His pudgy nose, tiny paws and sloppy, wet kisses melted your heart in an instant.

But after giving in to desire and surprising the family with a new furry friend, you found that caring for a new puppy was not exactly what you expected.

Adopting a pet can be rewarding, but certain steps must be made before both you and your pet can be ready for the transition.

“It’s important to avoid impulse adopting,” said Dr. Karen Snowden, an associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“Pets are a life-long commitment,” Snowden said. “Dogs and cats can live 10 to 15 years, while parrots and turtles will live much longer.”

So, how do you know if you are ready to adopt a pet? Snowden believes the first step of the process is to evaluate your needs and lifestyle.

“Before adopting a pet, a potential owner needs to consider the amount of space in the home available to accommodate the pet,” Snowden said.

“Evaluating the amount of time and care that can be spent with the animal, as well as the activity level of both owner and pet, is important, too. Fish are not as demanding as a dog that needs jogging everyday and therefore may be a more suitable choice for a relatively inactive or time-pressed individual.”

Once you have decided which type of pet to adopt, it is time to choose where to search for your affectionate friend.

“Some great places to find a dog or cat are the local shelters, or breeders,” Snowden said. “There are fewer sources for reptiles and birds, however many can be found at local breeders or rescue groups, as well as at local pet stores.”

But just finding the number for the local shelter in the yellow pages is not enough. When searching for a new pet, you must research and ask questions.

“When looking for a new dog or cat, it’s important to find out how much socialization the animal has been exposed to. The more social interaction the animal has had, the more likely it will be happy and exhibit good behavior,” Snowden said.

“If you decide to purchase a pet from a pet store, it’s a good idea to find out where the animal came from and ask questions, such as ‘Do the stores breed and raise the animals themselves?’ or ‘Are the pets coming from a variety of sources?’” If after asking the appropriate questions you decide to adopt from a local shelter, there are several services that you can expect to be provided.

“Texas state law requires all animals in shelters to be vaccinated for rabies and be either spayed or neutered,” Snowden said.

“Most shelter animals have been de-wormed and given a flea treatment or prevention medication. In addition to these services, most shelters and veterinarians offer micro-chipping at a reasonable cost, an invaluable resource in the event that your adopted pet goes missing.”

Even though some may choose to adopt from a shelter, many often refuse. Common misconceptions about shelters can unfortunately prevent affectionate pets from finding new homes.

“There is a widespread assumption that shelter animals are unhealthy muts,” Snowden said.

“This mistaken belief is not representative of many shelter populations. In fact, about one- fourth to one-third of dogs in shelters across the country are an easily identifiable breed.”

Adopting a pet can be a rewarding experience. With proper research and appropriate care, you and your new friend could develop a happy, life-long relationship.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the Web at http://tamunews.tamu.edu /. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to editor@cvm.tamu.edu.