The idea of adopting a dog, cat or other family pet can begin harmlessly enough. Maybe one of your children spent the night playing with an energetic dog at a friend’s house. Maybe you came across a warm and affectionate cat while visiting in-laws over the holidays. Whatever the rationale behind the thought, before a family goes about adopting a new, four-legged member of the family, local animal shelters say there are several steps to follow to ensure long-term happiness, both for the family and for the pet.
Responsibility and Commitment
Adopting a pet is a huge commitment, says Gillian Hargrave, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester. As an open admission shelter, Lollypop Farm takes in all kinds of animals, ranging from dogs and cats to rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, snakes, turtles, lizards, parakeets and macaws. Lollypop also features an adopt and surrender farm, where animals such as chickens, goats, sheep, horses and Vietnamese pot bellied pigs are available for specialized adoption.
Before welcoming in a furry new friend, Hargrave says that parents must sit down with their children and figure out several important questions. Who will be the animal’s primary caretaker? Hargrave says that while it is easy for an enthusiastic and well-intending child to make claims that he or she will feed, play with and clean up after the pet, the reality is, pet ownership is a family-wide responsibility. “You really want to avoid an impulse adoption, so we recommend families sit down and have an honest conversation about the commitment the family is about to make, and what this means for the family,” says Hargrave, whose organization helps place more than 6,000 animals into homes on a yearly basis. “Families need to figure out how this new pet will fit into their lives. It is a big investment of time, money and energy, and before families can adopt, they need to figure out if their lifestyle will allow for pet ownership. You need to be able able to walk and play with the pet, as well as clean up after and spend time engaging with the animal. Then there are the finances. Animals can be very expensive, and you need to be able to afford a pet for its entire lifetime. Dogs can live between 10 and 15 years, and cats are living to be 20.”
Other factors that families must consider are their daily routines, and if they have the time required to provide good care for the pet. If both the mother and father work during the day, who will take the family dog on long walks during the business day? If one of the parents travels frequently for work, or if the family takes frequent out-of-town vacations, who will watch the dog, cat or other animal while the family is out of town? Adopting a pet can be a tremendous blessing for both parents and children, but only if the pet will be properly cared for, Hargrave adds. “The benefits of adoption can be overwhelmingly positive, provided a family goes in with open eyes and does its homework,” Hargrave says. “Pets can really be a part of the family, and the relationship that can be created between a child and a pet is pretty special. Owning a pet can be a tremendous experience for children. It teaches them responsibility and compassion for animals, and pets love us unconditionally, which provides for a special bond between the animal and its caretakers. That unconditional love gives children confidence. And there’s an added benefit of choosing a pet from a shelter. That teaches children the wonderful lesson of giving an animal a second chance and adopting a pet that was once homeless or mistreated.”
Want to find out where to find the perfect pet? Click here to our list of Pet Adoption Locations
Finding the Perfect Forever Friend
Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions has been serving the greater Rochester area for 20 years, and has placed more than 1,700 dogs and cats with new homes this year alone. Ashley Nowak is the Adoptions Director for Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions, and she urges parents to ensure they have the time, energy and resources to properly provide for a pet before making the decision to adopt. Another key piece, according to both Hargrave and Nowak, is to bring the children to the animal shelter to meet their prospective pets before completing the adoption process. Nowak says that she and her staff can witness the interaction between pet and child, and can make recommendations for different breeds that might better suit a child/family’s needs and temperament. “If parents bring their children to the shelter, we can assess and see how the children act around the dogs and cats, if they are fearful or excited,” Nowak says. “We want the dog or cat to be tolerant of the child, so if the child is tugging on the pet, or is constantly putting their hands in the food bowl, that family needs to be placed with a pet that will tolerate this kind of behavior. After seeing how the family interacts with the pet, we make our recommendations, but the ultimate choice of which pet to adopt still comes down to the owner.”
Once the family has made their decision, Nowak says there is a simple, two-page adoption application that must be completed before the process is finalized. She adds that most animals are then taken home with their new families that day.
Among the area shelters, Lollypop Farm, Scottsville Veterinary Adoptions and Rochester Animal Services will provide age-appropriate vaccinations to all pets before allowing them to go home with their new owners. Most agencies will also spay and neuter any newly-adopted pets before they go home with their new families. Chris Fitzgerald, the Director of Animal Services for Rochester Animal Services and the City of Rochester, says one of the biggest issues he hears about regarding pet adoption is when well-intentioned owners are forced to return their pet due to a sudden lifestyle change, like losing a job, accepting a new job, having to relocate across the country or developing new allergies.
He echoed the sentiments of both Hargrave and Nowak, stressing the importance of long-term planning to ensure that both the family and the adopted pet will be taken care of. “When you decide to adopt a pet, you are adopting for the pet’s entire lifetime, and you need to be sure you are able to provide the pet with a sufficient home and meet its needs for its entire lifetime,” says Fitzgerald, who estimates that Rochester Animal Services has adopted out more than 1,700 pets in 2014. “We encourage area families to adopt from a shelter resource, because these are homeless pets that really need a good home, and by adopting, you’re helping the area shelters not be so overwhelmed with homeless animals. Another tip is to keep your pets properly identified, and to keep cats indoors. Dogs and cats should have identification collars, so if the pet does get out of the house and out of the yard, a neighbor can easily return the pet instead of it ending up back in a shelter.”
Committed to adding a furry friend to your family? Talk to shelter staff; they’re friendly and ready to help you choose the perfect forever friend.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
If you are interested in adopting a particular breed of dog, look into an adoption organization that specializes in certain breeds. Cindy Bauer is the president of Greyhound Adoption of Greater Rochester, an agency that tries to find loving homes for retired greyhound racing dogs. Once a family has expressed an interest in a retired greyhound, Bauer and her staff will interview the family to see if there is a possible fit. (Note that households can not have any children under the age of 5.) “Our dog adoption is like no other, as we are working to try to find ‘Forever homes’ for dogs that have never lived in a home environment before,” Bauer says. “We are looking for families that want a companion animal. Retired racing greyhounds are the type of dog that needs to be kept inside and just enjoy being with the family members. They can also run at 45 miles-an hour, so a retired racing greyhound can never be let off a leash unless they are in a fully-enclosed, fenced in area.” For more information about the Greyhound Adoption of Greater Rochester visit www.greyhoundadopt.org or call 314-0187.
John Boccacino is monthly contributor to Rochester & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. He reported on sports and local news for more than 6 1/2 years with the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. He is currently the Director of Sports Information for Keuka College. Boccacino is a Brighton native who currently resides in Webster.
