The most common way people acquire a pet is as a gift, followed by taking in a stray. That's according to a new AP-Petside poll.
About four in 10 pet owners say at least one of their current pets was given to them by friends or family, while a third say they have a pet that showed up on their doorstep.
Shelters and breeders are next on the list as sources for pets.
Thirty percent of those polled say they adopted through a shelter,
and about the same percentage got a pet from a breeder. One in six
bought an animal at a pet store.
More than half of the pet owners polled say they've taken in a
shelter animal at some point.
