[Sea-Lover]

If you are considering getting another pet or your first pet then you must see this site first. It has photos of pets available for adoption in local animal shelters. In other words if these pets are not adopted they will be put down.
No one wants to think about that but it is true. They have tons of purebreds including tiny lap dogs, so just because it is an expensive dog doesn't mean that someone wouldn't dump it at a shelter. I have provided the link below. Pass it around to your friends and save a life.

Needfulsouls.org

Needful Souls Inc. Photos of pets for adoption in shelters Dogs, Puppies Save a life Adopt Today

[Travel'r]

So true!
(Wish I could look myself without crying.)

[JustSayNo]

Thank you for reminding eveyone that shelters are chock full of wonderful deserving souls, just put in a bad situation by humans. The animal, most times, is in the shelter becuase of a human problem, not an animal problem. People are always amazed at the amount of PBs in shelters, hard-to-find breeds, etc.

The shelter is a great first stop to find your next furbaby. And, by adopting fron a shelter you save TWO lives-the life you adopted and the life that gets the cage space for a little while longer

Opt to ADOPT - it warms the heart and soul, and saves a precious deserving life!

[citybythebay]

Originally Posted by JustSayNo

People are always amazed at the amount of PBs in shelters, hard-to-find breeds, etc.

Anyone living in California, San Francisco area will know the amount of PB's that are in need of adoption.

My motto: "Adopt, Don't Shop!"

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Our cats both came from a no-kill shelter. One was there over two years. Thank God they didn't put her down, she is the sweetest soul. The other was also a hard to adopt, very hyper and aggressive and in need of TLC. She had been returned once and was looking at a long stay there.
They have both turned out wonderfully, working on eight years now.

[lastra]

Me and my husband adopted a wonderful one year old male Bull Boxer mix. Never regretted and never will!!!

[gardener34]

If you are looking for a specific breed (because of allergies, space issues, etc.) you can also go to breed specific rescue groups. We adopted an 8 year old dachshund from one once. She turned out to be a great doggie that was excellent with kids.
So don't rule out breed specific rescue groups for a family pet either.

[yukon]

I tried and tried to get my mom to adopt a shelter dog, even found her some nearby breed specific rescue groups. Her reason for not adopting a shelter dog? "I want a dog I can bond with, and that means a puppy." So I said, fine, they have puppies. She ended up with one from a puppy mill (didn't realize it was a semi-mill at the time) and it's not even the breed mix she was originally told it would be.

Oh well.

My cat picked me at the shelter and I'm glad he did. I'll know it's time to get a dog when one finally picks me at the shelter or adoption fair. So far, no luck.

[gardener34]

You can bond with an older dog. We adopted our 8 year old dachsie from a rescue and we had her for 9 more years. Best personality dog ever and loved my kids (even when they were babies!).

[Marlow]

We have 3 cats adopted from shelters and one dog. Two of the cats were adults when we got them, as was the dog. All of them are wonderful pets and we've bonded with all of them.

The dog, strangely enough, is a rare breed known as a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. We had no idea what she was when we adopted her and the shelter was calling her a Britney Spaniel mix. We recently confirmed that she is indeed a "Toller," and we'll always wonder how she ended up in a dog pound in South Texas. She's a genius of a dog and very sweet.

Adult shelter dogs and cats make wonderful pets because they're past the destructive "teenage" years and their personalities are developed.