One of the biggest problems with dog adoptions is that people tend to focus on the breed of the dog, rather than the personality of the individual animal. Deciding to tackle this problem head-on, the awesome folks at Pet Alliance in Orlando, Florida had a genius idea—sort them into the Hogwarts Houses from Harry Potter.

After making the choice to sort the dogs, Pet Alliance asked their animal behaviorist, Diane Andersen, to create a test for the pups that would work like a Sorting Ceremony. Andersen picked out special toys that exemplified the qualities of each House, and the dog’s preference would help them figure out where each canine belonged.

So far, the shelter has Sorted over forty dogs (and you can do the same for your pup with their handy quiz!) According to Executive Director Stephen Bardy, it is helping more dogs get adopted, too, increasing their foot traffic and buzz about the shelter. Each dog gets a House banner for their kennel and some pictures in adorable scarves. They haven’t managed to Sort the cats yet, though; they are not as keen to dress up in themed attire.

Here are the the key House traits, as the shelter defines them:

Gryffindor — brave and heroic

Hufflepuff — kind and loyal

Slytherin — determined and resourceful

Ravenclaw — intelligent and witty

According to Pet Alliance, the most common House so far is Hufflepuff, with a fair number of Gryffindors and Slytherins. It’s a bit harder to find Ravenclaw dogs, it would seem….

Have I mentioned that this is just way too much fun to do? Here is my dog, for example:

Here is Natalie‘s dog:

(Yeah, it’s safe to say that many dogs are Hufflepuffs.)

You should feel free to share the House alignment of your pets in the comments below, is what I’m saying.

And head over to the Pet Alliance website if you’re in their area and want to find your Hogwarts House soulmate!

[Via The Dodo]