Shelter dogs, especially those turned in by their owners, may already be housetrained and have some manners. A patient and discriminating person can find a purebred or mixed breed dog that appeals to his own personality and needs at one of the public or private shelters in their area for a very reasonable price. Some shelters also include microchip identification with every animal. In most states each county is required to have a shelter for impoundment of stray dogs and enforcement of state cruelty and neglect laws within its jurisdiction. These shelters can be run by a private humane society that contracts with the county to provide these services or as a government agency.
Public shelters handle stray dogs by law and owner-abandoned dogs by choice.
Stray dogs are offered for adoption if they are not claimed within a specified number of days, usually less than a week. Owners who abandon their dogs may have a legitimate reason or they may be just passing a problem on to someone else. Owners who could not or would not train their pets may have created a dog that is destructive, ill-behaved, aggressive, fearful, or just plain wrong for certain circumstances. Many times these owners do not tell the truth when they leave their dogs at the shelter, for they either don't want the dog to be euthanized or they are ashamed that they have failed in their responsibility to the animal. When little is known about the history of an animal, potential adopters must lean heavily on the knowledge the staff has of each dog in the shelter.