Thinking about getting a new pet? Not really sure what size, age, sex, breed to get? You may want to take a walk through your local animal shelter. Often, you'll find a loving dog or cat that is in need of a good home. If you aren't concerned with breed, color or age then adoption would be a good choice. If you want a pedigree, to be able to determine full growth, or prefer a certain breed, you should seek out a reputable breeder in your area.  Be sure to make a responsible and knowledgeable decision.  Use all the resources available to make your choice.

 I think it is important to first examine the shelter and then ask a lot of questions before you see the animals to prevent heart ache. My local shelter has a no-kill policy. I believe that this is good and bad. It's great because it allows sweet, and gentle animals a second chance at a good life. It's also terrible because the aggressive, sickly or otherwise un-adoptable animals take up the space that new incoming animals could have. At the local shelter here, there are several dogs that have posted warnings on their kennel doors to prevent people from getting bitten. They've been there for years, and will probably die of old age before someone adopts them. My mother-in-law adopted a kitten at the same time I did. All the kittens were sickly with respiratory issues and eye colds. My kitten is now healthy and happy but my m-i-l had to put hers down because it was riddled with disease. It had an immune deficiency that the vet compared to AIDS.  It is very important to adopt an animal that looks healthy and get an immediate vet check.  Most shelters have you sign a waive form when you adopt stating that you will take over any vet expenses from the time of adoption.  It really is a risky deal adopting from a shelter.

Walking through the shelter can be heart wrenching for all of us. Every whimper, meow or silent pleading look hits hard. It is very difficult to objectively look at the animals without bringing home a sick or wild animal. We adopted a dog 2 years ago that we thought seemed like a nice choice. We took him for a walk at the shelter to see what kind of behavior he had. He sat, laid down, shook hands, came to us when we called and was overall a shiny beacon of perfect dog. We adopted him and were walking to the car when he slipped his collar in the parking lot and took off running down the road. My husband chased after him for some time before he caught him. It took us weeks of rehabilitating training to get him to take a treat from us, not flinch when we reached to pet him, get into a car without having a breakdown, and come when we called. We spent a lot of time fetching him from the neighbors or driving for miles until we found him. He's definitely settled in now but won't play or let us touch his feet without screaming bloody murder. I believe he is the victim of a undetermined amount of abuse from his previous owners.  It might be a good idea to make a couple of visits once you have narrowed down your possible adoptees.  Ask a shelter worker what they know about the animal and spend some time with them.  In my experience, it's very difficult to find out what kind of animal you are getting until you sign the form and then you are responsible for the lifetime of the animal.