Adopt a Rescued Dog or Cat (2024)

FAQs

Adopt a Rescued Dog or Cat? ›

You can find a shelter in your area by checking out the ASPCA's national database of animal shelters or by searching Petfinder. The process for adopting a dog can vary by shelter, but you'll most likely have to complete an adoption survey and include your contact information and history of pet ownership.

Pet experts suggest that while dogs see their owners as 'masters,' cats are more likely to see them as equals. If you are looking for obedience and respect, a dog may be a better choice, but the independence and low maintenance involved with owning a cat also has its advantages.

The 3-3-3 rule is a guideline for transitioning a rescue dog into its new home and helping it to settle in. It suggests that the first three days should be used for adjusting to its new surroundings, the next three weeks for training and bonding, and the first three months for continued socialization and training.

So, dealing with bad behavior is one of the biggest challenges of adopting a rescue dog. You have to remember that these dogs have never been in this kind of environment before. So, you and your family must be patient and teach the rescue dog how to behave.

There can also be problems with a rescue's adoption process. Maybe they don't do an extensive enough meet-and-greet, or avoid the home trial altogether. Or, they may be slow to respond when there is a problem with an adoption.

Dogs tend to be more active and require a lot of exercise and attention, while cats are less active, more self-sufficient, and require little attention. This makes cats easier to take care of, which means more kinds of people can have an easy experience raising a cat, such as elderly or disabled people.

Dogs are well suited for active people, those who have a backyard, and those who are home often. Cats are well suited for people who may be busier and looking for an independent companion.

If the person says a third party must deliver the dog to you, it's a red flag. If you aren't allowed to meet the pup in person before you agree to adopt them, it's a red flag! And if the person with the dog says the animal must be shipped to you and you must pay upfront, it's also a red flag!

When it comes to where dog's get their daily calories, we recommend following the 90/10 rule: 90% of calories from a complete and balanced diet, 10% from treats! Treats can be considered the splurge, but more often, the actual act of giving a treat means more to the dog than the actual treat itself.

While there are some cats that automatically adjust to a new home as soon as they get there, most do not. The general rule when adopting any animal is the rule of 3-3-3: three days to decompress, three weeks to learn your routine and three months to start to feel at home.

What is the best age to adopt a rescue dog? ›

In general, however, the best age to adopt a puppy is eight to ten weeks. This will give your puppy plenty of time to work through the developmental stages that take place while the puppy is still with its mother.

Meanwhile, nervous rescue dogs often latch on to one person in the household very strongly. In extreme cases, they may suffer separation anxiety if that particular person isn't around. The best way to bond here is for the less trusted person to give their dog ample space to check them out in the dog's own time.

South Dakota has among the fewest regulations around animal adoption of any state. There are no state laws determining how long a found animal must be held by a shelter before being adopted out, nor are there laws regulating how old a young animal must be before adoption.

Puppies can also suffer from fear, anxiety and other lasting behavioral problems. Sometimes these issues don't show up until people bring the puppy home, only to be confronted with unpredictable, expensive and oftentimes chronic medical issues.

It is a statistical fact. Black dogs and cats wait four times longer to get adopted from shelters and rescues as their lighter coated and more colorful counterparts. This phenomenon even has a name: Black Dog and Cat Syndrome.

In the most general terms, though, the best strategy would be to adopt first a middle-aged, well-mannered dog who shows little interest in cats, and then a kitten who has been raised in a household with friendly or indifferent dogs around.

Luckily, both dog and cat owners report that their pets benefit them and comfort them when they feel sad. When it comes to fighting isolation, though, dogs come out ahead. Man's best friend, even in the darkest times. Through two pandemics, dogs have helped survivors feel happier and less isolated.

Cats are usually lower maintenance than dogs. And small animals like gerbils, guinea pigs, and hamsters can require even less work. But remember, even the littlest guys require daily care. If you can't commit to providing fresh water, food, cleaning, and love every day, you might not be ready for a pet.

Choosing between a dog and a cat can be difficult. In a nutshell, dogs require more time, attention and money, but as pack animals are often much more social than cats.