Pet Adoption in Phoenix

Have you decided that you are ready to start looking for a pet to adopt? I found myself in that situation in March 2009, and I will share some tips on the process.

I spent about two weeks searching online for dogs available for adoption in the Phoenix area. I also visited one of the shelters personally.

My tips for adopting pets in Phoenix

1. Finding the right new family member can be a process. Research breeds to determine what best suits your situation. For example, we knew we wanted a short haired dog that wouldn’t shed too much because I have allergies. We knew we didn’t want a big dog. We did not want an older dog or one with special needs. There were certain races that we wanted to stay away from due to temperament.
2. If you are looking for a purebred dog, you may want to locate a breed club in the area or a shelter that encourages specific breeds. I found listings for Beagles, Australian Shepherds, Basset Hounds, Anatolian Shepherds, Corgis, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Cocker Spaniels, Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Labrador Retrievers, and more.

1. I started at Petfinder.com. It’s a great resource, but I found that every time I emailed a foster care organization, the pet had already been adopted. Your experience may be different in that regard. Also, since Petfinder.com has so many dogs, I would have liked to be able to filter out the ones I have already seen. As of this writing, that was not a feature of the site.
2. I looked at Craig’s list several times. If you’re willing to drive around town to find the right dog or cat, and you’re not worried about going to people’s houses, that might work for you. Remember that you may not have a clear idea of the dog’s health situation from the current owner, or you may not have problems with the dog.

1. I was fine adopting a stray dog, so I started to focus on adoptions from the Arizona Humane Society. The Arizona Humane Society is good at keeping their website up to date. As you might expect, the cutest puppies and small, young dogs are very popular. I found out there were four dogs I was interested in that were adopted when I called for more information. I was patient and knew that I would find the right pet for me. Little Devil (that wasn’t her original name) was number 5. She wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, but we knew we were made for each other!

1. If you are trying to get to adoption centers operated by the Arizona Humane Society, your best option may be later in the week but before the weekend. Many of the popular cats and dogs are adopted on the weekends, and more pets in need of homes begin to enter and are processed by the Arizona Humane Society during the beginning of the week.
2. At the Arizona Humane Society, pets available for adoption receive medical checkups and vaccinations, and are spayed and neutered before they are available for adoption. They will provide you with any stories about the animal that they may have.

1. If you’re concerned that you won’t be able to pay your pet’s adoption fee, then you probably shouldn’t adopt one at this time. Pets cost money. They need food, toys, medical visits, beds, boxes, grooming supplies, and other incidentals.
2. The adoption process for our little Poco Diablo took about two hours. She had questions about medical problems and so forth, and they wanted to make sure, as best they could, that we were a suitable match for the girl.
3. If you are confident that you will adopt a dog, prepare yourself with some supplies to get started, such as a box, a couple of plates, healthy chew toys, and some good quality dog food. If you adopt a dog from the Arizona Humane Society, you will receive a starter collar and leash. Likewise, if you’re adopting a cat, it’s even easier to do some shopping ahead of time because most of them are comparable in size. There may be food, a plate, cat toys, and a brush on your shopping list.