Adopt, don't buy — what a shelter adoption actually involves

Adopting from a shelter in Serbia or Croatia is a short process, but it is a real one:

Typical steps

• You apply (form or a visit), the shelter checks that the home is suitable
• You meet the animal — often twice, because a dog that is shy on day one can be different a week later
• You sign a contract that usually includes spaying/neutering and a promise to keep the animal for life
• The animal comes home, often already chipped, vaccinated and tested for common diseases

What to expect in the first weeks

• The 'three-three-three rule': roughly three days of shock, three weeks of settling, three months of routine
• Keep the routine boring and consistent; new people and places wait
• A vet check-up within the first two weeks closes the loop on the health tests the shelter started

What shelters will not do

No reputable shelter sells a pet to a stranger over the internet without a home check, and no legitimate shelter asks for payment by cash only with no receipt. If a deal skips these steps, walk away.