adoption

Our guide to animal adoption; learn why, where, and how to prepare to adopt a cat, kitten, dog or puppy from an animal shelter or rescue group.

From Stray to Stay
I have heard the saying, “Dogs are a man’s best friend” hundreds of times throughout my life, and I never questioned the validity of the statement, but I did not think that declaration would ring true for me. I will be the first to tell you, I am a cat person at heart. I have always had trouble bonding with dogs. My father says it’s because I don’t make a fuss over them. He’s right. I don’t mean to gravitate towards cats—I love all animals-- but cats are more easygoing and require less upkeep than dogs. They also vibrate when they’re happy, which is an adorable bonus for me. Though I already had two cats at home, something—someone—was missing… a dog. The feeling of adopting an animal in need and giving it a warm, loving home is euphoric to me. It puts me on cloud nine every time, which explains why I wanted another four-legged friend so badly despite my preference for cats. Also, I had major surgery on my right leg in the summer of ’13 that left me unable to walk on my own for several months. As motivation, my parents promised me we could get a dog if I learned how to walk again. Walking without assistance AND a new furry friend? I couldn’t think of a better deal if I tried! Slowly but surely, I began to walk again, and soon enough we were headed to the nearest animal shelter.
By saraplant5 years ago in Petlife
To Love and Be Loved
Over the course of my twenty-five years here on earth, I’ve had my fair share of pets. I’ve had guinea pigs, a dog, rabbits, fish, lizards. The first lasting impression I’ve had from a pet, though, was my rescue dog Kelsey. I had wanted a dog for so long and my parents wanted to fulfill that wish. They had tried to bring home a dog for me once before, and she had run away as soon as my dad opened the car door. We never saw her again. Then, a family who couldn’t take care of their dog anymore, gave him to us. That didn’t work out either as he would bite and scratch us. We ended up giving him back for obvious reasons.
By Jessica Gustafson5 years ago in Petlife
The Blind Puppy That Saw Right Through Me. Top Story - April 2021.
Working in a veterinary hospital means either having such a slow day that you’re detailing kennels and reorganizing cabinets, or so busy you skip lunch and suddenly it’s midnight - there’s no in between. On this particular day, when I noticed a persistent whining noise coming from a kennel in the hospitalization area, it was the latter. It’s literally my job to keep track of everything going on with any patients in the hospital, so I quickly investigated the source of this noise and found a tiny culprit was causing the ear-numbing sound.
By Anaise Michelle5 years ago in Petlife
Vader, Ms Bean, Olivia, Maybach…
Morning sun beams crawled gingerly through the slightly opened curtains. Maybach was snoring next to me. Ms Bean has her eyes closed, but, knowing her sly nature, she was pretending to be asleep. Vader was rustling with old newspapers… hmm… like always… a hurry-scurry creature…
By Lubow Dabrowska-Szpakowicz5 years ago in Petlife
The Chronicles of Riff Raff
Shortly after Paul and I moved in together, we decided we needed a dog. My mom's allergies meant I never was allowed one as a child. My love of animals found other outlets; I cherished visits to my neighbor’s pond to feed their rainbow-speckled koi, as well as caring for Hermie, my beloved hermit crab. I had many roommates over the years who had dogs and I had many cat companions but never my own puppy. Plus, I wanted my kids, Kevin and Jackie, to have a dog.
By Kristen Wilson5 years ago in Petlife
Indie
I came home one day to the strange sight of my family kneeling in a circle. I asked if everything was ok, my dad waved his hand for me to come over. To my delight they were all fixated on a timid puppy curled up in a ball. The pup was a stray from Tennessee, he was seven months old, and his coat black with a white chest. We had no idea what breed he was but we're thinking a terrier mix. The shelter named him Indigo which we found fitting, so we call him Indie. He was so nervous, my large family must have been overwhelming, he could barely move. He remained tail tucked and withdrawn everywhere he went around the house at first.
By Gabby Cooke5 years ago in Petlife
Trixie, The Abandoned Dog Who Found Us in the Woods
We didn't plan for Trixie. We didn't plan for a dog at all. We planned for a cat, and we only planned for a cat, because we had good friends who couldn't keep him, because they had a few too many. A stray cat they were helping had had a litter of kittens.
By Susan Joy Clark5 years ago in Petlife
Dexter
Dexter - the best dog in the world Back in the 1980s when I was about seven years old, my family adopted a dog called Dexter. To me, he was the best dog in the world. He loved being part of our family and he had a very special relationship with my dad.
By Emma C5 years ago in Petlife
Benny the Bright Light
I didn’t find Benny, he found me. I got out of the car and left the door open while I shut the gate to the house next door that I have been cleaning. I saw a little black and white dog on the road looking at me, but I was exhausted and didn’t take much notice. When I turned to get back in my car, he jumped in and sat on the passenger seat.
By jacki fleet5 years ago in Petlife
First Time Foster Fail
Three years, we lost our beloved cat of 8 years. My husband had rescued her as a kitten after he found her sick and dying on a golf course. She became his best friend and saw him through a difficult time in his life before we were married. Every year we take a week vacation to Florida and have family feed her and care for her. She was always fine but one year she wasn't. For whatever reason, she stopped eating when we left. We didn't realize she was eating so little until we came home and noticed how lethargic and miserable she was. She had always been a cantankerous and fiesty cat, so this was a huge change. When we took her to the vet, they said she had liver disease and would need to be hand fed and given IV fluids to save her. The vet shared it was alot of work and warned us it would be very time consuming and diffcult to feed her. We felt totally up to the task, as we loved her and were certain we could nurse her back to health. The vet wasn't kidding! Every feeding and IV treatment was brutal. She meowed in in agony and fought us every step of the way. 6 days into the treatment, we woke up one morning and couldn't find her in her usual spot. My husband found her in the shower moaning in agony. She started to seize and we think she had lost her vision as she stared mindlessly into space. We waited for the vet to open and took her right in. The vet sadly told us there was no hope and we had to put her down. We felt devastated.... Not only to lose her but that she had been suffering for 6 days. We thought we were doing the right thing trying to save her but to this day, both my husband and I feel awful about prolonging her pain. In addition, we felt guilty for leaving and couldn't figure out why this particular year, she stopped eating and reacted so poorly to our abscence. This was one of the few times in my life, I have seen my strong and easy going husband break down in tears. She was there for him when she needed him. She was his best friend when he and I were on the rocks. She brought him so much joy and he had saved her and she had saved him. It was heartbreaking.
By Stephanie Bortmas5 years ago in Petlife
Mister Beau
My name is Beau. I had a different name at the shelter which I'll tell you about later. My human also calls me Beau boy, Grinner (I like to smile), Snacker (I love doggie cookies), Mister Mister and Brave Little Man. I hope you enjoy my story of how I went from a stray shelter dog to a stay forever family dog.
By Rae Ka Ri5 years ago in Petlife
"It's Only Temporary"
“It’s only going to be temporary, just until we can find him a permanent home,” said my wife JoDee. “Yep, that is what has to happen, we can’t keep him,” I replied sternly. “This can’t be like last time,” I added.
By David Kroesen5 years ago in Petlife