dog adoption

Costs will vary depending on where you live. Use the worksheet below to help you plan for the adoption of your new dog.

ONE-TIME COSTS

   - Adoption fee.

   - Leash and collar. These may need to be replaced in the future - and if you are adopting a puppy, that may occur sooner rather than later!

   1. Healthy, loving pets of all shapes and sizes are available. A common assumption is that all the pets that are brought into a shelter must have something wrong with it. Not true! Pets are surrendered for many reasons, including: owners moving to no-pet housing; allergies; an illness, death, or other hardship results in the family being financially or otherwise unable to properly care for the pet; or simply that an impulsive owner did not consider the time, effort, and money required to care for a pet.

   2.

Excerpted from: Adopting a Dog

There's much more to adopting a dog than finding a cute furry bundle and bringing it home. One thing to consider is the cost of keeping a dog healthy and happy. Even if you already have a dog at home, it may have been years since you've had to think about all the initial costs of integrating your new friend into the family.

Animal shelters are filled to overflowing with adoptable pets that would make excellent companions. It's a myth that only "problem pets" end up at shelters; pets are turned in for many reasons including lack of pet-friendly housing, owners with health issues that prevent them from properly caring for their pets, and people who adopted an animal without fully realizing what was involved in its care.

If you are thinking of adding a pet to your household, visit your local shelter or humane society to visit with the pets currently available for adoption.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations are filled with pets who have been turned in by their owners because of lifestyle issues: the dog requires too much attention or too much exercise, the cat needs regular grooming that they don't want to deal with, and so on.

Adopting a new pet is both exciting and rewarding ... and it should be a life-long commitment. Before you choose a new pet, consider how it will fit into your lifestyle. Ask yourself:

How active are you?

     If your family enjoys regular long-distance hiking or walking, look for an active breed dog that you'll be able to take with you.