Research shows that pets enhance the well-being of their owners.
The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 8 million pets enter the nation's animal shelters and rescue groups each year. Nearly half of these animals, though healthy or treatable, are euthanized for lack of an adoptive home. If you are considering bringing an animal into your home, a shelter or rescue group is a wonderful place to start. Pet adoption not only saves an animal's life, but it brings unconditional love and joy into the life of the adopter. Over the past decade, the search for the perfect shelter pet has been simplified, with a number of online services providing centralized searchable databases of animals in need of homes.
Instructions
Petfinder
1. Launch the Petfinder website (petfinder.com).
2. Enter your city and state or Zip code in the "Search for a Pet" section at the top of the page or in the left column. Add criteria such as type of pet and breed to narrow the results.
3. Check the boxes on the left to further refine the search results. For example, specify age, gender, and special considerations such as house trained.
4. Click on the name of the animal to learn more about the pet. Click on the name of the organization to learn more about the shelter or rescue group. Use the organization's contact information at the bottom of the pet or organization profile to inquire about the adoption process or schedule a visit to meet the animal.
PetHarbor
5. Launch the PetHarbor website (petharbor.com).
6. Enter your Zip code or city name on the left. Click "Adopt a Pet."
7. Check one or more of the shelters on the resulting list under "Adoptable Pets Only." Click "Use this Shelter List."
8. Select the type of pet on the left: dogs, cats or other. Specify breed, gender, age, size and main color. Leave the spaces blank if you do not have a preference. Click "Search Now."
9. Click on the animal's picture to learn more about the pet. Contact the organization directly using the email address or phone number contained in the pet's profile.
AdoptaPet.com
10. Launch the Adopt-a-Pet.com website (adoptapet.com).
11. Select the type of pet on the left of the page: dogs, cats or other animals.
12. Enter Zip/postal code, distance, breed, sex, size, color and age. With the exception of Zip/postal code, a required field, leave any or all of these fields blank to widen the search. Check the box for special needs if you are prepared to adopt an animal with special medical or behavioral needs. Click "Fetch."
13. Click on the animal's picture or name to learn more about the pet. Contact the organization directly using contact information at the bottom of the pet's profile.
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