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Pet finder is a good way to find dogs. Just about every rescue lists with them. Keep in mind that they can't screen all the rescues, so there may be a few bogus rescues posting too. A rescue that has lots of puppies should raise a red flag for a puppy miller posing as a rescue. Most of them have websites listed, so you can go to the website to try to determine how legitimate they are. Keep in mind that picking a dog from a picture and brief description is a little like picking a mail order bride! Be realistic before traveling a long distance with the idea "I've found the dog for me!" I'd really start
looking, and visiting shelters or seeing foster dogs closer to home. Your perfect match probably isn't far away.
Petfinder is a great source for finding your new best friend. If you search for groups based on your zip code you may find rescue organizations in your area that you don't even know about if they don't have a shelter and are strictly foster based.
You may not be able to get much information about dogs at the municipal pound but you can learn more about those in foster care with rescues. They generally have been vetted, tested for heart worms, treated for other parasites if any, been vaccinated and spay/neutered. While the cost to adopt is more than from the pound it is usually far less than adopting from the pound and then paying for all the basic vet care your self.
There are some groups that have extremely stringent requirements for adoption but most are reasonable and realistic - you don't have to be a multi millionaire with live in staff etc., you just have to show that you'll provide a good enough forever home, not tie the dog out on a chain 24/7 and remember to toss some food at it every couple of days.
Please keep in mind that the groups are mostly all volunteer folks with families and jobs and critters of their own to care for and that you won't get an instantaneous reply to your inquiry.
I hope that before long you'll be saying I have the world's best dog and I can't understand how s/he wound up homeless. May you have many, many years of joy and love with your new family member.
I used the site to look for our new pup and found it useful to find a local rescue group. Each group has it's own rules of operation and I was able to find one that did not put me threw too many hoops in order to find a dog. It was a frustrating experience to be honest with you and I was lucky enough to find a dog we were interested in at the right time. Otherwise, I don't think I would have qualified! I did not agree with some of the information that they required to apply for a dog but that is an opinion for a different forum.
I also looked at the local shelters, but felt better about adopting dog that had been fostered in a home in this particular instance. I personally would not consider searching for a dog outside of my immediate area. There are just too many homeless animals nearby to justify transporting them from a distance.
Good luck to you and post when you find your new pet.
i got my davey-long-legs indirectly through petfinder.....
a nearby shelter had a red heeler fella that i had been eyeing on petfinder, so i took my bailey up there to meet him.... it was a no-go for those two, but i found dave when they took me on a tour of the rest of the kennels.... had to race home and get my checkbook and race back for him before they closed for the day....
that was 2 years ago this past labor day weekend....
Petfinder is wonderful. Most legit rescues use it religiously, keeping it up to date. I update my page weekly at the very least, adding information on programs we're starting, places we'll be for adoptions, etc. Incoming dogs are up the first day and those adopted are removed within 24 hours.
The other information from everyone else is spot on. Research the rescue you're looking at very well. Ask for references, their vet, etc. Make sure you're truly adopting from a rescue and not some BYB.
we used petfinder to locate our Toby at Richardson Rescue in York S.C. a 2 hr drive for us but we were looking for a specific rather hard to find dog (adult Bichon with no health issues). Toby was listed as Cody and was listed as a Bichon. The face- only picture certainly did look like a bichon.
We were approved and the day we set off on our journey I called to inquire about his weight. Six Pounds. WHAT- are you sure this is a Bichon? Don't you mean Sixteen Pounds?
No he weighs six pounds. Decided it was a nice day for a drive and sure enough he was a little poot but very little Bichon, if any. We had him shaved cause he was so matted and now that it is growing out we see he is more maltese than anything else.
So be aware----rescues don't always guess correctly or even know what breed their dogs are. In this case it really didn't matter but if I had my heart set on a Bichon I would have been very disappointed.
And keep in mind you don't have to look only at rescues near you. Especially if you're in the northeast. There are transports leaving the south every week headed up there. So expand your search. Southern rescues are generally easier to work with and have lower adoption fees.
I used petfinder to find my Harley. She was about one year old, and a purebred boxer. I got her from a pound. So I paid $29 for a purebred boxer that would normally cost at least $500. And she has been an angel!!!!!! She is the best dog ever! Even better than my male boxer I got from a breeder for $650.
I still surf the petfinder site, so when the next perfect boxer comes along I can drop everything and go save my next baby.
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