Make sure you do your homework. Consider what your new pet will need from you and what you want from the pet. If your lifestyle is slow and relaxed then bringing a high energy dog into the house may not be a great fit. Consider these things before you go the the shelter. It's very easy to fall in love with an animal once you see his/her big eyes looking out of the cage. The people at the shelter can usually give you feedback on the nature of the animal.
Take your time and find a friend to share your home with.
If you would like to have all the patterns in the Scrollsaw Workshop catalog you can buy the first six years DVD and the 2013 update DVD at this link. DVD #1 is $20 and contains over 1,100 patterns. The 2013 update DVD is $7.50 and has another 178 patterns.