We understand that navigating the terrain of a peer-to-peer pet adoption can be challenging. To make it easier, we compiled an adopter’s guide of the Top 5 “Do’s and Don’ts” for using Get Your Pet.

DO be ready to adopt.

When you begin your search for an adoptable pet, be sure that you are ready if it comes to fruition. It’s okay to browse, but if you show intent, don’t be surprised when the guardian, or pet owner, expects you to be ready to adopt. Review our Tips for Adopters so you are prepared for the conversation.

DO create an awesome adopter profile.

This is your opportunity to showcase yourself, your family and your lifestyle. Highlight what makes you the ideal adopter. Do you really need to add a profile picture? The adopter’s guide says: yes!

DO be compassionate and thoughtful.

Keep in mind that rehoming a pet is not ever easy for a guardian, or pet owner. It’s likely that they are looking to rehome their pet because something happened in their life that was unexpected. Saying things like, “I understand how hard this must be for you” or “This must be a tough decision” will make the guardian see that you sympathize with their situation, and they will be more likely to respond to you.

DO stay within the getyourpet.com platform to stay safe and on track for a successful adoption.

It’s critical to keep messaging within the site until both you and the guardian are confident that there could be a successful match. Our staff and algorithms closely monitors correspondence to be able to help if and when necessary. (We’re here to keep you safe from scammers!) We prevent the exchange of personal contact info until a meet-up has been accepted by both parties. While we understand the desire to get on the phone immediately or exchange emails, our adopter’s guide wants you to understand that this rule is in place for your safety, the safety of others, and to keep both parties — and the system — on track for a successful adoption. Writing out or “coding” your phone number is a red flag for guardians, as many of them do not want to communicate offline without the security of our monitoring.

DO keep us informed and reach out if you have questions.

If you have questions or are unsure about something, reach out to us. That’s what we are here for. Email us at [email protected].

Ok, got it? Now, let’s talk about what NOT to do.

DON’T start out by proposing a meet-up.

Just like in real life, it is expected that you start with a conversation. Rushing to send a meet-up request is off-putting to most adopters. Our adopter’s guide suggests you start by asking questions about the pet (we know you have them!) and then, when the time is right, discuss a meet-up.

DON’T be judgmental.

No one is going to consider you as an adopter if you make them feel bad about having to rehome their pet. It’s that simple. Saying things like, “I can’t believe you could give him up after having him since he was a puppy!” or “why don’t you spend more time training her?” is only going to get you eliminated from the guardian’s consideration.

DON’T get frustrated.

If you don’t receive a prompt reply, or even an acknowledgment of your interest, it can be extremely frustrating. We understand. But, you need to realize that this is a difficult decision for most guardians. Our adopter’s guide strongly recommends patience. Don’t lash out with harsh words – it will not get you the pet you want.

DON’T write out or “code” your contact information.

In today’s world, we demand immediacy. We understand that desire, but our goal is to create a community where people can communicate about adopting a pet in a safe and responsible way. When you try to go around our guidelines, our system will recognize your behavior and disable your account. We monitor communications until you and the guardian of the pet decide you’ve reached the point where you are ready to communicate outside of the site, which you can do after you have both accepted a meet-up. Keep messaging on the site until you have proposed and accepted a meet-up, and you will stay on track for a successful adoption.

DON’T agree to communicate outside getyourpet.com, until a meet-up is scheduled.

When you start sending offline messages, you are opening yourself up to scammers. Without the safety of our monitoring, there is no way for us to know if a guardian is up to no good. They might ask you to send money for a “deposit” to “hold” or “ship” a pet to you. We can catch these types of people when they are on our site and can prevent you from falling victim to their schemes. Follow the advice laid out in this adopter’s guide. After you’ve exchanged messages on the site to establish that you are dealing with a legitimate person, you can schedule a meet-up at a real location. You can even establish a virtual meet-up initially, via Zoom or a similar service. Then, if you choose, you can exchange contact information for a physical meet-up.

We hope you find these tips useful. If you are ready to start looking for a pet to call your own, browse for pets in need of a home now!