Adopting a pet entails so many benefits for both of the involved parties. Welcoming a critter—be it a dog, a cat, a parrot, or any other, for that matter—into their home can improve the owner’s mental and even physical well-being; while for the critter itself, it means finally being cared for and loved.

“Pets are great nonjudgmental companions for both adults and children. It’s also been shown that having a pet reduces stress and reduces risk from heart disease, obesity, asthma, and other health threats,” Fran Marino Endowed Distinguished Professor of Shelter Medicine Education Julie Levy told Bored Panda in a recent interview.

It’s clear that no matter how hardworking and loving shelter employees are, such a habitat can’t even come close to the environment in a loving home. “No matter how hard shelter workers try to make the pets comfortable, it’s still an institutional setting that can lead to stress behaviors and illnesses,” Professor Levy said. “That’s why we work so hard to place them in new homes as quickly as possible. That can be a foster home or a forever home.”

Animal welfare policies and animal sheltering expert Laura Reese seconded the idea that staying in a shelter is far from the best scenario for any animal. “Animal shelters are very difficult places for pets—lots of noise and stress, limited exercise and interactions with humans and other animals.

“Getting into a home makes a world of difference for their emotional and physical well-being. Being placed in a foster home until adoption helps them a lot, but the goal is to have them adopted.”

Both of the experts agree that a pet’s personality tends to change after transitioning into a loving home. “There is a lot of change in behavior and it's difficult to tell in a shelter what a pet's behavior will be like,” Laura Reese pointed out.

She explained that shelter behavior tests are not particularly valid indicators of a pet’s behavior once they get into a home and can relax, as there is always an adjustment period in the new dwelling.

“My dog was very fearful of humans when I adopted her seven years ago. She is still improving even after all this time,” Prof. Reese shared. “Dog personalities are pretty malleable, open to changes in training and treatment. Cats are a bit less so but I regularly foster them, and though they usually come into my house hissing and hiding, working with them slowly and gaining trust allows them to come out of their shells. This will happen in an adoptive home as well.”

“We have to remember to give pets some grace when they’re transitioning from a shelter to a new home,” Julie K. Levy emphasized. “There’s a lot to take in—new people, a new house, and sometimes other pets to make new friends with. But it’s remarkable how quickly a pet’s personality can change from a reactive or depressed shelter pet to a happy and relaxed family member in a ‘real home’.”

After bringing our family dog home from a shelter just over three years ago, I have seen with my own eyes the change he went through. Shy and fearful at first, he is now… still shy; but far less fearful. Over time, he started to show off his personality more and more, and figure out what to do with these unflavorful knick knacks I give him—it’s safe to assume that he hadn’t had that many toys in his life before the shelter or before the forever home. Needless to say, the situation is much different now.

Expert in shelter animal wellness Julie K. Levy pointed out that when it comes to a dog’s adjustment to the new home, shelters often refer to the ‘3-3-3-Rule’. “A good rule of thumb to remember is it takes about three days to decompress from shelter life and the big transition; they may be scared or confused. Give them space, let them rest, do not force interactions, be patient and positive. 

“It takes about three weeks for the dog to understand the new routine,” she continued. “Be consistent in feeding and play times and set boundaries and expectations using only positive reinforcement as they let their guard down.

“It takes about three months for the dog to fully bond with and become part of the family. They feel trusting and secure in their new routines and their true personality shines through.”

No two cases are the same, that’s why certain character traits of the pet, or joys and troubles raising it tend to differ with each individual one—whether they were taken from a shelter or not.

“Adopters are not going to encounter any different problems than anyone else who acquires a pet. It is a myth that there is something ‘wrong’ with shelter animals,” Laura Reese told Bored Panda. “They are in the shelter primarily because of human-related issues like losing a home, not having enough time for training, letting them run loose.

“There are particular advantages to adopting adult animals from shelters,” she added. “They often come house trained, you are able to tell more about their personalities, you know exactly how big they are going to get, and many already have a lot of discipline.”

Another point both the experts seem to agree on is the importance of taking action. “Shelters and rescues across the country are full to the brim with adoptable pets right now and it appears that adoptions are down,” Prof. Reese pointed out. “To avoid euthanasia for space in high-volume shelters, adoptions need to increase.”

J. K. Levy added that more pets are coming into shelters than are being adopted. “Sadly, shelters are experiencing crisis-level crowding as families face challenges like inflation and housing insecurity. There’s never been a more important time to adopt a new best friend.”

According to the World Animal Foundation, roughly 6.3 million of cats and dogs alone are surrendered to animal shelters annually, only 4 million of which find a home every year.