Books - Pet Adoption Books

Pet Adoption

Books about adopting & selecting a pet

The Chosen Puppy : How to Select and Raise a Great Puppy from an Animal Shelter
When you adopt a shelter puppy, you acquire a loving companion and save a life at the same time. When enough dog lovers do the same, they create at least a partial solution to the pet overpopulation problem in the United States today. It staggers the mind to learn that over seven million dogs are received by shelters in this country annually. Of this figure, far too many are puppies, and for most the future is neither bright nor long. Mainly, this vast glut of surplus puppies happened because someone didn't care—about neutering or using a leash or closing gates or even about the quality of life for all living things. In The Chosen Puppy, author Carol Lea Benjamin offers a better understanding of the shelter puppy, why its needs are so special and what you must do to be sure the Chosen Puppy of your choice grows up well adjusted and happy. Here's how to temperament-test and select the right puppy for you; and here's how to train your Chosen Puppy and care for it, providing all the creature comforts it never may have had and the love it craves so much from those it comes to depend on. Ms. Benjamin understands all aspects of pet overpopulation and how to best help its most innocent victims. She tells why neutering is the hope of the future to curb and curtail a population explosion that never should have happened in the first place. Think of The Chosen Puppy as your guidebook through your shelter puppy's most important formative period and as a passport to the lifetime of joys awaiting you both.

The Adoption Option: Choosing and Raising the Shelter Dog for You
Midwest Book Review
Every year there are ten million dogs in shelters across the U. S. Of these, about three million (25%) get adopted. For many dog lovers, shelters are an ideal place to find a pet: they are saving a life, spending less money, and getting lots of dogs to choose from. The Adoption Option explores every stage of adopting a dog, from deciding if a shelter dog is right for you, to tips for starting life together on the right paw. Specific chapters help readers decide how to assess what kind of dog will suit them best and how to make certain that the shelter is a reputable one. Invaluable information regarding what to expect from a dog with a new life "on the outside' and stories of successful adoptions punctuate the text, and make it clear that, with a little wise advice, a shelter dog will become your best friend.

Save That Dog: Everything You Need to Know About Adopting a Purebred Rescue Dog
The first book to deal specifically with purebred rescue, the dogs, and the people involved, Save That Dog! explains what purebred dog rescue is and how it differs from shelter adoptions. Heartwarming profiles of abused, abandoned dogs which have been placed in loving, responsible homes are interspersed with details of the adoption process. 30 photos.

Adopt the Perfect Dog: A Practical Guide to Choosing and Training an Adult Dog
Reviewer: nymjk from Plainview, NY United States
"A truely worthwhile book -- leads those interested in adopting and saving the life of a shelter dog, rather than taking the puppy mill or breeder routes, through a step-by-step analysis of how to ascertain the right dog for your family and how to judge a dog by more than its cover! Buy it and you will feel empowered in the proper way to go about making a friend for life."

Second-Hand Dog : How to Turn Yours into a First-Rate Pet
"Why a book like this has never before been written is beyond me. It is an invaluable guide to rehabilitating those myriad unfortunate dogs which have either never had a home or have been shuttled from one owner to another, losing confidence, trust and self-esteem every step of the way. It is an absolute must for every owner who wants his second-hand dog to regain the ability to become the warm, loving companion every dog should be." —Kenneth A. Marden President, The American Kennel Club

Successful Dog Adoption
This practical guide covers all the vital issues you need to consider when adopting–choosing a male or female, a puppy or an adult; identifying fearful dogs or dogs who will bite; and seeking out a dog with the ideal temperament. Featured here are detailed tests and observations used by professionals to ascertain the temperament and compatibility of shelter dogs–now made available to the public for the first time. You’ll discover how to determine risk factors in an unknown dog, gauge a dog’s potential reaction to guests and strangers, and predict the compatibility level when you add another dog to your household.
This book also offers invaluable advice on training your new pet, including guidance in housebreaking, selecting a training class, and helping a dog who gets carsick or doesn’t like to be home alone. And, if you still experience difficulties with your dog, Sternberg gently discusses the steps you can take.

Second Start: Creative Rehoming for Dogs
Reviewer: A reader from Gresham, OR USA
"This book tops everything I have read to date about rescue/rehome dogs. The test to match a breed with the owner's life style is of paramount importance and is placed early in the book. I especially like the sections on how to prepare for a rescue dog, and on the adjustment period. These two very important aspects can be the making or breaking of a long-term relationship. The stories of rescue dogs and the pictures are heartwarming. The training information, so necessary for most rescue dogs, is easily read and understandable. I now recommend this book to everyone who comes to me for a rescue dog."

Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family
Are you thinking of adopting a dog? Do you know which good-natured breeds adore kids-and cats? Which ones grow into loyal "one-man" dogs? Which courageous canines challenge intruders-and friends dropping by? Which "cute" breeds can turn into demanding pests? At long last here is the only guide to selecting a dog that looks at your lifestyle, takes your needs into consideration, and helps you choose accordingly.

Saved: A Guide to Success With Your Shelter Dog
Buying a shelter dog can save a fine animal from destruction, while bringing a good new friend and pet into the household. This three-part book describes the dog shelter scene, offers advice on choosing the right dog from a shelter, and gives detailed instructions on dog training, health care, and how to provide a good home environment for the new pet.

Lost and Found: Dogs, Cats, and Everyday Heroes at a Country Animal Shelter
Elizabeth Hess, a journalist and former art critic, walked into the Columbia Greene Animal Shelter in upstate New York looking for a new dog. Touched by the animals' plight and the dedication of the workers, she began to volunteer at the shelter on a regular basis. In Lost and Found, Hess brings you behind the scenes in this thorough examination of the day-to-day workings of the shelter. From the weekly adoption days, when families come to find a new dog or cat, to investigations of animal abuse and a thrilling puppy mill raid, we come to know both the animals and their caretakers on a deeply personal level. With a keen eye for detail and profound emotional insight, Hess dispels common myths about shelter animals and captures the boundless compassion and courage of the people who comfort and defend them, especially during their desperate efforts to find homes for the animals, lest they be put to sleep. A vivid portrait of a world many of us are blissfully unaware of, Lost and Found is "a must-read for every pet owner" (Seattle Times).

Best Friends: The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary
Discover a place where every animal is safe, loved...and allowed to live out its natural life. Here is the inspiring true story of BEST FRIENDS, an animal sanctuary a few dedicated people made happen, and thousands of furry and feathered friends have called home. Meet the residents, including Sinjin, the badly burned black cat and Sparkles, the broken-down packhorse. Meet their rescuers: a famous symphony conductor, a successful architect, veterinarians and others. Most of all fall in love with the animals and people who share a special bond and whose often comic, sometimes poignant, always enchanting adventures together will touch your heart - and teach us all the true meaning of Best Friends.

One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter
Over half the households in America include an animal companion. Yet behind this immense love of animals lies an equally immense tragedy: each year, community animal shelters take in eight to twelve million lost and unwanted dogs and cats who face an uncertain fate.
One at a Time: A Week in an American Animal Shelter brings this issue vividly to life via a true account of 7 days in a typical U.S. animal shelter. With compelling photos and moving vignettes, this book chronicles the stories of 75 animals who passed through a Northern California animal shelter during one week. Their gripping stories include excerpts from actual shelter records; the words of shelter workers, volunteers, and visitors; and the final conclusion of each animal's journey through the animal shelter system.
Look into the eyes of these animals and let their stories give you a riveting and unforgettable glimpse into this nation's homeless animal tragedy. Whether it is the lost dog quickly reunited with his family because he was wearing an ID tag, the frightened cat given up by guardians who didn't understand the commitment of caring for her, the cat facing euthanasia or the dog joyfully adopted into a new home, each animal in One at a Time has an important lesson to teach and a powerful message to share.
One at a Time will help you to see the real faces behind the numbers, and to experience the miracles and heartbreak that play out every day in our nation's shelters... one animal at a time.

Even more importantly, One at a Time will give you hope, because this tragedy can be ended and each one of us can be part of the solution... offering us the chance to become better people, to reawaken our connection with other living beings, and to reaffirm the sanctity of life itself. The animals of One at a Time will show you how.

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