No need to worry if you’ve chosen the right pet for you and your lifestyle anymore. Much like our online dating services like eHarmoney, Meet Your Match helps evaluate the shelter pets along with the people looking to adopt to ensure a perfect match.

Emily Weiss, vice president of shelter research and development for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, designed Meet Your Match, which is now used by shelters around the country.

Meet Your Match is designed to match personalities, energy level and needs of both the shelter pets and the people looking to adopt.

After answering a short 19 question survey, the people looking to adopt are given a color and matched with the appropriate pet, based on a color-coded program.

The pets are studied for about 15 minutes by staff members to see whether they lay down, jump around, curl up or whatever else they choose to do. They like to see how the pets play and interact to guarantee a good fit.  The pets are then assigned a color- green, orange or purple-based on what the staff members picked up on.

The colors meanings differ between cats and dogs, seeing as they already have such different personalities.

When dogs are considered in the green category this means that the dog has a  hyper, both physically and mentally constantly on the move type personality. Orange is a more go-with-the-flow kind of personality because they can be hyper and run around but they wouldn’t mind cuddling in bed with you. The purple  is considered the easy going dog.

When cats are assigned in the green category this means  that they are the adventurous ones that like to scurry around. Orange, again, are considered to have the go-with-the-flow lifestyle. Purple is best fit in a calm atmosphere, seeing as they require a less exciting lifestyle.

It’s easy to go into a shelter and base your decision off the way a dog looks or seems to act while you’re there but bringing them home could change things. Whether you bring the pet home to an extremely upbeat household with kids running in and out or to a more relaxed atmosphere with not a lot going on there’s no telling how the pet will react.

It’s important to keep in mind that while the appearance of the pet might attract you to it, you also need to figure out if it will fit with your lifestyle. Meet Your Match is an easy process to guarantee you leave with the perfect pet.

-This is all based on an article “Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your Match” written by Sue Manning.