you come to
the shelter and visit him/her. The shelter staff may ask some
questions at this point which will help them assess whether the
prospective adoption is going to work. It may be that an animal
needs a particular type of home. If the animal you saw on RescuePet
is not available, or the adoption unfeasible, please go and visit
the shelter anyway. There will be many more animals that are just as
lovely and may be more suitable.
Always be honest with the
shelter staff about the sort of home you can provide and the
experience you have. The only agenda a shelter ever has is to find a
good home for their animals. The last thing they want is to place an
animal and have it returned to them a week later because the new
owner:
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Didn't realise that puppies need house training |
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Had just installed a new lounge suite and preferred it to
the cat |
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Suddenly realised they aren't fit enough to walk a big
active dog |
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Doesn't have time to groom a long-haired cat |
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Couldn't cope with or train a boisterous dog |
| If a shelter asks you to consider
a different type of animal, you would be well advised to do so. The
staff have considerable experience matching up people and pets, so
take advantage and ask lots of questions. Find out as much as you
can about your prospective new pet.
A reputable shelter will
want to do a home check prior to adoption. Don't be worried about
this. Again, the shelter is just being responsible and making sure
that home is suitable for the animal you want to adopt. They are not
there to check your dusting, they are there to check your fences are
secure! This is another good opportunity to ask questions and get
advice on how to make your house safer and more comfortable for your
new friend. For example, you might want to talk about what sort of
bedding to get and where it should go. Or you might want advice
about integrating your new pet with others in the house already.
If you are adopting a dog, it is also normal for a shelter
to expect you to come and walk that dog a few times before letting
you adopt it.
RescuePet takes every precaution to ensure
they only associate with responsible shelters. If you have concerns
about a shelters adoption procedure, please let us know: info@rescuepet.org.uk
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