Orlando Animal shelter adoption

Adopting a pet is a big decision. This animal will live with you for the rest of his or her life, sometimes up to 15 years. When making the decision to adopt, take your time and consider the impact on all family members, your lifestyle, family budgets, and time commitments.

Before You Visit the Animal Shelter

What are your expectations of adopting a pet? Following are some considerations:

• Do you have children in the house?
• Do you have other pets?
• How much time will the new animal be on their own?
• How much exercise are you willing to provide this pet?
• Do you want to be able to take the animal with you everywhere?
• Do you travel often?

If you aren’t already a runner, don’t adopt a high-energy dog in hopes that you will run with him or her. If the dog get is not provided the exercise he or she needs, they could become bored and destructive.

When You’re at the Animal Shelter

Spend some time walking throughout our shelter, observing the animals from a distance. Each animal has a “kennel card” attached to their enclosure with more information about them. Some information included is age, breed, intake date, reason for surrender, likes, dislikes, and behaviors.

When you find an animal you’re interested in, ask a staff member or volunteer to take the animal out of his enclosure that you can meet with them. At our Orlando location, we have six visitation areas for cats and five for dogs, and at our Sanford location we have three visitation areas for cats and three for dogs. We recommend that you spend at least 20 to 30 minutes with any animal who you are considering adopting.

Bring all family members with you to this meet and greet so you can ensure that all parties get along. The kennel card is also where you can find information to help you match up your needs with the pet’s personality. Find additional tips about choosing the right pet.