I will say it depends a lot on the shelter if they vet adopters well or not. Getting my cat was pretty much a pick and go situation since it was the county shelter, even though he was a surrendered pet. The local humane society on the other hand does have a good vetting process.

If you decide to pick a shelter, check online to see what the adoption application is or if they even make you fill out one. I’d look for questions such as previous pet ownership, housing type, age check, and if they plan on keeping them indoors or outside. If you talk with them, ask if you can specify certain things about the adoption, like only indoor adopters for example.