Before you Adopt
Pet adoption is life changing, so it is important that your household is ready. We have some information for you to consider prior to submitting an adoption application. Just remember this acronym – I Love My PETS.
Identification
- Identification includes tags, microchipping, dog licenses (if applicable), and other potential registrations.
- Adopting an animal means being prepared to keep your contact info and registrations up to date in the event that your pet is lost. Take all the right precautions ahead of time in case you find yourself in this situation.
Lifetime Commitment
- Dogs and cats are a lifetime commitment. They can live 15+ years. What happens if you change jobs? Find a new partner? Move? Have children? Get another pet? Are you willing and ready to work through any issues that may arise in these life changes? Will you make the needed accommodations to keep your adopted animal? Your pet should be considered part of the family and not dispensable during life changes.
- In addition to life changes, pets need a daily commitment including feeding, walking, playing, and loving. Are you ready to commit to taking care of your pet every day for the rest of its life?
Medical Care
- At a minimum, medical care should include annual vet visits and vaccinations. Are you prepared to spend $200-$300 yearly for this basic care?
- Additionally, what if your animal gets sick, has an injury that requires an expensive surgery, or needs dental care? Planning an additional $500+ a year for these situations is wise. We recommend you seek a pet insurance policy right from the beginning while your animal is young and without diagnosed ailments or illness.
Patience
- There will be an adjustment period post-adoption. Your new pet may exhibit separation anxiety, hide from you, need time to be trained, have anxiety if left alone for long periods, display their stress in destructive behaviors, etc. Are you ready to be a patient friend and teacher to your pet while it adjusts to your home? This adjustment can take weeks or even many months.
Expenses
- To care for your pet appropriately, be prepared to spend several hundred dollars a month on average.
- Some of the expenses to consider might be:
- -High quality, healthy food vs cheap foods
- -Annual veterinary care
- -Heartworm and flea/tick prevention medications
- -Pet insurance
- -Dog walkers
- -Pet sitters or doggie daycare
- -Grooming
- -Dog training classes
- -Emergencies that may arise with your pet
- -Emergency preparedness for your pet (foods, meds, etc.)
Training
- Any puppy or kitten you adopt will need continued training and socialization.
- Cats can be successfully trained for a variety of things – leashes, staying off counters, or doing tricks. Clicker training with treat rewards is a great method for training cats.
- While some dogs adopted through ANBAR will have basic training skills, some others may not. Either way, you need to be prepared to start or continue their training education with a professional dog trainer.
Supervision
- Dogs and cats require a lot of supervision. Do not mistakenly think that “cats are independent” and therefore they don’t require any of your time or attention. Cats, like dogs, need boundaries, schedules, playtime, plenty of love and sometimes even training.
- If you have children, especially young children, do not leave them unattended around the pets. No matter how well-behaved a dog or cat, toddlers and infants can make sudden grabbing movements or loud noises that might startle your pet and they may lash out in fear or confusion. If your dog bites your child out of fear or confusion, it may result in a quarantine for the dog or worse, euthanasia. Teach your children from very young ages to be respectful of pets, to touch softly, to let them go when they want down, to not pull ears or tails, etc. You, as the adult, need to always supervise interactions between young children and pets.
- Cats should not be allowed outdoors unsupervised. Leash train them for walks or hikes and provide a secure “catio”.
- Dogs should not remain outdoors, even in a fenced yard, without supervision or training. They can dig under or jump over a fence when you least expect it.