How to adopt a pet

• Adopt a pet

This is one of many pets awaiting adoption at the Lakes Area Humane Society.

Talk about it

There are many decisions that go with adopting a pet. Determining what type of pet is right for each family is based on many characteristics.

Christin Klimek, the executive director for the Lakes Area Humane Society (LAHS), said there are a few steps to take in the adoption process to ensure each animal goes to the right home.

1. People considering pet ownership must first stop in to take a look at all the different animals offered at LAHS. Consideration should also be given right away to the costs involved. Each pet must be neutered or spayed before going to a new home from LAHS. Cats generally can be adopted for about $90 and dogs range from about $110 to $150. These costs include the neuter or spay, basic vaccines such as rabies, and testing, for heartworm and diseases.

2. A member of the LAHS staff will talk with you to see what pet would be right for you. Do you have a small yard? If so, a dog that has a lot of energy would not be a good choice. Are there children or other animals in the new home? Then an animal that prefers to be alone or does not get along with other animals would be a poor choice. Also, the amount of time you have to give a pet is important to consider when making your choice. Some animals require a lot of attention and others would prefer to often be left alone. Some of the animals at LAHS have pre-existing conditions. These animals would require extra care and possibly have extra costs. The LAHS staff will discuss this with you. The staff also helps educate potential new pet owners about personality traits of breeds and care for the animals to ensure that the animal is a good fit for the owner and the new home is a good fit for the animal.

3. If the family needs extra time to discuss the decision or prepare the home for the new addition, the animal can be put on hold for one business day.

4. After a decision has been made, the new owner signs a trial for adoption contract. There is a one-week trial process to ensure the pet is a good fit for the new home. Klimek noted that 98 percent of animals taken home for trial are officially adopted.

5. If all goes well during the first week, the final adoption contract and pet’s medical history is then sent out to the new owner.

The goal of LAHS is to find life-long homes for the animals. If later on, after the adoption process has taken place, the owner feels that the adoption is not working out, the LAHS encourages them to return the animal.

Tags: adopt a pet, life, features