So You Want to Get a Dog...

Or a cat. 


Or both! 


Where do you start? You have very specific needs. And why shouldn't you? It's going to be your pet. Perhaps you grew up with a specific breed, so you really want to have one of those again. You don't have much free time, so it can't be a puppy or kitten or any type of high-maintenance pet. You want to have it for a long time, so seniors are out, too, as well as any special-needs or ill pets. It must be healthy. And it HAS to be a boy. Or a girl. 

So those shelters, where large numbers of dogs and cats wait for someone to foster or adopt them, are surely out of the question. They only have injured or sickly animals, and just a bunch of mixed breeds that are probably aggressive. Right? 

Wrong!

You'll be surprised to find pure breeds of all ages available at high-kill shelters. Many no-kill shelters also make available lists of dogs and cats looking for new best friends and forever homes via their Facebook pages, official websites, Petfinder.com, or any combination of those. Furthermore, even if you find your new best bud at a no-kill, you've helped a greater cause: you've freed up a space for that shelter to go and save one from a high-kill facility. 

Owners surrender their animals for all sorts of reasons: some move to places that don't allow pets, some are evicted, some have babies and have no time for their pets anymore, and some pass away. So there are many awesome animals available, and all you need to do is look for one. 

No time to go through lists? No problem! Training Humans wants to help you. We'll do the research for you! Simply leave us a comment on this blog or visit our Facebook page and leave us a message and we will put you in touch with a rescue organization or shelter that has the pet you are looking for. Be sure to check back here for tips on what to purchase in preparation for receiving a new pet into your household (we'll link to the relevant blog post once it's live). 

When adopting a new pet, you have to complete an application, and if you go through a rescue organization, they will follow up with you to make sure the dog or cat is doing nicely. Remember that sometimes these things don't work out, so if you decide the dog or cat you get is too much work or simply not for you, then please return it to the rescue group from where you got it. If you got the pet directly from a high-kill shelter (sans middle man) then please contact Training Humans and we will help you find a no-kill shelter. 

Training Humans wishes you the best of luck with your new pet.