How do you find dogs that need homes?

Potential dog owners should search on sites, such as PetFinder and Rescue Me!, to find dogs that need a home. Each site works a little differently but allows potential adopters to search for the breed of dog they would like to adopt.

PetFinder lists more than 300,000 pets from different rescue groups across the United States.

1. Visit the PetFinder website

Visit PetFinder. At the top of the page there is a header that says, "Find a Pet to Adopt," under which is a series of text boxes that adopters may use to enter their location, type of pet and breed. Fill in the boxes and click "Find Pets."

2. Search available dogs

The next page that appears shows all available pets in or near the location specified. Purebred and mixes appear on the page. Select the dog by clicking on his or her name.

3. View the pet's profile

View the pet's profile and if interested, click the link that says "Contact this Organization." Fill in the information on the following page.

Rescue Me! works a little differently because it lists animals in rescues as well as those being re-homed by their owners. On the organization' homepage, begin by clicking "View Animals for Adoption."

1. Click on "Dogs"

Click on the dog picture to bring up dogs available for adoption.

2. Select the breed

Select the breed by clicking on its picture.

3. Select the state

Click on the state to see available pets in that state.

4. Contact the rescue or owner

To inquire about a specific dog, click on the "Email" button located beneath each dog's description. In most cases, there is a contact phone number listed as well.