Adopt Puppies Online

About Puppy Adoptions

It's an unhappy fact that there are simply far too many unwanted pets in this world just waiting for a home, and it takes a special heart to adopt a homeless animal.

More often than not, these creatures have been through some rough times, and require extra TLC to bring them back to physical as well as emotional health. In some cases, an adopted pet will never be completely healthy and well adjusted, and this is something else you must take into consideration when you're thinking about adopting.

When you begin your search, you'll likely encounter a number of breeders who use the term "adopt" as a euphemism for "purchase", but the two words do have different meanings. You will probably have to do a bit of sorting to separate the true rescue shelters from breeders hoping to profit from online sales.

With that in mind, you should understand that even adoptions aren't free unless you're adopting an unwanted pet from someone you know locally. Let's take a look at the process.

What to Expect When You Adopt Puppies Online

Adopting a puppy differs from buying a puppy in that you won't pay an actual purchase price for your pet. That said, when you adopt a puppy from any shelter you should still expect certain requirements and fees to be involved.

The first step will be finding an adoption website that offers a pup you may be interested in. Many sites offer a search engine to help you narrow down your search to the size, sex and age of dog you are looking for. If you have a specific breed in mind, it will be more expedient to visit a breed rescue website, rather than an all breed shelter.

Adoption Application

Nearly all online adoption shelters will want to know more about you before they agree to let you have one of their rescued pets.

You will be asked to fill out an adoption application before the process can proceed. The shelter will use the information you provide to make an educated decision whether you can provide a particular pet with the care it needs and deserves.

In some cases, a more in depth application may signal that you are dealing with a better shelter, one that isn't quick to unload a puppy to the first person that comes along. However, be on guard against a shelter that asks very invasive questions. Wanting to know your yearly income may be a legitimate way to judge whether you can support a pet, but requiring your social security number or asking for a credit card number right off the bat should send off warning bells.

As with any online transaction be careful about the personal information you choose to share.

Discussion of Terms

If your application is approved, the next step is to discuss details about the puppy in question and the terms of the adoption.

Points to cover:

• A case history: This would include how the puppy came to the shelter, any injuries or background of abuse, any training needed/provided and the pup's current health. Now is the time to ask a lot of questions so you can be sure you understand what you may be taking on.
• Health care provided: This includes vaccinations, spaying/neutering, worming, various treatments for illnesses, injuries and/or infections.
• Fees: This would include fees for the health care services mentioned above, plus the cost of shipping the pet to your location in an approved carrier, unless you plan to travel to the shelter yourself. You could wind up paying hundreds of dollars depending on what's involved, so make sure the shelter is willing to provide you with documentation for all charges involved.

It will be up to you to decide whether the fees being asked for are reasonable. The easiest way to do this is to call a local vet, discuss the care the puppy has received and find out what that vet would consider reasonable charges. You should also double check the shipping fees to make sure you aren't being overcharged by the person/shelter you're dealing with.

If you decide all is in good order, then all that's left is to pay your fees and arrange your new pup's transportation.

Adopter Beware

Many online adoptions conclude without a problem, however, sometimes there are complications. The American Kennel Club and the Council of Better Business Bureaus have teamed up to warn the public about a pattern of scams being perpetrated on people who purchase or adopt puppies online.

If you are suddenly asked for additional fees to complete your transaction after you have already paid the amount agreed upon, there may be a problem. BBB's across the country have received reports of unscrupulous online operators attempting to gain further profit after a deal has already been struck.

If this should happen to you, your best recourse would be to back out of the deal and ask for a refund of the money you've already sent. If the other party isn't willing to cooperate, ask your credit card company to do a chargeback to recover the money you've already sent. If you paid with a personal check, your bank may be able to stop payment if it hasn't yet been cashed.

Whatever happens, contact your local BBB to report the incident and receive further advice on how to proceed.