Looking for a Pet? Adopt, don’t Shop!

Looking for a Pet? Adopt, don’t Shop! 

Looking for a new furry or feathered friend? There are hundreds of local shelters who would be very happy to have you come and visit!  

This goes for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, the list goes on! There are also dozens of breed specific adoption centers, so if you exclusively want a pug, you’re in luck.   

Below are a few links to lists of shelters: 

The SD Humane Society - https://www.sdhumane.org/     

Helen Woodward Animal Center - https://animalcenter.org/adopt-a-pet/    

TAP - https://theanimalpad.org/adopt/   

SD Shelters – http://sdshelters.org/shelters.html    

Also! A member of the SDPEBA team is a volunteer with Lab Rescuers, a local organization that rehabilitates, rehomes, and fosters Labs and Lab mixes. Learn more here: https://www.labrescuers.org/  

Why Adopt? 

Adopting pets saves lives, keeps money away from puppy and kitty mills, and can often ensure your pet has been thoroughly checked out by a vet. Adopting also means these shelters will have more resources to help even more animals in the future!  

Pet stores aren’t always bad, in fact many work directly with local shelters, just be sure to do your research before picking up your new best friend. 

And while you’re at it… 

If you get a pet, consider grabbing pet insurance! When a pet is “new,” you won’t run into any issues with preexisting conditions, and you can use the insurance to make those initial vet visits cost up to 70% less.  

A lot of SDPEBA members have gotten pet insurance for their new pet just so they can lock in the lower price for a young pet and easily pay for the new pet’s initial checkup, shots, etc. Just be sure that the insurance you choose covers what your pet needs.