Column: Sure, a puppy is cute, but adopting an adult dog has its benefits
(Left) Max (A512840) has a 1000-megawatt smile! This handsome guy is 90 pounds of love. He is ready to warm up your couch or your lap. (Middle) Sweet and sensitive Yami (A513595) is a 5-year-old German shepherd ready to steal your heart. He’s a friendly boy who relishes getting pets and showing off his “sit” and “paw” commands. (Right) Rhino (513484) is a fun-loving and affectionate young adult. This 1-year-old gentle giant adores people. Pasadena Humane’s “Love is Blooming” adoption promotion is a $25 adoption fee for all adult dogs through April 14.
Core to our mission is finding adopters for homeless pets. And, it’s something we do very well. In 2023, our amazing adoptions team placed 3,528 pets into loving homes.
This year we anticipate needing to find adopters for even more animals, given the trend we are seeing of more animals coming into the shelter.
So, just in time for the start of our busy season, we have changed our adoption process to cater to adopters who like to plan ahead, as well as those who prefer to be more spontaneous in adopting their new best friend.
We offer adoption appointments in the morning (easily scheduled online) for a dedicated time to meet with an adoption counselor. Also, we offer walk-in hours in the afternoons from 2-5 p.m. daily. Walk-ins join a wait list to meet with the next available counselor.
While we have a few puppies and kittens trickling in, most of the animals in our shelter right now are adults. Adopting an adult dog is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a companion.
Adult dogs are already fully grown, so there is no guessing how big your pup will grow up to be. They are more likely to have had some training and be housebroken, and they can be calmer than puppies.
Here are a few of the wonderful adult dogs that are currently looking for a new beginning
- Rhino (513484) is a fun-loving and affectionate young adult. This 1-year-old gentle giant adores people. After enjoying a play session, Rhino is ready to relax by your side. He recently had a great day out of the shelter at a pop-up adoption event, meeting tons of new people, soaking up attention from kids and getting belly rubs.
- Sweet and sensitive Yami (A513595) is a 5-year-old German shepherd ready to steal your heart. A good Samaritan found this poor boy running loose on the street in Monrovia and called our animal control for help. Yami was suffering from horrible infections in both ears, and he had an open wound near his mouth. Since he’s been in our care, Yami is on the mend. He’s a friendly boy who relishes getting pets and showing off his “sit” and “paw” commands.
- Max (A512840) has a 1000-megawatt smile! This handsome guy is ninety pounds of LOVE. He is ready to warm up your couch or your lap. We think that Max is a ridgeback mix, and he’s approximately 8 years old. Max recently had a sleepover with one of our foster families and was an ideal houseguest. He is house-trained and has excellent inside manners. He is also very treat-motivated and has mastered several training cues. This guy might want to be the only dog in your life, but he’s got the heart of ten dogs rolled into one.
Many adult dogs are available for a 10-day adoption trial in your home.
In addition, we are celebrating the arrival of spring this year with our “Love is Blooming” adoption promotion. Now through April 14, we are significantly lowering the adoption fee for all adult dogs (6 months and older) to just $25, a savings of $125.
All dogs adopted from Pasadena Humane are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines and microchipped. Adopters receive a discount on their first purchase in our Shelter Shop and a voucher for VCA Animal Hospitals.
To learn more about adopting a pet, visit pasadenahumane.org/adopt
Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on April 5, 2024.
