Take the dog (or cat, or turtle) home, and, if you don't like it, you can return it

The very-crowded San Diego Humane Society is trying something new with folks considering adding a dog to the family.

Under the new Adoption Trial Program, “trial adopters” can pick out an “adult” animal — 7 months or older — and take it home to determine if the “pet fits into their home.” Prospective “parents” have two weeks to decide if the animal is a good fit.

“You can think of it like a test run,” Gary Weitzman, president and CEO of San Diego Humane Society, is quoted as saying, in part, in a news release sent out Monday morning, adding, “It is a win-win — potential adopters don’t feel pressure to commit right away, and pets get a break from the stressful shelter environment, which also opens space for more animals who need our help.”

According to the Humane Society, pets stay at the shelter, on average, for 51 days. SDHS already has a policy that allows adopters a guarantee to return animals at any time and for any reason, but with the trial program, they also have that two-week window to defer payment and all the official paperwork.

Animal caregivers say that, even if pets are returned, shelter workers will be able to glean important feedback about the animals that come back, possibly helping the Humane Society make a more optimized placement down the road.