Guide to adopting a pet

Pet stores
Cost: $500 to $4,000 for a dog; $90 to $1,500 for a cat (lower-end prices reflect mixed breeds). Usually a wide range of smaller pets, from tropical fish at a few cents each, to rodents from $15, to exotic birds for several hundred dollars, are also available.

Pros: If you want fish, birds, reptiles or other small animals, a pet store may be your only option. Many pet stores have vets who regularly check in on the animals, and some stores offer a warranty on your purchase. But read it thoroughly, so you know exactly what you are covered for.

Cons: Pet stores tend to foster impulse buying, but pet ownership comes with responsibility, and if you're just buying based on cuteness, you are not ready for a pet, says Yvonne Savard, manager of programs and services in Vancouver for Canadian Petcetera, a national chain of pet stores that acts as an adoption centre for several shelters. As well, you have no follow-up support. "If your puppy is crying all night, the pet store owner is not going to care," says Savard. Also be aware that when you buy dogs from a pet store, there is a good chance they came from a puppy mill. "No reputable breeder will sell to a pet store," says Savard. "What's more, you don't know the parents of these animals and you don't know their health history. It's buyer beware."

Things to know and ask: Ask about the mother of the puppy. If the pet store won't release the name and location of the breeder, walk away. Look at the animal's living conditions, and get as much information as you can about its health history and temperament. Ask for proof of vaccinations. Find out at what age he left his mother, be clear on what the health guarantee/warranty covers and get it in writing.

Owner's anecdote: After researching various small animals as potential first-time pets for their two children, aged seven and nine, the Hayes family headed to a pet store to purchase two guinea pigs. "The kids fell in love with Strawberry and Panda immediately," says Kathy Hayes. "But what was great was the one-stop-shopping aspect of the store." Besides selling them everything they needed to set up their guinea pigs' home -- from a cage to toys to food -- the staff also explained the basics of guinea pig care. "For a family with little experience with pets, it was a great introduction," says Kathy. "Three and a half years later, we can't imagine life without them."

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