Bringing a new pet into the home can be an incredibly exciting experience, but it’s not without challenges.
According to RJ Nehemiah, the adoptions and volunteer manager at Peninsula animal shelter Pets in Need, “any pet could be a good family pet, and any family could be a good pet owner.”
The key is finding the right fit.
For first-time pet owners, Nehemiah suggests a “doggy day out,” during which people can check out a dog for a day to learn how it fits in with their home and lifestyle. If families are hesitant about jumping to dogs, Nehemiah recommends rabbits as a good first pet to teach kids about responsibility.
For those unsure about adopting, fostering offers a way to bond with animals without a long-term commitment. Michelle de Blank, a seasoned foster parent who has fostered more than 30 dogs, said she fostered about 20 dogs before adopting the one she connected with most.
De Blank started fostering as a way to bond with her eldest daughter during the COVID pandemic, and in doing so, has created a strong community of friends who also foster.
“You get the dog companion,” she said, “but you also get a human community, which I think is really nice.”
Nehemiah encourages prospective pet owners to adopt. While she understands that people tend to believe there is more certainty when buying from a breeder, she claims that “sometimes we actually may know even more than a breeder, because sometimes we’ve had (the pets) for a while, or we send them out to foster homes and we get a ton of information that way. We try to make it really informative for the adopters, so they have a good idea of what they’re getting into.”
At Pets in Need, which has locations in Palo Alto and Redwood City, the adoption process is straightforward, according to Nehemiah. People can walk in, learn about the pet’s medical and behavioral history and fill out a short application. Adoptions are often same-day, with fees covering spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchipping, which cuts costs significantly compared to buying from breeders. Still, adopting a pet can be a leap of faith. The Humane Society reports that 7% to 20% of pets are returned within the first six months of being adopted. At Pets in Need, the return rate is a little under 10%, according to Nehemiah.
“We don’t see returning as a failure. Sometimes it just isn’t the right fit, and we try to encourage people that even if they have to return, they can still adopt again,” Nehemiah said.
She added that the most common reasons for pet returns are behavioral issues and monetary problems. Thus, Nehemiah suggests everyone considering adoption to talk to friends and family about what pet ownership entails and be prepared for the expenses required as a pet owner, like medical bills.
Whether people are ready to adopt, foster or simply volunteer, shelters like Pets in Need are always looking for support.
“It costs about $700 per pet we take in,” Pets in Need marketing manager Eddie Solis said, highlighting the need for donations.
Pets in Need offers two main types of volunteering: drop-in and weekly in-shelter. Younger volunteers (12 and up) can work as office administrators, helping greet people and do administrative tasks and volunteers older than
16 can apply to work with the animals.
For more information on Pets in Need, visit petsinneed.org.
