Choosing an Animal Rescue Group to Adopt From

Humane Societies and the ASPCA used to be the place where mistreated and homeless animals found a new home. Boxes of puppies and kittens were dropped off, families that were moving left their pets behind, and folks moving into retirement homes said painful good-byes to their faithful friends inside the walls of these shelters. These same animals found new homes and new families during their stay at the shelter.

Over the last 10 years, animal rescue groups have been sprouting up everywhere. Some rescue groups are for cats only, some are for dogs only, some are for specific breeds, and some take every living thing under the sun. With so many rescue groups out there, how do you know which ones are legitimate? How do you know which groups are not scams?

While there are many ways to pinpoint the scams from the legitimate shelters, there are 5 red flags that are always an indication of neglectful groups. They are:

1. The group is run out of someone's home. This is not a shelter, it is a home based foster care for animals. These people usually do not allow visitors and do their adoptions from other locations, such as pet stores or web sites. The reason this is not a good idea is because most people that do this have cages upon cages and this is how the animals exist in their care. This is a miserable life for most animals.

2. The group will adopt out animals that have not been spayed or neutered. Every rescue group exists to be sure that the animals they adopt into new families are part of the family and not to be bred. If the shelter does not make this a priority, it is likely that they are not giving the animals the care they require during their stay.

3. The rescue group cannot give you veterinarian references and immunization records upon adoption. These should be looked at as requirements when you adopt from a shelter. If they are not provided, you are likely adopting a pet that is not up to date on shots and may have an illness. This can be costly and end in catastrophe for you and your family.

4. The group is not recognized by at least 2 other shelters in its own state as a "Good rescue group". These groups stick together and are not in it for competition or money. If you have the proper acknowledgements from other shelters you can be pretty sure that this is a reputable shelter.

5. There should be a home visit with the pet you choose and an application process set by the shelter. Testing to be sure the pet is a good fit for your family should be very important, as well as personal references, veterinary references, and a full application process for each prospective owner. If this is not the case, go to the next rescue group.

If you see any of these red flags while you are searching for your pet, you must consider choosing another shelter. Keeping bad rescue organizations in business does nothing more than add to the issue of animal abuse and neglect.

Once you have found the perfect organization, you will find the perfect pet for you. Good luck!