‘Tis the season to adopt an animal? Perhaps. In the dawn of this New Year, hundreds of animal shelters are asking petless people to pick up a new furry friend. The frenzy to adopt stems from the recent crackdown on puppy mills, which are breeding facilities that produce purebred puppies in large numbers, often in harsh breeding conditions.

A new bill recently signed by Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania has helped to rid his state of its status as one of the largest capitals in the country for puppy mill operations. Thankfully, Pennsylvania is not alone in the crackdown: Arizona, Virginia and Louisiana have now passed similar laws to make it harder for puppy mills to stay in operation. Several puppy mills have recently been closed, flooding shelters with rescued animals. Due to this sudden influx of animals, many of the shelters are asking pet lovers to consider adopting a rescued animal, as unfortunately, many of these shelters still euthanize the animals that are not adopted. This is where the call for adoption becomes a cry.

When considering if adopting an animal from a shelter is the right choice for you, you must also take into account if this would be the right choice for the animal. Many websites have a checklist or a questionnaire that help you to decide whether you and your home would be appropriate for the animal, so take your time and fill these in carefully to ensure you place plenty of thought into your decision.

If you do go ahead and adopt a pet, it is important to check your local shelters and search online databases that help connect potential pet owners to adoptable pets. DogsinDanger.com, a site owned and operated by The Buddy Fund Inc., is dedicated to helping dogs in shelters and those who are facing euthanization to get adopted soon. Even if you do not find a cuddly friend here, donations are accepted so that you may help other dogs find their new owner before time runs out.

Petfinder.com is another great database for finding animals that are local to you. Here you can also pick up their latest book, The Adopted Dog Bible, which has all the tips and tricks you need to know when rescuing a dog, including what to ask your local shelters. Petfinder.com also offers animal lovers other potential pets, such as birds, reptile, barnyard animals, horses and pigs (for those who want to follow in George Clooney’s footsteps).

Another valuable website is WorldWildlife.org, where by clicking on the ‘Act Now’ tab, you can offer to symbolically adopt a meerkat, an orca whale, or even an arctic fox. Your donations in the name of these threatened animals are used to support the World Wildlife Fund’s conservation efforts around the world.

This year, thousands of people are working to help raise awareness and take action in the name of the animals around us that do not have a voice of their own. Help do your part by either considering adopting your own pet or donating to the cause. Trust me, you’ll get a big slobbery kiss when you do… from the dog, of course.

Image courtesy of Sayheypatrick