Best Pet Adoption Websites

When it comes to getting a pet, adoption should always be an option—it's just the right thing to do.

By adopting a pet, you are saving a life of an animal that will become a loyal friend and a part of your family. Adoption also helps reduce the amount of unethical puppy mills and pet breeders that exist, which in turn, helps animal welfare tremendously.

Adopted pets, particularly those that aren't purebred, also means that you have a lower chance of having breeder-related health issues. Overall, it's a great choice for all parties involved.

The internet has become one of the most popular ways to find a great pet that needs a forever home—but only if you go to a reputable site! When choosing your next best buddy, make sure that it's from one of the best pet adoption websites, as chosen by animal welfare experts.

A juggernaut in the pet adoption world is Adopt-A-Pet. This site helps you find pets that need to be rehomed that currently reside in shelters and rescues.

Much like Petfinder, you can find pets of every type here, including unusual choices like horses and lizards. Over 12,000 shelters currently use Adopt-A-Pet, so you're bound to find a pet near you.

Ample advice and excellent information for first-time adopters can be found here, making it a great place to new pet owners. If you want to pick a shelter pet, then Adopt-A-Pet is one of the best pet adoption websites you can go to in order to find your new furry friend.

Helping out around 8 million animals every year, The Animal Rescue Site does way, way more than just facilitate adoptions between lonely pets and people. They help medicate, feed, and fix animals that are in seriously terrible plights.

If you are looking to help animals in need, help raise money for animal welfare, or offer up a forever home to a pet who really deserves it, the big hearts at The Animal Rescue Site will help you make it happen.

The ASPCA is one of America's oldest animal welfare organizations, and has facilitated millions of pet adoptions nationwide. There are branches of the ASPCA in every single state, and each branch is known for behaving with the utmost care for each pet they take in.

You can check out what pets they have up for adoption on their site, donate to their cause, or find out where your local ASPCA is. Overall, it's easy to see why it's one of the best pet adoption websites on the net.

One of the newer sites to become a pet adoption hotspot is the Best Friends Animal Society. This is actually the website for a number of animal shelters located in major metropolitan areas.

What makes this one of the best pet adoption websites is that the entire project is devoted to being a no-kill shelter chain. Each pet gets the care it needs, and is vetted before being given to a home.

By adopting from here, you're giving two pets a shot at life—the buddy you just adopted, and the next shelter tenant who may have just avoided euthanasia thanks to the new opening.

If there is one thing dog owners all know, it's that adopting a dog is a very different experience from most other pet adoptions out there. It's one that tends to be more involved, especially if the dog in question may have been harmed by a prior owner.

DogTime is a site that understands the intricacies of dog adoption inside and out. That's why they work to match the right dog to the right owner, and why they're one of the best dog-centric pet adoption website.

Current dog owners, too, might want to check this site out if they want to improve their dog's health. DogTime has tons of information on canine health, aging, and training worth reading.

If you're wondering why you might see a dog-only site, it's because dogs are worth it.

Currently the oldest animal welfare society in history, the Humane Society of the United States regularly works to help animals find loving homes across the country. Along with being a massive chain of shelters, this society also works to help promote animal welfare in a wide range of different ways.

The Humane Society runs an amazing pet search engine featuring a shocking number of shelters as part of their network, so if you're looking to adopt, they're a great site to consider.

With over 20 years of adoption under its belt, it's safe to say that Petfinder earned its sterling reputation as one of the best pet adoption websites in the world. Each pet comes with its own history, photos, and information about the pet's origins.

One thing we're really enjoying about Petfinder is the sheer variety of pets you can find. Dogs? Sure! Cats? Absolutely. Bunnies, ferrets, mice, and more? Yes, they have them too.

This site also offers advice on the best dog breeds for families and other important adoption advice. As one of the largest sites of its kind, you will likely find the perfect buddy for your family.

You might recognize the PetSmart name, since it's one of the largest pet supply store chains in America. What you might not realize is that this company also backs one of the largest pet welfare charities in the nation, and has the primary goal of ensuring that every lost pet finds a home.

If you go onto their website, you can actually search up pets in your area that are in need of a home. It's also worth pointing out that most, if not all, PetSmart locations have puppies and kittens that were obtained from shelters and are ready for adoption.

People who have served in war often come back to a country they no longer fully recognize. Shell-shocked and scarred by the horrors they have seen, it's not unusual to hear about veterans who suffer from PTSD as a result of their service.

Pets for Patriots is one of the best pet adoption websites to have the specific goal of giving newly trained service animals to veterans suffering from PTSD.

The Shelter Pet Project is a specialized site that does two main things. The first thing they do is raise awareness to the benefits of adopting a pet via advertising and educational outreach.

The other thing they do is offer up one of the best pet adoption websites, complete with in-depth profiles, and joint partnerships with local shelters. Needless to say, they are really good at their job.