Are you ready to adopt? That is the main question. Adopting a new animal means taking on a lot of responsibilites.
Whether this is your first ever pet or your 100th it is still a new pet to you. Starting out for some can be quite confusing especially when it comes to what is needed and if they should get the pet or not. Here are questions I ask to help them decide if the pet is what they are ready for.
"Many people do not realize what they are in store for when they get a pet. Impulse buys is what many have done and unfortunately it can, has and may lead to sad things. People get a pet thinking oh it is so cute because it is small and tiny, or young or a certain breed that is popular, however when the animal starts to tear up items, make messes, or are to uncontrollable because they never had training, are puppies or have anxiety issues they are dropped off at animal rescues or the pound, or even worse they are dropped off on the streets. When getting a pet realize just like us when we were children they grow and they have to be TAUGHT not to do those bad behaviors. Not all people who adopt are like this but there are some that do the impulse adoption." ~K. Lockheart
This is all to true. There are many animals in rescues and shelters (not just dogs and cats) that people did not realize what they were getting into. Some don't have money to feed the pet, some were too busy that they could not properly take care of them and train them, others just wanted the pet for show and then they got bored of it. Not all are like that however. There are the amazing people like you who have come here not to just adopt but to learn and make sure that this is what you want, a life long commitment to a living creature. (For more information on owning a new animal check out Paw Prints In the Bath)
A lot of people ask: Why is adopting a animal so expensive?
The truth is that most shelters like the MCHS do not charge enough to even cover what they have done for each animal. MCHS and many other shelters make sure that they get the animals throughly healthy and happy. Each animal that comes into the rescue is taken to the vets to get checked out to see if there are any health issues that need to be taken care. For health issues we will have our vet care for them immdediately. We are based on donations so some of the funding from adoptions and donations go into these type of bills.
The animals are then placed in a loving home that will hold them for aprox 10-21 days while we search to find the animal's owner. If no owner is found, the animal then will go up for adoption. Each animal in adoption is or will be Spayed/Neutered, Vaccinated up to date, De-wormed, Flea treated, Micro-chipped, and more. As you can see that is a lot to do for just one animal let alone many. All of those things cost money. we do not add in the price of: food, bowls, puppy pads/litterboxes, toys, dog/cat sitting, cleaning supplies, grooming and many more things.
"We have many animals that are thrown over fences, found in dumpsters, tossed out of cars and more that have come to our organization. We find a volunteer home that will look after and care for the animal. We will provide them food if they need it and other items they may need such as blankets, toys, bedding, food bowls, water dishes, puppy pads, litterboxes, scoopers, gloves, trashbags, etc. If the dog is needing to be groomed we will groom it as well. luckily we have amazing volunteers so we do not have to pay dog walkers, or animal sitters as our volunteers are doing that for us. Then once we have that lined up, before the animal goes there we have the animal go to the vet. This is the most expensive as many animals that come our way are hurt. We have had animals with pellot gun wounds, broken legs, posioning, open wounds and more get dumped in our volunteer homes, or called in. We can not take all the animals but we do try and help out as much as we can. Depending on how many homes we have that can foster, depends on how many animals we can help and take in. Donations are always welcomed" ~K. Lockheart
Whether this is your first ever pet or your 100th it is still a new pet to you. Starting out for some can be quite confusing especially when it comes to what is needed and if they should get the pet or not. Here are questions I ask to help them decide if the pet is what they are ready for.
- First and foremost are you willing to commit a loving home, enviornment, and caring hand for the lifetime of the animal you are wanting to adopt?
- Second Are you financially secure for owning the pet you want to own?
- Willing to find a vet and get regular visits and pay for any health bills they aquire in their lifetime?
- Where do you plan on keeping the pet (inside, outside)
- Are you looking for a pet that needs a lot of attention or one that you do not have to do much for?
- Are you prepared for "Happy Little boo boos" (messes and accidents)?
- Have you tested to see if you are allergic to that particular animal?
- Do you have kids? If so can you teach them the proper care and handling of the pet?
- Do you have other pets? How do they get along with new pets coming in?
- Are you willing to put time, money and effort into training if needed?
- And one of the most important questions: DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS ANIMAL or is this animal JUST FOR SHOWS?
"Many people do not realize what they are in store for when they get a pet. Impulse buys is what many have done and unfortunately it can, has and may lead to sad things. People get a pet thinking oh it is so cute because it is small and tiny, or young or a certain breed that is popular, however when the animal starts to tear up items, make messes, or are to uncontrollable because they never had training, are puppies or have anxiety issues they are dropped off at animal rescues or the pound, or even worse they are dropped off on the streets. When getting a pet realize just like us when we were children they grow and they have to be TAUGHT not to do those bad behaviors. Not all people who adopt are like this but there are some that do the impulse adoption." ~K. Lockheart
This is all to true. There are many animals in rescues and shelters (not just dogs and cats) that people did not realize what they were getting into. Some don't have money to feed the pet, some were too busy that they could not properly take care of them and train them, others just wanted the pet for show and then they got bored of it. Not all are like that however. There are the amazing people like you who have come here not to just adopt but to learn and make sure that this is what you want, a life long commitment to a living creature. (For more information on owning a new animal check out Paw Prints In the Bath)
A lot of people ask: Why is adopting a animal so expensive?
The truth is that most shelters like the MCHS do not charge enough to even cover what they have done for each animal. MCHS and many other shelters make sure that they get the animals throughly healthy and happy. Each animal that comes into the rescue is taken to the vets to get checked out to see if there are any health issues that need to be taken care. For health issues we will have our vet care for them immdediately. We are based on donations so some of the funding from adoptions and donations go into these type of bills.
The animals are then placed in a loving home that will hold them for aprox 10-21 days while we search to find the animal's owner. If no owner is found, the animal then will go up for adoption. Each animal in adoption is or will be Spayed/Neutered, Vaccinated up to date, De-wormed, Flea treated, Micro-chipped, and more. As you can see that is a lot to do for just one animal let alone many. All of those things cost money. we do not add in the price of: food, bowls, puppy pads/litterboxes, toys, dog/cat sitting, cleaning supplies, grooming and many more things.
"We have many animals that are thrown over fences, found in dumpsters, tossed out of cars and more that have come to our organization. We find a volunteer home that will look after and care for the animal. We will provide them food if they need it and other items they may need such as blankets, toys, bedding, food bowls, water dishes, puppy pads, litterboxes, scoopers, gloves, trashbags, etc. If the dog is needing to be groomed we will groom it as well. luckily we have amazing volunteers so we do not have to pay dog walkers, or animal sitters as our volunteers are doing that for us. Then once we have that lined up, before the animal goes there we have the animal go to the vet. This is the most expensive as many animals that come our way are hurt. We have had animals with pellot gun wounds, broken legs, posioning, open wounds and more get dumped in our volunteer homes, or called in. We can not take all the animals but we do try and help out as much as we can. Depending on how many homes we have that can foster, depends on how many animals we can help and take in. Donations are always welcomed" ~K. Lockheart