It’s a kind and large hear-ted gesture of opening your heart and home to a being that has suffered some kind of trauma in life and getting loads of happiness and joy in return for the kind gesture.
So you take home a bundle of joy and witness happiness and madness like never before!! Like every animal welfare organization always says, “Adopt, don’t shop”. If a loving companion is what you want, visit your nearby shelter and not your nearby breeder. Shelters always need to make space for the next animal in distress and this is possible only when the healthy animals from the shelters get adopted. Unlike what people very often think, adult dogs mix very well with the family and are much easier to look after, than small puppies, as they have overcome their teething stage and are mostly potty trained.

By buying breeds , you are also being party to puppy mills and abandoning as breeders will continue unethical breeding as long as there is demand for breed puppies and abandoning will happen as long as people are unaware and the rules are not stringent. Millions of dogs get thrown out of houses onto the streets and so many of them suffer and die on the streets as shelters are mostly too crowded to take them in. Think before you or anyone you know wants to ‘buy’ a puppy.

Virtual Adoption

You may want to have a pet that belongs to you, but circumstances may not allow it. In such cases, we offer you the wonderful option of virtual adoption. You may choose a fellow from our list of permanent shelter inmates as these are the wonderful souls who have been left behind and sponsor the fellow for his/ her lifetime. He/ she will remain at our shelter and you can own him/ her and take him/ her home any time that you wish.

Rules of Adoption

Adopt a dog only if you can follow these

• Owning a dog is a lifetime commitment ( around 14 years) and there is no way you can abandon a dog under any
• The dog should be raised with enough freedom (it should not be caged or tied up all the time, as this can cause aggression/ depression, just as would be the case with humans, if kept in a room all the time).
• Compound walls are preferred, those who don’t have compound walls would be best advised to sterilize the dog immediately after 8 months.
• Once adopted, the dog will not be taken back under any circumstances.

Make sure to read about the difficulties of raising a dog, before adoption. Some of the difficulties you might face are:

• Raising a dog is as difficult as raising a human.
• The behavior of a dog depends on how it is raised.
• Some puppies may cry for the first few days when they are taken away from the litter.
• Dogs aging from few months to 1-2 years may damage things like slippers, clothes, plants etc. It is in their nature and alternate toys may be provided to keep them occupied. They need to be taught what not to destroy. This behavior generally stops when they become adults.
• Some dogs urinate/defecate in clean areas in the compound. They can be trained to do their job in a designated area. For this, take them to the spot which you intend, after each meal/ after they wake up from sleep. You can wet their bottom with moist cotton, which will stimulate them to urinate.
• Like humans, dogs also fall ill. They need to be taken to a vet and this might require you to take leave/ you may call a vet home.
• Owning a dog can affect your holiday trips, if you have no place to board them. You might take him/ her along/ find a suitable boarding place. Boarding at PAWS Thrissur will be charged.
• Some dogs tend to bark when they see other animals. Also they may bark if they are not let out from cage on time. Barking indicates a healthy active dog.
• Barking of dogs could lead to complaints from neighbours.

Why Indian Dogs are better

• Indian dogs are very easy to maintain. They need less food and their requirements are much less compared to a breed dog.
• They are perfectly adapted to our climate and they are highly immune to diseases.
• Indian dogs are good guard dogs and have a flexible character. They might be trained to become friendly home companions/ guard dogs.
• They keep their surroundings clean by instinct and given a choice, never dirty their kennel or surroundings.

Requirements and Suggestions for Kennels

• It will be really great if you can keep the dog inside your house.
• If the dog is being put in a kennel, make sure the kennel has ample space. It is good if the flooring of the cage is not a cold material like cement, steel, stones etc. If the floor is a cold material keep a wooden bench inside the cage. Most dogs enjoy lying on a mat or bedding.
• In case you can’t keep your dog inside the house, try to provide an enclosure to keep the dog, rather than putting it in a kennel/try and have an opening from the kennel into a fenced enclosure, so that he/she can play inside freely / a long iron rope tied between two trees or poles and the dog chained to the rope will also allow free movement for the dog.  However kept, make sure to spend time/ play with you dog/take him or her for long walks which they enjoy and require for good exercise.
  Make sure the kennel is away from direct sunlight or should have the provisions to block sunlight. Also, the inside of the kennel should not get wet during the rainy season. A green shade kept around the cage will be a good solution.
• There should be drinking water always inside the cage and cage should be cleaned properly.

Diseases, Symptoms, Treatment/Precaution

• Worms-De worm at least once in two months. Change the medicine after 2 doses. Consult a vet regularly.
• Fleas and Ticks-These can cause harmful illnesses in dogs. Make sure to brush your dog every day and give him a bath (not more than once a week). Keep his/her coat free from ectoparasites.
• Viruses — There many viruses which affect dogs. Rabies, Parvo, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Leptosirosis are fatal viral infections in dogs. All these virus infections can be prevented by regular vaccinations(once a year). Once the virus is infected a dog it is deadly if proper treatment is not given.
  • Rabies- Paralysis of the throat and jaw muscles may follow, resulting in the well-known symptom of foaming at the mouth. There are two kind of rabies cases aggressive and dump forms.
  • Parvo- Symptoms of parvo affected dog is lack of appetite, diarrhoea/blood coloured stool and vomiting. Take him/her to a vet immediately.
  • Distemper- Loss of appetite, sneezing, coughing and thick mucus coming from the eyes and nose, twitching on head and finally paralysis are the symptoms. In the early stages it can be cured.
  • Leptosirosis- Symptoms include fever, blood in the urine, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.

• Microfilaria- Microfilaria is a blood parasite transmitted from Main symptom is rise in temperature. If mosquitoes are more in the area, check the blood for microfilaria at least once in 6 months. In the early stages it can be easily cured. High infestation of microfilaria in blood could lead to death of the dog.
• Skin Diseases- Mange, Fungus, Demodex are some of the common diseases which affects the Once itching/ hair fall/ skin colour change is noticed, take the dog to vet. The disease can be identified only after testing the skin scrapping and after which proper treatment can be given.
• It is important to consult a vet in case your pet shows signs of vomiting, diarrhoea, continuous lack of appetite, lethargy etc.
• It is advisable to do a complete check up at least once in a year when the dog is above 5 years Complete check up includes the blood tests, blood parasite check etc. according to vets instruction.
• Finally don’t become a self doctor.

Pet Licensing

• It is mandatory to get a license to keep a pet. This will help you in case of any disputes with neighbours or others, regarding your pet. He/ she needs to be vaccinated and you need to apply at your panchayat/ corporation with a copy of the vaccination chart.
• The form has to be filled in and a fees paid.

Once you have read these and understood everything you need to know before you become a pet owner, please go ahead and fill the form to adopt a pet from us.

We always incur huge expenses for taking care of our rescued animals in terms of the rescue related equipments, medical facilities for the rescued animals and their daily food and medical requirements at the shelter. We make sure all things are taken care of before hand so that you have your companion pet healthy and ready to be adopted. Support us in our venture if you wish to by donating something for our cause.