Adopting a Shelter Dog

Adopting a Shelter Dog

Read the following text. Complete the gaps with a suitable option from the list. Capital letters have been removed. There are five extra words that you do not need to use. Number 0 is an example. 

Shelters have lovable dogs and cats of all shapes, sizes and ages. Your chances of finding a wonderful companion who (0) matches your lifestyle and family are excellent! About 25% of shelter dogs are purebred. The rest make up the best selection anywhere of unique, one‐of‐a‐kind mixed breeds, many of whom have already lived with families and have the basic social they need to become an enjoyable part of your household.

Why Adopt a Dog from a Shelter?
You Can Help Save Lives. One of the most aspects of adopting a shelter dog is the simple fact that you’re saving a life and giving a deserving animal a new home. It feels great to help an animal in need, and after living in a shelter, your new dog will be especially appreciative of the wonderful life you’re going to give him. But that’s not all—your adoption fee will benefit other animals, too. By adopting a dog, you can the shelter’s good work in your community and help care for many homeless pets.

Shelter Dogs Make Great Pets. Many dogs end up in shelters because of circumstances their control. They were victims of a death in the family, illness, divorce or a move that didn’t include them. Some were displaced by a new baby. Others had pet parents who didn’t learn how to train them. And there are those who were left at a shelter because of a behaviour problem that their pet parents didn’t try to or weren’t able to resolve.

But make no mistake—a “second‐hand” dog is in no way second‐rate. Most shelter dogs for adoption are healthy, affectionate animals. Any dog will likely need some training or retraining to learn how to fit into his new household and become your cherished companion.
, most shelters evaluate a dog’s behaviour when he arrives, and this information can help you determine what kind of training your new dog needs. Thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers and staff, many shelters can even give dogs a head start on housetraining and basic obedience before they’re adopted.

Another advantage to adopting is that shelter dogs are a real ! An adoption fee is much lower than the cost of buying a dog from a pet store or breeder. Most shelter dogs are sprayed or neutered before adoption, so you won’t have to pay for the cost of surgery. Almost all shelters give their animals thorough physical exams and provide vaccinations. Some shelters microchip their animals so that if they get lost, they can find their way home to their new pet parents.

How to Choose a Match of a Lifetime
A growing number of shelters have an ASPCA® adoption program called Meet Your Match® Canine‐alityTM and Puppy‐alityTM. This program is designed to help shelters make successful and permanent adoptions by matching adopters with the most compatible dogs. It not only makes adopting a shelter dog more fun, it also helps adopters go home with the kind of dog they dream of having. The Meet Your Match program has two key parts:


1. Assessment Individual dogs’ behavioral tendencies are assessed with the Canine‐ality and Puppy‐ality “personality” tests. The dogs are then categorized into one of nine different personality types, such as the Life of the Party, the Busy Bee and the Constant Companion.
2. Adopter survey Adopters fill out surveys so that shelter staff can learn about their expectations for a new dog and the role they want him to in their lives.

Then the staff uses the survey to help adopters make the best match possible.

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