TOP 10 DOG ADOPTION

Are you a dog lover and looking to have a lovely four-legged creature in your home? You searched for dogs for sale but unfortunately getting the dog you love will cost you a lot of money.

Forget about that, you can just visit a dog adoption shelter or rescue group. This won’t cost you that much money and you will find thousands of options to choose from.

Dog adoption is actually a life-saving act, it is about taking the responsibility of a dog who is looking for a home.

You don’t have to go to every shelter or rescue to search for your beloved dog, dog adoption websites make it easier. You can use these websites and they will guide you through the process of adopting a dog.

Websites for pet adoption have pets from shelters, rescue groups, pet organizations, and even families who can no longer keep their dogs, so the options here are very wide and it is more luckily you will find what you want.

Here is a list of the top 10 dog adoption websites, for each website, searching process, dog adoption process, and adoption fees may differ. You can choose one of them to search for your dog, or even browse them all till you find your goal.

• Petfinder
• ASCPA
• Petsmart
• Animal care center of NYC
• Petango
• Petco foundation
• Rescue Me
• Adopt a pet
• Lucky dog animal rescue
• Get your pet

Petfinder

If you are a person who gets bored easily and feels overwhelmed with many options available, Petfinder has an interactive quiz to help you find the perfect dog for adoption.

The simple quiz will ask you things like your preferred dog size, age, sex, and location.

You have more than 15,000 pets available for adoption. You can browse the website and find your perfect match, or you can just take the quiz.

Petfinder has been around for 20 years. They support dog rescue and animal shelters and allow them to post the dogs they have for adoption.

You can search for dog rescue groups or dog shelters on the website if you want to contact them directly. They have the best database for pet shelters.

Petfinder provide all adopters with a checklist on the website including all questions and considerations you may want to take care of. It has a shopping list for a dog too.

If you are new to adoption, the website has information about everything related to dog care as dog nutrition and training

Go the extra mile and volunteer with them if you want to help other dogs rather than the one you adopted.

ASPCA

The American society for prevention of cruelty to animals is not just a pet adoption website. It is a whole organization for everything related to animal welfare.

For adopting a dog, you can visit their adoption center in New York City. They also offer remote dog adoption in Los Angeles or New York.

If you live in New York or Los Angeles, browse the website for dogs from their center. You can filter the search by age and gender, and you can choose the size too.

When you find the best dog, you will find all information related to this dog, his personality, what he likes and dislikes, how long he has been sheltered, and much more information.

Unfortunately, they don’t offer remote adoption for any other cities and their center doesn’t have too many options to choose from. Yet, you can still search for dogs in your local shelter using zip code on their website.

They have a nationwide database for shelters and rescue groups for people living all over the USA.

This is a non-profit organization so you may want to help them by becoming a monthly donator or even one-time donation or you can help them in fundraising.

Petsmart charities

Petsmart provides charitable services from 1994, they work with organizations and rescue centers and even grant them money.

If you own a pet organization you can contact them through their website, and see how they can help you.

Besides being an online and offline shopping store, Petsmart offers dog adoption services for those who need to adopt a dog in America.

They allow shelters and rescue centers to take space in their stores. Adopters can then visit and see the available dogs for adoption. Petsmart itself is not part of the process nor do they handle the adoption or communication with the shelter group.

There are fees for adoption but none of them is for profit. The fees are typically for vaccination, neutering, and costs related to the dog you will adopt.  Fees differ from one organization to the other.

Dog adoption from Petsmart have different ways.

You can visit dog adoption centers located at their stores. To find the nearest stores, use their website store locator. Or, attend one of their events to interact with puppies and get to know organizations they work with.

Lastly, you can visit their website and search for a dog to adopt online.

Animal care centers of NYC

If you are a vet, or a 60+ person, Animal care centers have got an offer for you.

They offer a fee-waived dog adoption for vets animals and adults looking for a pet companion.

For normal dog adoption processes, visit their website, and use the adoption search. The search generates results by location.

These dogs live in their center, but if you can’t find what you want then search, using their website too, in the organizations they partner with.

When you find a dog you are interested in, apply for adoption. Once your application is approved you will be able to see your new family member face-to-face at their centers or with the foster.

ACC host adoption events to connect people who want to adopt animals with adoption centers and fosters.

They have a mobile application for easier browsing of all available animals for adoption. You can set your preferences and the app will send you notifications when your perfect fit is available.

The adoption fees range from 75$ to 250$ according to the age of the dog.

The fees include neutering, vaccinations, and other tests. Adopted dogs come with a leash, collar, microchip, and dog license.

Petango

Petango’s main concern is to match you with your adopted dog, so they have a pet match tool including a questionnaire to match your personality with a dog’s personality.

Petango has been working since 2009 all across the USA and Canada, so be sure that you will find the dog you want anywhere.

You can search for dogs filtering the breed and using your location.

When you adopt a pet from any of their partners you enjoy 30-day free pet insurance from 24PetWatch. Not all pets are eligible for the free month insurance, so check before you go for adoption.

Besides the adoption search, they have a lost pet search, it is basically a network of pet lovers. Whenever a dog or any pet is lost, the pet owner reports his missing pet and all people living nearly will receive a notification of the pet characteristics so they might help to find it

Join the pet lost network at their website to help yourself and others find your lost pet.

When you get your adopted dog, read the tips they post on their website on how to deal with your pet and how to keep him healthy.

Petco foundation

Petco is another foundation dedicated to helping pet animals. They also have a store for everything you may need for your pet dog.

Petco works in the same way as Petsmart, they designate part of their local stores to rescue and shelter centers.

For adoption from Petco, check the local store near you and then check their calendar. On weekends some of their partners may hold a showcase to help adopters find dogs.

You can browse for shelters near you, or if you have a specific shelter in mind search by its name.

Or, just browse their website for online dog adoption, filter your search by sex, age, size, color, and breed.

When you adopt from Petco you can receive coupons and other benefits from Petco stores and all their partners including veterinary services and grooming salons.

If you own an organization you may partnership with Petco to gain access to their customers who all mostly pet owners and lovers.

Petco has a unique program called adoption ambassadors, it is a volunteering program including adopters, fosters and other pet lovers who commit for one year to help the foundation in their events and projects.

They offer online dog training classes for new pet owners.

Rescue Me

At Rescue Me you have the two options, either to adopt a dog or find a new home for your dog.

Their sole concern is to find homes for animals, so they are doing everything to achieve this.

Create an individual or shelter account if you are looking for a foster to your dog. The main difference is that shelter accounts can get grants when qualified.

The website has a notification feature that sends you an email when certain dogs or other animals are posted matching your preferences.

As an adopter searching for a dog, choose the breed and location. Dogs available are either from shelters or families rehoming their dogs.

The best thing about Rescue Me is that it is not limited to the USA, you can search for dogs in other countries although the highest number of available dogs is in the USA.

If you have a dog website or blog, you can use their easy widget that is embedded in your website. When clicked, the user will be directed to Rescue Me website to complete the rest of the process.

Rescue Me has another related service named Rescue shelter that provides a directory of animal shelters in different countries.

Adopt a pet

One of the largest websites with a wide variety of options.

Dog adoption from this website is similar to other websites, you browse the available dogs and choose what interests you more.

Dogs available on the website are all from shelters and rescue groups.

Some shelters allow for visits, if you are interested in a dog from a particular shelter you can see the address and contacts on the website.

For adoption from shelters, the best way is to contact the shelter directly and ask about their procedures.

Then arrange a visit, when you find a dog, you will have to pay the adoption fees ranging from 25$ to 125$ according to each shelter’s own pricing.

Rescues are different in that most of them are volunteering work, they have their pets in foster homes.

To adopt from a rescue, you have to contact them first and follow their instructions which may differ from one rescue group to the other.

Adoption fees from a rescue range from 100$ to 300$.

Adopt a pet acts as a link between you as an adopter, and shelters and rescues from the other side. They are not part of the whole dog adoption process.

Lucky dog animal rescue

If you can’t keep a dog with you forever you can choose to foster it for a while till he finds his home.

You can browse the available dogs or submit an application form if you have a specific dog in your mind. They will send you an email when your desired dog is available.

When you submit an application, a coordinator will then phone you to discuss further preferences, you can set up a meeting together to help you find your match.

They use a matchmaking process for the adopters to find them the perfect dog. To be approved as an adopter you will have to pass a phone or face-to-face interview.

They will also check your home, which will eventually become your dog’s home. Expect to receive a vet’s visit if you own any animals.

You can also participate in their online events where dog owners and adopters meet.

The last option they have if you can’t find a dog yet is to search in their shelter partners.

Fees for adoption range from 250$ to 450$

To get the best dog you desire, keep browsing their website, and don’t just wait for the coordinator.

Get your pet

A place where adopters are connected with fosters. Get your pet allows for direct adoption from the foster’s home.

The process starts when you browse dogs and select your preferred one, you can know everything about the dog from his profile.

Then you contact the dog owner, you have to register and be part of the community to be able to send messages and exchange information about your upcoming family member.

When you agree on everything you can arrange a time to meet your friend and set up everything with the foster.

You are charged an adoption fee of 99$, but they don’t allow pet owners to charge you for rehoming their dogs.

When you use the dashboard available on their website to write everything regarding the dog adoption process and pay the fees, you will get 30-day free pet insurance and a free vet examination too. You will also get all the adoption legal documents along with the package.

The website offers an environment for pet owners and adopters to post their dogs, arrange meet-ups, and share information related to their dogs. There is a vet search too if you want to check with a vet near you.

Final Thoughts on Top 10 Dog Adoption

Adopting a dog will be one of the best experiences you will have in life. Thanks to dog adoption websites you now have tons of options.

Some websites like Adopt a pet and Petfinder give you a database of shelters and rescues, and you have to contact them directly.

Other websites have their own available dogs like ASPCA and Animal Care Centers

Get your pet and Rescue me act as a social platform for adopters and dog owners to connect and arrange everything together. While Lucky dog animal rescue have the all options available.

To better decide if you will adopt from a shelter, rescue, or a family rehoming their dog, you have to know the main differences between these options.

Shelters allow you to see the pets on their site, the process is easier and can be all done in one day. The fees are less than rescues but they don’t often include vet examination fees.

For rescues, the process takes longer time because the dogs are usually living with foster families, they have to make sure that the dog will be comfortable with you and that you are a perfect match. Fees are higher but often include vet fees and vaccinations.

Adopting from a family is nearly free unless the website you used to connect charges you. Just make sure to know everything about your dog from his former family so he can get used to you.

Ready to welcome a new family member? There are so many dogs waiting for you.

COMPARISON TABLE OF TOP 10 DOG ADOPTION WEBSITE