Dog Adoption: You Have Chosen A Dog, Now What?
Welcome to the final installment of this dog adoption series. I am always amazed at the assortment of dogs available from a dog shelter. The variety of sizes, breeds, and temperaments can give a family many opportunities to choose the ideal dog for their household. Another advantage of adopting a dog from the animal shelter is that you will most likely be taking home an older, housetrained dog. This is a time saver for busy parents who do not have the time to work with the dog every day until it is sufficiently socialized. And if that is not enough, the dog will probably have had some obedience training too. Taking this all into consideration -the house training, some obedience training, and the dog already being spayed or neutered- then an adopted dog becomes a smart choice for many people.
Congratulations, You Selected Your Dog, Now What?
When you select your dog, you should be prepared to pay a modest adoption fee. This fee will support the costs of running the animal shelter. This was not always the case. The Humane Society used to provide dog adoptions free of charge. But they learned through trial and error that, as with most things, people value something more if they pay for it. The cases of abuse and neglect were significantly higher with owners of “free” dogs. It became evident that the people who did not mind parting with their money for an adopted dog tended to treat the animal much better.
Health Records
Depending on where the dog came from will determine the extent of the health records provided to you by the animal shelter. Obviously, if the dog is a stray, there will be very little information available. Regardless of the volume of health records you receive, you should immediately take your newly adopted dog to the veterinarian for a checkup.
Bring whatever medical history the dog shelter provided to you, and also a sample of the dog’s fecal matter for testing. The medical history should show the vaccination and worming dates, and also any products or procedures used at the animal shelter. If you are unclear about the vaccination schedule, it wouldn’t hurt to re-vaccinate the dog -ask your veterinarian. The logic is that it is safer to vaccinate the dog a second time, rather than assuming he is free of diseases that may harm him. Sadly, most dog shelters are very crowded and your dog has probably been exposed to more diseases than at a kennel. For this reason, it is imperative for you to have a prompt and thorough examination and vaccination of your newly adopted dog.
