Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

Congratulations! You've decided you have the time and resources to adopt a new pet. Cyber-shelters like PetFinder.my let you search for the pet of your dreams without leaving your comfortable chair.

Today's shelters and rescue groups are better trained and more willing to provide tips for making your adoption a wonderfully rewarding experience.

Before you begin your cyber-journey, here are a few tips to keep in mind when looking for your new pet.


1. In person is best!

There's no substitute for meeting the pet in person to see if the match is right for you … and the pet. Adopting is a relationship that should last the lifetime of the pet. Impulse buying or the wrong lifestyle match leads to many returned pets.

If you truly don't want to go into the shelter, or the rescue group doesn't have a facility, ask about off-site adoption opportunities or special appointments.


2. Who are you adopting?

The best possible match to your family and lifestyle will help your adoption be a lifelong, rewarding one. Some websites like PetFinder.my allow you the opportunity to search by breed, sex, size and other criteria. Be flexible when looking at the available pets.

Behavior can be more important than size. If the pet's behavior and temperament, including likes/dislikes (other pets, children, etc.) isn't listed, ask the shelter/rescue to include this information. If you have another pet, you should arrange to have them meet.

Medical history. Is the pet spayed or neutered? Will the shelter provide this surgery or do they offer low-cost alternatives? Does it have all its shots (and which ones are given as part of your adoption contract)? If you don't know about breed-specific characteristics, ask!


3. Visit often ... and don't give up!

Pets come into shelters and rescue groups every day. Keep looking. Check as many sites as possible. Post your needs on PetFinder.my’s “Pet Wanted” listing in the Classified section.


4. Who are you adopting from? What will you need?

Policies and procedures vary from group to group. Find out as much about the group as you can … are they a non-profit, municipal, private, rescue?

What will you need to bring including a vet reference, proof your other pets are altered, landlord permission, etc.

Is there an adoption fee? What does it include? (Shots, leash, spay/neuter).

What are the group's spay/neuter policies? You may have to wait a day to pick up your pet after it is altered.

Or, you may have to schedule the appointment on your own. Do they have low-cost spay/neuter options?
What is the group's return policy? Even though you've done your homework, the adoption may not work out. Can you bring the pet back at any time? Is there a fee?


5. Follow-up

What help does the organization offer after adoption? Do they provide information on medical or behavior issues when you adopt? Do they have a phone or web help line, etc.? Can they recommend vets, trainers, or behavior specialists?

Don't forget, having a pet is a lifelong responsibility. If you don't think you can take good care of your pet or treat it with loving care then please don't adopt one. Too often people get a pet just for the sake of having one then end up abusing it or abandoning it when they find that taking care of it is just too much trouble. If you don't love animals stay away... it's not for you.

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

totally agree!

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

Well said Ezer! {good}{wink}

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

hye andy.. i got few question to ask regarding pets adoption.
my niece birthday is coming soon and i wish to adopt pets from here..
the problem is most of the pets available for adoption is at Peninsular Malaysia.
im sarawakian and i wish to adopt her cute puppy since she love to play with my GS puppy. i hope can get some information or guide how the pet adoption procedure and fly it to sarawak.. ur help much appreciate...


Dog not just best human friend... their just part of our life..... save animal.... save our life...{grin}
tq..

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

Hello, thesixsidecuber!

It's great that you're interested in adopting a homeless puppy. You're right -- there are so many of them, desperate for help and good, loving homes.

Unfortunately, it's quite difficult getting pets from the peninsula to East Malaysia, as the pets must be quarantined upon arrival. With all the vaccination fees, paperwork, quarantine costs, airfare, etc., the costs add up very quickly. {ohmygod} I hope some other Petfinder members can jump in and add to this information with their own first-hand experience with sending pets back and forth.

There is, however, an SPCA Sarawak, and they're always looking for adopters.

You can find more about them here: http://www.sspca.sarawak.com.my/modules/web/

Wishing you the best of luck in finding and adopting a pup! {good}

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

I am asking for advice, as well as giving some opinion. I can be wrong though.

for the past few days, been visiting a shelter in Pg. 2 adult dog (medium size) got our attention. we were turned down immediately after learning that we stayed in an apartment. we were instead offered to adopt 1 pup which is not to our liking.

reason for rejection, the 2 dogs are barky type. hence create nuisance. ALhtough we did offered to take the dogs home for trial for a week or 2, that according to the manager, is not acceptable.

questions:
1. Penang is a landlocked area. most of penangites stayed in apartment unless we all earn a 5 figure salary. statistically, the supply of animal in shelter will always be more than the available adopting family who stayed in a landed property.

2. does it means that all pet owner stayed in the landed property are more able to care for their pets? Does it means that a dog is better off staying in the shelter, enclosed in a kennel whole day (except on Saturday where they can wait for their turn to be taken out for walk when there are volunteers), than staying in our apartment? regardless of what type of apartment we are staying in, it still bigger than the 2x4 kennel.

3. does it means that the shelter would rather let the animal being euthanized, rather than let someone interested try adopting them?

4. why the shelter manager doesnt even want to hear what we have to offer (house breaking, obedience training, separation anxiety training, min.1 hour daily of walk or play in a nearby field,getting a canine good citizen cert before letting it into a lift uncrated, the promise to pick up the pooh...etc), in order to make the adoption work, rather than setting a prerequisite of "landed house" for adoption? How many people out there is qualified then?

5. Is there anyone stayed in an apartment and succesfully adopted a dog and mind sharing? given what we are ready to commit, what are the chances of the dog we adopt will become a nuisance? i am also ready to commit for a house visit/ spot check from the shelter to ensure my promises are kept.

6. THe shelter manager is depriving other animal of shelter, for every adoption interest being turned down. the available place in shelter is always lesser than available animal who needs them.

7. in addition to concern for the animal welfare, we the human adopter preference doesnt count? why the "hard sell" of the pup not to our liking?

8. what is the shelter striving for? Educate the public of responsible pet ownership by showcasing how a dog can live with human for as long as the owner is responsible, or telling the public only the rich (by my assumption that only rich can afford to stay in a landed property in Pg nowadays) can get what they want.

THis whole episode is certainly disheartening. i respect their work and effort in savings the animal and trying to think for the best for them. but i would never go back to that shelter again, knowing that what we want doesnt count. i am not a extremely well paid person, i am certainly still can afford to buy 1 pup that we like.

perhaps, some reader here can correct me.

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

Hi Everyone,

I am giving my rescue kittens for adoption but there are something that consistently bothers me.

1. There are people asking me to delivered or even pos the cats to their house.
2. Some people stop responding after i insisted for them to neuter the cats once it reach its adulthood.
3. If the adopters don't have any transportation, would it be a problem?? As i worry if some emergencies show up, the animals might not get immediate medical attention.


Maybe I am over thinking, but i want the best for them, not just get them off my hands.

Re: Pet Adoption Guidelines
 

Hi Graceccy87 --

No, you are not over-thinking at all! Your concerns are valid, and if an adopter is sincerely interested, he or she will speak with you about the adoption, and that conversation can address concerns on both sides. Personally, I can't imagine trying to adopt any pet without having a conversation with the owner/rescuer: What is the pet's temperament? Do you think it would be suitable for my living situation? How is it with kids/cats/dogs or whatever other beings might live in my house? What do you feed it? Has it been vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and are there any health issues I should be aware of? Etc., etc.

To address your points one by one:

1 and 3. Delivery and transportation. Anyone who asks you to send a kitten by Pos is not a suitable adopter. Full stop. Regarding delivery, if a potential adopter has no transport, I would discuss the issue with him or her. I, for example, do not drive. When I need to transport my cats to the vet or a boarding place, I put them in their carriers and we go by taxi. Believe me, my cats go to the vet whenever the need arises. Trust your instincts as you speak to adopters who ask if you can deliver the cat. One benefit of delivering is that it gives you a chance to inspect the home before releasing the kitten -- if it doesn't look like a good situation, you simply tell the person that you've changed your mind, and the adoption is off.

Finally, if someone from a more distant part of country wants to adopt, MASKargo offers very reasonable prices to fly pets. A friend who works with Langkawi LASSie told me that she flew two kittens from Langkawi to KL for under RM20 each.

2. Please continue to stand firm on the spay/neuter issue! You know the reasons and benefits, and you've seen the suffering of the homeless strays. This is an ethical requirement. You're doing the right thing! {good}