Best Pet Adoption Websites

Are you ready to adopt your forever furry friend? Luckily, there are many places to adopt a dog besides your local shelter, rescue, or several adoption websites.

Pet adoption websites have soared in popularity in the last ten years and are now the most common way people find their next best buddy.

Of course, we believe in helping local animal shelters, but for those who don’t have time, using pet adoption websites can help “match” you with your next pet more efficiently. You can be as precise or general in your search as you want.

How do these websites work? Public and private animal shelters, rescue groups, humane associations, and even veterinarians can list pets on a number of these websites.

But how do you know which website to use? We have reviewed 10 top pet adoption websites to help you get the best pet.

10 top pet adoption websites

1. Adopt a Pet

“Adopt a pet” is a charitable website that helps to match stray pets with their future parents, and it’s funded by Purina, pharmaceutical giant Bayer, and Petco Foundation.

It has more than 17,000 rescues and shelters across North America. Its homepage has a search engine that is easy to use.

If you select the “Advanced Search” option, you can look especially for a pet with special requirements or a bonded pair.

A simple, easy-to-navigate interface lets you search for a dog by breed, age, and location. You can also search the “featured pets” in your area. Moreover, you can view videos of many available pets.

2. Petfinder

“Pet Finder” is one of the oldest and most widely used pet-finding websites. It has several options” available for searching its pet database.

It provides an endless selection of dogs, reptiles, cats, rabbits, horses, and even barnyard animals. You can also search for basics such as location, breed, and sex.

Petfinder taps into shelters and rescues all over the U.S. and lists an amazing number of pets on the website. Moreover, you can sort through the animals available based on various aspects.

3. The Shelter Pet Project

The Shelter Pet Project website is the place to start if you only want to adopt from a shelter. It has an excellent feature where you can interact with a shelter pet online.

You can select between the number of cats and dogs, each with its name and story. You can watch them walk, hear them bark or purr, flick their tail, and learn more about their natures.

The experience of interacting with those pets online can give you a peek into how awesome having a shelter pet in your life can be.

4. PetSmart Charities

“Big box” store PetSmart established a big charity to support better the lives of pets through adoptions and spay-neuter programs. It also gives grants to help fund shelters and helps rescue animals and host shelters within its stores.

Moreover, this amazing charity provides a small search engine to help you find your next pet online. Petsmart Charities’ site features many dogs in all corners of the U.S.

5. ASPCA

The ASPCA: (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals) is a significant United States organization dedicated to educating the public about population control and hosts the Animal Poison Control Center.

Of course, if you are interested in adoptions, they have a user-friendly search engine for their NYC Shelter or your local shelter throughout the United States.

You can screen your ASPCA shelter search by size, age, breed, sex, and lifestyle compatibility. Moreover, terms and conditions will differ depending on your chosen shelter and animal.

6. Petco Foundation

The Petco Foundation features a wide variety of dogs, reptiles, cats, birds, and small animals on its website. You can filter the animals available by breed, species, sex, size, age, and color to immediately see the photos of the cute and adoptable animals available in your area.

Petco also hosts frequent adoption events with rescue or shelter groups in your area, so make sure to ask about adoption at your local Petco.

7. Petango

This website has partnered up with nearly 2,000 welfare organizations across the U.S. ad Canada to give its patrons real-time updates about pets. So, you can discover all the pets in shelters near you as long as you’re in North America.

8. AKC Rescue Network

The AKC Rescue Network is an incredible resource if you are searching to rescue a specific breed. However, they don’t offer dogs under the AKC’s direct control; instead, the site lists breeds in alphabetical order with direct links to specific rescue groups’ websites and contact information.

As most well-known breeds have several available rescues, a handful of breeds are on this list without a listed community.

9. Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society’s main headquarters are in Salt Lake City, but they have satellite buildings in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. The Salt Lake City facility alone is home to 1,600 dogs and cats needing a forever home.

The website also lets you search for animals at nearby rescues and shelters. Moreover, Best Friends Animal Society hosts a pet compatibility quiz on the site, making it easier for you to find the ideal furry friend for your family.

10. Rescue Me

Rescue Me helps cats, dogs, birds, horses, and other animals find homes forever. The website provokes you to filter the search results by breed type and shows you the rescue groups known across the United States.

Moreover, you’ll be capable to see the dogs currently available for adoption by clicking on your desired state. Rescue Me is a top-level organization that has found homes for almost 1 million pets.

The Bottom Line

Each website provides an excellent service for those homeless pets in need. These websites may have similar features, but they are not identical.

Once you have found pets you are interested in, take the next step and contact the shelter and rescue group directly. They will guide you and help you in getting the pet you want.