[CFrance]

You don't say what kind of pet you want--big small, old, young, dog or cat. If it's a dog you are looking for, I know that you would be able to trust a group like Poodles 'n Pooches to give you the straight story on the backgrounds of their available dogs. Do you feel that a pet who is turned in because the owner couldn't care for it might have fewer problems than a pet who was abandoned or turned in because it had behavioral problems and therefore someone was unwilling to care for it? If so, I would contact Susan Gros (her number is in TV phone book) about this rescue organization.

I have found that the groups who work through a fostering system come to know the personality traits of the animals better than, say, a shelter, because these dogs are living full time with people until they are adopted.

Just some thoughts...