Eloise Ogden/MDN Randy McDonald, Souris Valley Animal Shelter director, with Bedelia, the shelter's friendly cat, said making sure a pet and the pet's breed are right for your home is an important part when adopting a new pet.

Are you thinking about adopting a pet?

You might want a cuddly cat or a dog anxious to see you when you come home from work each day. Or, it might even be another type of pet.

Adopting an animal is gaining a family member for the life of that pet and this is a major commitment for individuals or families.

Souris Valley Animal Shelter in Minot has a wide selection of cats, dogs and other animals which are listed under pets.

Randy McDonald, shelter director, offered a few tips for those considering adopting a pet.

“Our biggest tip for potential adopters is making sure the pet and the pet’s breed are right for your home,” said McDonald.

“For example, if you have a high energy dog and they need a lot of exercise and you prefer to sit on the couch, that dog is going to get into a lot of trouble and it may not be the best fit for your house,” McDonald said. He said a dog that’s a little bit more laid back and maybe a little bit older might be a better one to adopt.

“If you are an active person, maybe you are looking for that high energy dog because a lazy dog is not going to want to run,” he added.

“That’s probably the No. 1 thing I’m telling potential adopters – make sure the personality, the activity level – all fits into your home,” he said.

Whether a potential adopter wants an animal with long hair or short hair, whether it likes kids and/or other pets are among factors people are asked when they visit the animal shelter to look into adopting a new pet.

When someone gets a new pet, McDonald said there will be an adjustment period. “The adjustment period is this is a brand new place so there might be an accident, there might be some naughty behavior in the beginning. It’s going to take a little bit of time for them to adjust to your home life so we ask that you have patience and that you know the type of dog you’re getting before you take it home,” McDonald said.

He said this is the same with cats. “Each cat has a different personality,” McDonald said.

He said it’s quite easy to train a cat to use a litter box or stay off a table.

McDonald said research is very important before adopting a pet. “Research the pet before you actually get them,” he said.

He said the age of the pet just depends on the personality of the animal. “Dogs and cats are kind of like people in that aspect. There’s not very many that are exactly alike,” he said. He said, for example, a person might prefer younger dogs but already has a dog at home. He said the dog at home might still be spry and able to get around so it can handle a younger dog or dogs.

Although the majority of animals at the shelter are dogs and cats, McDonald said they also get in other pets including ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, sugar gliders, turtles and fish. The shelter can accept American Staffordshire Terriers but cannot adopt them to anyone living in the city. It is against city ordinance in Minot to have the breed in the city.

“Know your pets first, know your living situation and make your decision from there,” McDonald said when someone is considering adopting a pet.

“When you come to us we’re going to be asking you these questions anyway so if you know these things before you come in we can point you in the direction of the personality of the pet versus what the pet looks like,” he said.

The shelter has a return policy if a pet does not work out for an adopter. The return policy is if a pet is taken home and within that first week it just isn’t working out after trying everything, the adopter can return the pet.

“Sometimes we just can’t tell if they’re going to work out until you get them home,” he said.

For more about the Souris Valley Animal Shelter visit svaspets.com.