Check with your local animal shelter and see what their adoption process is like. Even by chance they do discriminate, theres nothing stopping you from adopting the animal in your name.

That's true. I know sometimes they do home visits but you bring up a good point. I can adopt it in my name and give it to my son.

Unless there's a claim of animal cruelty, animal shelters don't do random house calls... They don't have the resources do do that.

From my experience, you typically fill out a survey (how long will the animal be alone during the day, other pets, experience, how often you'll exercise it, etc).

If you end up adopting a dog, I suggest enrolling in some obedience training. Despite popular belief, the obedience training is more for the owner than for the dog. My son trained with our dog for 2 years before he moved away. He did basic obedience but had a lot of fun with it and graduated up to agility, stabilization (just a more advanced obedience training), scent work, and tracking. He always said how much fun he had and how it improved his self confidence and gave him a sense of accomplishment as he saw how the dog responded to the training. It got him out of the house and mingling with other people.

No, they don't do random house calls once you own the pet. They usually do an initial search of the premises to make sure the animal is going to a good home.

Thanks for your support and encouragement, John.

When my folks found "Sammy" we took her to the Humane Society to see if she had a chip... she didn't but she does now. They were very happy that we were going to take her and make well as they would have put her down. We spent several hundred dollars to get her well. She was almost bald from mange and had recently had a litter...(we never did find the pups...) She's a beautiful dog now and extremely intelligent. (part border collie)

Most humane Societies are over loaded and under funded. I've never heard of any of them doing background checks. There is a big problem around here with dog fighting. Pit Bulls are disappearing all across the area.

That's great to hear. I am glad you are so happy with Sammy! Hopefully what happened to Zach Anderson is an outlier and not the typical way shelters screen their applicants.

I have no idea on if shelters look at your background. I just wanted to say I am a huge advocate of getting a pet. We got our dog a few months before my husband left for his sentence and my pup has saved me. She loves me, needs me, cuddles with me, annoys me, plays with me and forces me to get up, exercise and focus on positive things. I believe I would be in a much worse space if it were not for my pup who I consider my child. I love cats too but my husband is highly allergic so we got a dog. Good luck and I hope a pet helps. I know it helped me more than I could ever explain.

I purchased a puppy for my son after his adjudication because I wanted him to have some companionship through all of this hell. We got Behr (a black lab/ Australian Shepard mix) and she is now going on 5 yrs old. It was one of the best things I ever did. They are so close that now I worry about what will happen in the future (but I guess that is my job to worry)
- I have owned several dogs in my life but I have never seen a smarter dog! I have heard that this particular mix (often called a Sheprador but be careful though this is now being used for those labs mixed with German shepherds and not Australian Shepard (have no experience with this mix) and sometimes an Aussiedor – name being used for dogs like Behr) are some of the best dogs around - it is certainly true in Behr's case. Sometimes they look more like the black lab and other times they will look like the Australian Shepard.

Here is a page that tells a little about the breed and shows some pictures of the different looks they have - behr looks like a black lab only she is not as big as a pure lab would be

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/aussiedor.htm

I have adopted pets before and have worked in animal shelters.

It really depends on the shelter itself, and most do not look at backgrounds. Some will have a question if you have any animal abuse charges and some now ask about drug charges.

Mostly the application will ask if you've ever relinquished or have you had to give a pet away for any reason, they will ask if you've every owned a pet before, do you know how to take care of it...etc. Another question often asked is if you rent or own your place of living and if you rent, they ask for your landlords name because they want to make sure you are allowed to have a pet in your residence (usually they want to see the rental agreement.)

If you want to look at what an application may ask, you can search on google as some rescues and shelters have their applications for adoption online.

Shelters don't have the time or resources to look much into backgrounds. If they think you can properly care for an animal, they will adopt it out to you. Rescue organizations have far stricter adoption guidelines than shelters. Rescues usually do home and/or vet checks, some do background checks (not very common), home visits and some even want you to stay in contact with them for the duration of the pet's life.

I think a pet would be great for your son. I know my cats have helped me immensely through a lot of tough times.

My ex had a cat while on house arrest and it was the only thing that kept him going.

OK, first. my dog has help me when there seemed to be nobody who would. Now we are 100% companions. He goes and does everything with and for me and I would not give him up for anything. He is there when I need a pal, someone to walk, camp etc with so you have to get him a dog. Shelters will normally not care as long as the house and the new owner are safe. Mine I got from someone who just could not take care of him anymore. If you have concerns about the "application" just look in Craigslist under the animal section. Pay attention to the ones that say "top a good home" as the owner probable just cannot have them anymore for whatever reason, but they care where they go...

Thanks everyone for the info and delightful stories of the great pets in your lives. I can see where rescues and shelters would differ based on resources. That makes sense. Good thing to consider. Thank you, Knownot.

Really strange that the Humane Society in Indiana would deny a pet to someone based on their registry status. To hear that this has happened to even one person makes me sad.