8 Great Places to Adopt a Pet

Petco and PetSmart

What it is: Many pet supply stores, including large chains such as Petco and PetSmart, refuse to sell dogs and cats. Instead, they team up with government or local rescue groups to focus on adoptions. The stores allow those organizations to use their space—and their animal-lover foot traffic—for events or more permanent “adoption centers.”

How it works: Stop by your local Petco or PetSmart to find out about upcoming adoption events or see adoptable animals in person. At Petco in New York City’s Union Square, for example, you’ll find home-seeking cats and kittens from KittyKind, a local cat rescue and adoption organization. All PetSmart adoptions are through PetSmart Charities, a separate non-profit organization that teams up with more than 2,000 adoption partners; they operate adoption centers in all PetSmart stores in North America.

Why they’re unique: PetSmart Charities facilitates 10 percent of all pet adoptions on the continent; a pet is adopted every minute that a PetSmart Charities Adoption Center is open. And Petco, along with its Petco Foundation, helps find homes for more than 250,000 pets each year.