When you decide to welcome a new, furry family member into your home, an exciting stage of your life begins. Whether you are new to owning a pet, or have had many pets in your life, pet ownership is an incredibly fulfilling experience that brings about a certain excitement and anticipation.

October is Adopt a Shelter Pet month, making this month the perfect time to find your new fuzzy family member  at your local animal shelter. There are a number of animal shelters within the Schertz community where you can find a variety of pets in need of a forever family.

Adopting a pet from a local shelter are numerous, and include:

What to Consider Before You Adopt a Shelter Pet

Whether you’re looking for a cat, dog, bird, or something more exotic, it’s important to determine exactly the type of pet you want.

For example, if you have kids and are looking to get a nice family dog, you’ll want to carefully consider which dog breeds are good with kids (Labrador Retrievers, Collies, Spaniels) and which breeds tend to have an aversion to children (Jack Russell Terriers, Miniature Pinschers, Chow Chows). Or, maybe your apartment building only allows cats, but not dogs, so you may have to postpone adopting the family pup and start with a highly independent, yet faithful family cat instead.

These are important circumstances to consider during the pet adoption process, which will help you find that perfect pet. Once you’ve decided the type of pet you’re looking for, you should take these other attributes into consideration in order to find the pet that best fits life or lifestyle:

Double check that there is room in your home, family, and life to welcome that new companion in, and be prepared to dedicate your time and energy to the health, happiness, and well-being of your lovable new pet.

Don’t give up on pet adoption if you don’t find the perfect fit right away. Finding the right pet is a testament of dedication, and it takes time and energy to ensure that both you and your future pet will be happy together.

New pets arrive at animal shelters every day, so the right companion for you simply may not have arrived yet. Make a plan to call the local animal shelters on a regular basis, or schedule a standing appointment for a certain day every month which will allow you to search for your desired pet on your terms and time schedule.

As you begin your search, do your homework to find out the different animal shelters in your area. Don’t be afraid to contact each local shelter to ask about their adoption processes, fees, and rescue animals. Your perfect pet is waiting out there to be adopted and given the chance to prove his or her loyalty, love, and gratitude at being given the chance to be your constant companion.