| Animal Shelters' Matching Programs | January 18, 2007 |
When dogs or cats are chosen as gifts for somebody, there is always a risk that these animals may be abandoned or end up in shelters as unwanted animals. There is no guarantee that the recipients will like the pets, and vice versa.
The same thing applies to adopting pets from animal shelters. Impulsive decision of buying or adopting animals without thinking about it carefully may bring misery to the life of both the pets and their new owners.
A December 2006 issue of USA Weekend talked about how shelters have been successfully helping clients adopt animals without bringing them back to the shelters later.
According to the article, more shelters screen clients these days. The shelters evaluate the personalities of the pets, and they also evaluate the personalities and the lifestyle of potential pet owners. The evaluations help the shelters find as perfect a match as possible. This program has helped participating shelters reduce their return rates by half.
If you feel an instant and irresistible bond with a dog or a cat, you are lucky. But if you aren't confident in your ability to choose the best pet, let your animal shelter evaluate you and the animals you may be interested in.
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