If you’re thinking of getting a furry new addition for your home, you might want to consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter instead of buying a “new” one from a pet shop. Adopting would be the more rewarding option, especially here in the Philippines, where taking in a pet can equate to giving a helpless animal a second shot at a good life.

But before you march to the nearest animal shelter, you’ll do well to remember that the adoption process is a strictly regulated one. Cha Laxamana from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) tells us what interested adopters should expect before taking home their new pet.

(Photo by Humane Society of Greater Rochester via Flickr Creative Commons)