This "Dating Website" for Adoptable Pets Matches You With the Perfect Rescue Dog

Realizing you want to adopt a rescue dog is just the first step on the long road to pet parenthood. Once you've decided to bring a dog into your life, you have to do the work of finding one that matches your preferences, personality, and lifestyle. Caring for an animal is a huge commitment, and one website wants to remove some of the unknowns from pet adoption by approaching the process like a dating service.

As USA Today reports, How I Met My Dog is like Match.com for aspiring dog owners. After creating an account, you'll be asked a series of questions. Some require you to imagine how you'll be as a pet parent: Will you be a strict rule-enforcer, or a pushover with a weakness for puppy-dog eyes? Others will ask you about your current lifestyle, including where you live, how often you exercise, and your social schedule. Each question you answer brings you closer to finding the dog that fits what you're looking for and what you have to offer.

Once you've completed the survey, HIMMD suggests matches in your area. All dogs on the site are looking for forever homes, but you don't have to be ready to adopt right away to set up a profile. Whether you plan on adopting in a few months or are just entertaining the possibility, you can use the tool to see what's out there.

HIMMD's database includes dogs from shelters in 13 states. So far, roughly 1000 adoptions have been made possible by the website's matching service, according to USA Today.

If you're considering getting a dog but aren't sure if a rescue is right for you, here are some of the benefits of adopting a pet.