Recently, Katherine, a colleague of mine at Discovery Communications was researching French Bulldogs on the Internet. She came across a group calling itself a Frenchie rescue. But something about its website didn't seem right.

Katherine did some research and discovered a 2011 report by the Humane Society of the United States charging that the group was run by a Missouri breeder it called one of the state's worst puppy millers. The report claimed the pets on the "rescue" site are in fact cast-offs from that breeding operation.

"I was so angry," Katherine told me. "I will do anything I can do to raise awareness."

Unfortunately, her story isn't unique. "For-profit breeders have increasingly tried to take advantage of the public's desire to adopt homeless pets by posing as rescue groups, even using the term 'adopt' when selling their, all too often, puppy-mill-raised pups" says Kim Saunders, Petfinder's vice president of shelter outreach. "This makes it even more important that Petfinder remains a space for reputable shelters and rescue groups."

All the adoption groups that list their pets on Petfinder have been carefully screened by our shelter outreach staff. But if you're looking beyond Petfinder for a pet to adopt, there are some red flags to keep an eye out for. No one of these points alone proves a rescue group isn't legit. But if you find several of these warning signs, you might want to look for your adoptable pet elsewhere:

After the jump: 5 questions to ask about an organization before you adopt

Here's our next post in our new Q&A series about pet adoption! Once a month we select a reader question and answer it here. Have a question you'd like us to answer? Email us.

Q: I love the site and all the information available but my first experience trying to adopt a dog gave me the creeps. The group had no phone number and wouldn't even answer my basic questions without a full application containing very personal information. I met them halfway and filled out all the information that wasn't personal but was essentially denied for a non-issue because I didn't send them all my info. -- Sid L.

A: Each year, millions of animals lose their lives to homelessness. Animal shelters and rescue groups are their lifeline to safety. But, with over 13,600 adoption organizations on Petfinder, adoption procedures can vary widely. You may need to reach out to a few organizations to find one that is a match for you.

Learn more about the different types of groups that post on Petfinder after the jump and decide which type is easiest for you to work with.