Adopting My Mixed Breed Dog from Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center

Our dog Orion just celebrated his 7th birthday. Six and half years ago when we peeked at him through the bars of a kennel at our local pet rescue center we had no idea one day he'd accompany us on our honeymoon and become a family member worthy of smiling on the front of our Christmas cards.

Finding Orion
My boyfriend (who is now my husband) and I decided we were ready for the responsibility of a new pet shortly after moving in together. He asked what breeds I admired and I told him of an experience I had with a floppy-eared Weimaraner at Petco.

So, we turned to our faithful online friend, Google, to research the breed. We typed our hometown and the breed name in the search box and on the first page was a photo of a dog available for adoption. His name was Blitz. The Petfinder ad said he was located at the Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center.

The dog didn't look exactly as I remembered the breed to look, but he was cute. He grinned from ear to ear, sported a Superman-style patch of white on his chest and had short, floppy ears that no pet lover can resist.

When we arrived at the shelter we met Cindy Rarrat, the owner and operator of the business which has since moved to a new facility at 2400 Hawkeye Drive in Sioux City, Iowa.

Looking at the Pets
Cindy allowed us to walk up and down the rows of kennels to peek at all the pets available for adoption. To our surprise, the shelter housed much more than cats and dogs. A kennel on the far end of the building housed several large parrots including macaws and cockatoos. Rarrat also said they sometimes have reptiles, pet rabbits, guinea pigs and even horses.

We asked her to show us the dog in the Petfinder advertisement. We were allowed to put a leash on Blitz and walk him in the yard just outside the building. We talked to him, played and got a general feel for the dog's disposition. Although he pulled on a leash and was timid when approached, he was very friendly.　

Making the Adoption Official
After deciding we couldn't put Blitz back into the kennel, Cindy helped us complete the adoption process. She filled out a form with our names, address and details about the dog, which was labeled as a Weimaraner mix. Blitz was given a series of puppy vaccines since he was roughly 6 months of age and licensed to comply with our local city laws. We paid our $60 adoption fee, and were on our way in less than an hour.

I personally recommend adopting a pet from the Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center. Many of the animals found their way to the shelter after surviving an abusive or neglectful home. Other animals were picked up while running in the streets and have been deemed strays. There is a seven day hold on all pets, to allow time for the pet's owner to locate them at the shelter. After the initial seven days, the animal becomes available for a new family to adopt.

Sources and Suggested Further Reading:
Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center
Petfinder
Angela Tague, "Animal Shelters House More Than Cats and Dogs", Associated Content from Yahoo!
Angela Tague, "Reduce Leash Pulling While Walking Large Breed Dogs", Associated Content from Yahoo!###