It's a common issue. Not sure how to fix it, especially if it's reproducible. Did you try a different savegame to see if you have the same issue ? Just start on for testing purposes and try to adopt one.
Thank you for your reply! Yes, I have tried going to a different town, and opening a family to test on. The same thing happened. I can adopt stray pets (after the pet leaves and returns several times it gives you the adopt option). Also, if I try to buy a horse at the horse stable it doesn't work either. The horse never shows up. Maybe they can find a fix for this sometime I hope! Thank you for trying to help!!
Try the factory reset described in this post: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-Troubleshooting-Steps/td-p/714/
That sounds like it might work. I have already made a backup dvd of the sims 3 folder as I am about to have to reset my computer back to factory settings after a nasty virus attack. So this will be a good time to do these other steps at the same time. I will try this and let you know if it worked.
Thank you!
