What to Expect When Adopting a Shelter Pet

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PedigreeGives #CollectiveBias

It’s been over eight years since Maddie joined our family.  After wanting a dog for years, I finally found the perfect dog at a shelter in Miami…except, she probably didn’t look so perfect to everyone else when I brought her home.  She was tired and scared, she had a terrible cough, and had lost much of her hair to mange.  She had actually been returned to the shelter two separate times, which probably would have been a red flag to most, but I was sure that she was the perfect addition to our family.  

Now, 8 years later, I can’t imagine not having Maddie as a part of our family.  She’s amazing with the kids, great around the house, and has more love to give than I could ever imagine.  She’s my security detail and best friend.  But make no mistake, those first few days and weeks that she was home were quite an adjustment – for us and for her – and if I’m being totally honest, I wasn’t quite ready for it.  If you’re adopting a shelter pet, here are a few things that you might want to know as you make the transition.

They’ll be downright exhausted.  When I first adopted Maddie, I expected it to be a very eventful day.  I thought I would pick her up and we’d head out to the dog park and play for hours.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.  Instead, I picked her up and she slept all the way home and for the next 2 days straight.  Shelters are scary, noisy places and it’s very normal for dogs to want to rest when they find a comfy, quiet spot.  Don’t mistake this for your new pet not being interested in you, they just need to recharge then they’ll be back to their normal perky selves.

They might be sick.  When you have lots of pets together under one roof illness can spread quickly, with Kennel Cough being a common shelter illness for dogs.  Although your dog may sound terrible, Kennel Cough is relatively short-lived and can be treated easily.  Get the name of a good vet before you even pick up your pet, but before you call them, check your adoption paperwork to see if any care is provided within certain number of days of adoption.  When I adopted my cat from our local Humane Society, they provided vet care for up to 30 days from the date of the adoption, and happily gave her antibiotics and fluids when she came down sick a few days after I picked her up.

The information on the adoption papers might not be accurate.  The volunteers and employees in shelters are no doubt doing their very best, but they’re often working quickly with more pets to assess than they have hours in the day.  Maddie’s paperwork said that she was spayed and not house trained, but as it turns out she wasn’t spayed, and was house trained.  And that wasn’t the end of the inaccuracies.  I don’t even think they got her breed correct on her paperwork.  Be ready just in case the paperwork isn’t correct, and have a house training plan in place.  Also, remember that it can take a few weeks for your pet’s real personality to come out.

They might be on a different schedule than the one in your home.  Adopting a pet is a big change for your family, but it’s also a huge change for the dog that you just adopted.  If they’re a puppy, they might not have experience elsewhere, but if your adopting an older dog, they might have already lived in a home where there was a routine in place.  It’s important to set a routine for your pet early with good quality food, frequent walks, and lots of love.

Since you might not know what your pet was eating before you adopted them, PEDIGREE® Adult Dry Dog Food or PEDIGREE® Puppy Breed Dry Dog Food available at Sam’s Club are a good place to start.  And now through the end of October, when you buy PEDIGREE® products at Sam’s Club, PEDIGREE® brand will donate a bowl of food to a dog in need.  To give a little more, upload a photo of the dog you love to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #LaterShelter to donate another bowl of food and for a chance to be featured on SamsClub.com.

Unconditional love.   I’m not sure how, but a shelter pet will always know that you saved them.  They’ll remember and pay you back each day with a love so unconditional love you won’t know what to do with it all.  Be prepared to love them back just as much.

Have you adopted a pet before?  What pet food would you recommend to new shelter pet parents?