How do I identify a good site/app for pet adoption?

Question

How do I identify a good site/app for pet adoption? Are there any examples for good sites/apps?

Either for finding a pet to adopt, or for putting up a pet for adoption.

Answer 1

Identifying a good site for pet adoption can be tricky. There are some go-to sites that you can always count on being reliable:

Your local animal shelters

Their mission is to care for animals and adopt them out. They will let you see the animal before adoption and will make sure your situation is fit for the animal as well. The animals in a shelter will also have been checked by a vet.

Here are some examples in English and German:

https://tierschutz-berlin.de/

https://www.battersea.org.uk/

Pages from Animal Societies

Same as the shelters it is their mission to make sure animals are treated well. Some organizations also operate their own shelters. Who operates shelters mainly depends on your location.

Examples:

https://www.rspca.org.uk/findapet/rehomeapet

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

Talk to other people who have adopted pets

Do you have friends or family who have adopted before? Ask them what site/app they used or how they adopted their pet. They might also be able to tell you about trustworthy pages.

Now if you just search the web for pets up for adoption there are some things to watch out for:

• NEVER buy a pet without having seen it in person, some sellers will only show you images and want you to decide based on that - they are not trustworthy!

• When looking at sites of breeders you need to make sure they are not mistreating their animals. This can be tricky but make sure they show you around the living space of the animals. They should have papers from the vet for every animal. General rule with breeders: If something seems off trust your gut.

• Pages like eBay and other marketplaces are not usually a good place to buy pets. They are sold by private people, who might not have a lot of knowledge. You can get lucky here but apply the rules above.

• Do not let people pressure you into making a decision. "If you do not take it today it is gone!" Then do not take it unless you are 100% sure.

But what about putting up pets for adoption?

Your best bet here is your local animal shelter. As stated above they take care of the animals and make sure they are healthy.

If you have pets you want to put up for adoption I can not recommend an online way of doing so. As a responsible pet owner you will have to validate the buyer. Do they have enough experience? Do they have enough room? Are they good people? In my opinion the best way to find someone is by word of mouth. Talk to your friends and family, and they will talk to theirs. This way you are more likely to find trustworthy buyers.

Answer 2

Locate you local animal shelter. They should have a website with a number. Try calling them and see what they have and if they have any recommendations for other reliable websites.