Petfinder Blog

I recently posted a Happy Tail from Christine in New Haven, CT, about Russell, the dog she'd adopted from F.O.B.A.S. in Trumbull, CT.

Russell had been rescued from an abandoned dog-fighting facility in Georgia, where he was used as a bait dog.

Then I received an email from Virginia, who had fostered Russell for F.O.B.A.S. She sent along the above photo of how Russell looked when he was seized from the dog-fighting facility. F.O.B.A.S. paid to transport Russell from Georgia to Connecticut and then posted him on Petfinder so he could find a wonderful home. After the jump, see what Russell looks like now.

I would like to invite everyone to visit our message board this week! We're hosting a special moderated forum on co-exisiting with wildlife. Katherine Uhler of the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center can answer your questions about keeping yourselves, your pets and your wild neighbors safe and healthy.

This topic hits home for me, as I live in the beautiful mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where it is not uncommon to look out my window and see deer, turkey, squirrels and the occasional bear roaming past our home.

It seemed only fitting that on Monday morning I walked outside and saw a baby porcupine waddling his way across the lawn and up a small maple tree to enjoy a morning snack of leaves. So of course I grabbed my video camera to capture this rare opportunity. Enjoy! And remember to join us in the forums!

Here's a fine, feathered tale from Margaret and Jeff in New York:

We found Petfinder after seeing a commercial on Animal Planet. We put in our information and selected two lovebirds that were at Companion Critters, Inc., in Clark, N.J.

We later found out that they had been rescued from a hoarder's house, and it made us even more inclined to give these birds the happy home they deserve.

Let me tell you, they are spoiled rotten now. They have a bird pool connected to their cage and all the fresh fruit and veggies they could want. We keep one of those musical birthday cards next to their cage because they just go crazy when they hear the song "The Chicken Dance" when it's opened.

Linda C. Greenberg from Marblehead Animal Shelter in Marblehead, Mass., has written a book called No Fleas on Us about her years as adoption coordinator at the shelter and the many animals she and her colleagues have saved.

Petfinder even gets a mention! Linda tells us, "Petfinder is mentioned in chapter six, titled 'My Favorite Day,' in the segment subtitled 'A Huge Miracle.' The miracle was Petfinder. I can't tell you how positively it changed our shelter for the best."

Check out Linda's book -- and if you live in the Boston area, check out Marblehead's adoptable pets!

Nikki Moustaki, author of Dogfessions, is a great friend of Petfinder. Now she and her Miniature Schnauzer, Pepper (with her at right), have set sail aboard the Queen Mary 2 for a trip to Europe to celebrate their 10 years together.

What a riot! In honor of Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month (June), the ASPCA had a contest to find the year's best cat photos.

Singer Michael Feinstein judged the hundreds of entries and came up with these adorable winners.

You hear about hero dogs, and even hero cats. But here's a new one: A hero bunny! According to Britain's Times Online:

A pet rabbit has been credited with saving an Australian couple from a fire that started in their house while they slept. The rabbit woke its owners, Michelle Finn and her partner Gerry Keogh, by scratching on their bedroom door when smoke poured through the house in the Macleod area of Melbourne.

That's Michelle, above, holding her rabbit amid the ruins of her home. Read the rest of this amazing story, then check out the 6,000+ adoptable rabbits on Petfinder for a bunny of your own.

You may remember that in an earlier post I mentioned Jodi Geschickter and JTG Racing. In addition to co-owning this team, Jodi volunteers for the Animal Adoption League in Charlotte, NC.

Well up until now, JTG Racing has only fielded entries in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series, two "lower" levels of NASCAR racing. This weekend, JTG is trying for the big time -- the NASCAR Sprint Cup (formerly Winston Cup, formerly Nextel Cup) Series!

This is a big, bold move and their driver, Marcos Ambrose (right, with his foster dog Max, who's since been adopted), will need to qualify to get in the race.

Animal lovers, cross your fingers for Marcos. He generously donated his time and autographs to us when we were at the race in Texas earlier this year and has also fostered dogs for Jodi (and even taken them through the Starbuck's drivethrough for treats!)

Marcos will be driving the 147 Little Debbie Ford. Qualifying is 10 a.m. EST on Saturday on ESPN. GO MARCOS!

I recently wrote about how Barack Obama reportedly promised his daughters a dog after the election. Since then, Best Friends Animal Society has gotten 45,000 signatures on its petition urging the Obamas to adopt.

Now we'd like you to nominate a Petfinder dog for the Obamas! Just leave a comment with a link to that dog and an explanation of why you think he or she would be a good fit.

My candidate? Pride (right), an American bulldog-pit mix at Chicago Canine Rescue. Why? He's from Chicago, like the Obamas. He's a pit, so he knows what it's like to be misunderstood. His last family lost their home -- so he can help Obama stay in touch with the common person's financial troubles. He misses being part of a family with small children. And Pride -- you can't ask for a more American name than that!

I recently moved from a house to a two-bedroom apartment, which I now share with two adopted kittens. I'm learning how to live in a close-packed community with lots of other people and their pets.

Here are some rules -- both unwritten and written -- that I've learned so far:

Outraged New Yorkers freed seven dogs who'd been left in a sweltering car on Monday; when the dogs' owner returned, she was issued a summons for animal cruelty and the dogs were taken to Animal Care & Control of NYC.

(WABC7 Eyewitness News has the full story, as well as video of the brawl that nearly erupted when the woman returned to her car to find angry neighbors walking and watering her dogs.)

It was unbearably hot on Monday, and it's quite likely the dogs would have died in the car had the neighbors not intervened. But I am not sure the ending to this story is entirely happy. 

Kristen Powers, 14, is the daughter of Petfinder VP Ed Powers. She is the founder of the environmental group Green Teen Clubs.

I was recently working as a counselor-in-training for Piedmont Wildlife Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
It amazed me at the dedication kids there have for learning how they can respect and learn about the nature around them.

These kids, ages 4 to 11, have a desire to learn about anything and everything related to animals. Watching them was brilliant because I knew that I could make a difference in their lives.

While I was at the summer camp, I was carrying my Petfinder.com lunch bag. A little girl in my group came up to me and looked at my lunchbox. Suddenly, her eyes popped and she exclaimed, "I have that same lunch box. Petfinder is awesome!" It's always a wonderful feeling to know that Petfinder has not only reached people looking to adopt, but it is helping to mold the way young children are seeing animal adoptions.

The New York Times ran an op-ed piece yesterday about one of my pet peeves: the use of chimps in entertainment.

Images of grinning chimps in commercials and movies make the public think our primate relatives "have a safe and comfortable existence," writes Steve Ross of Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.

Here's a heartwarming Happy Tail from Christine in New Haven, CT:

Russell is a Boxer mix. We came across him on Petfinder and instantly fell in love with him from the video that was posted. He is 3 years old and comes from a troubled past. He was rescued from an abandoned dog-fighting facility in Georgia where he was used as a bait dog.

A bait dog is tied up and used to train fighting dogs. Russell came to us in the typical condition of an abandoned bait dog: starved, badly scarred and injured. The details of his story are too disturbing to repeat. If it weren't for Virginia Marconi of F.O.B.A.S. in Trumbull, CT, he would not be with us today.

Today Russell is a healthy 64 lbs. He goes out for three walks a day and spends free time in the yard or lounging around the house. He is a perfect gentleman, and we are convinced that he belonged to a family at one point in his life because of his manners and his love of children.

We are grateful to have him in our lives and can't imagine what life was like before he joined us. He is in a loving and safe home. Russell is a true "happy tail." We love him.

This new ad from Verizon promoting the LG Dare phone is sparking controversy online. What do you think?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Fifth Annual Animal Law Conference, which Petfinder co-sponsored.

Topics included recently passed and pending animal welfare legislation, developing an animal cruelty case, laws regarding assistance animals, ethical issues for shelter/rescue boards and estate planning.

It was really great to meet so many attorneys dedicated to changing and enforcing the laws that protect our companion animals. Many of the attorneys, I learned, volunteer and work in rescue themselves. A huge "thank you" for all that they do.

Last month, we asked subscribers to our newsletter: What healthy human foods do you prepare for both you and your pet?

The replies ran the gamut from A (steamed artichoke leaves) to Z (zucchini). Besides meats, raw carrots were mentioned most often.

As for fruit, bananas were a favorite, although Cheryl C.'s potbellied pig, Harley, loves to eat papaya. "I cut it in chunks and he eats it with a smile on his face, smacking as he eats," she writes.

Here's another fun answer we received:

Kirby, our little Pomeranian mix, loves raw baby carrots. Our Chow Chow tried them, only because she saw Kirby eating them with such gusto. Afraid that she might be missing out on a good thing, she decided to beg for one; she really, really tried to like it, but the faces she made reminded me of a little kid trying to eat Brussels sprouts. Just too funny! But she at least tried a healthy snack; that's more than I can say about my husband.

Since the passing of my beloved dog Kobie late last year, I've been keeping an eye out for a suitable friend for my dog Sophie.

Sophie requires a companion of just the right temperament and understanding. Goofy, playful, funny-looking and loving were the things she adored about Kobie, and when I saw Alan, I knew she and I would like him.

A 2-year-old flat-coated retriever mix, he had been taken in by the kind folks at My Loveable Rescues in Queens, NY, more than a year ago and needed a good home. On Saturday we drove out and met him.

Alan and Sophie quickly assumed an attitude of peaceful coexistence. I knew this was a good sign, and that with a little time and opportunity, they would become tight companions. And so I returned yesterday, completed the adoption and took Alan to his new home on my horse farm in New Jersey. 

Adopter Wendy Roy writes:

I have a new love in my life. Her name is Stella.

Being a Glam-Granola girl, I have always believed in rescuing a dog as opposed to the breeder and pet store options -- the whole "Don't breed or buy while homeless animals die" philosophy. 

So when I was ready, I went straight to Petfinder and looked for dogs in my zip code that matched my criteria. Up came my "options," one being a Schnauzer mix named Stella who was 5 years old and blind.

After double checking on some logistics via a few questions to the rescue group, American Lab Rescue in Willington, CT, it was a no-brainer. She was mine to rescue, and I hers.

The New York Post has the story of Rocco, a beagle who was reunited with his family after escaping from his Queens backyard five years ago -- and ending up in Georgia!

The heroes of the story? Randy Durrence, supervisor at Petfinder member Liberty County Animal Control in Hinesville, Ga., who contacted the Villacis family after scanning Rocco's microchip, and Jorge Villacis, who flew 850 miles to Georgia to pick up the dog that his daughter Natalie, 11 (pictured at right with Rocco), had never given up on.

If only every family would go to such lengths to retrieve their lost pets! This story is also a great reminder to keep your pet's microchip up to date. Your vet can scan your pet's chip and you can update your contact info online.

I'm so happy! At long last, I got to the tipping point in my debate about whether or not to adopt a cat and whether to adopt a kitten (or two?) or an adult cat.

This weekend, after much searching on Petfinder, I finally took the plunge and adopted two unrelated kittens. I had been meeting various kittens and cats at adoption fairs and through their foster moms, but there was something totally magical about these two kittens' online photos -- and then, too, my meet and greets with them.

New pet parent Martha writes:

Hello! We recently adopted two terrific mixed breed dogs, Jake and Tycho, and can now, more than ever, appreciate all the wonderful work you do. We have produced a public service announcement video starring Jake and Tycho that we want to share with you.

Thanks Martha!

(You can also check out the video on the Petfinder.com Foundation YouTube channel!)

Here's a Happy Tail from Caroline in Deerfield Beach, Fla.:

I bought a pet-friendly condo and started looking on Petfinder for the perfect dog to adopt -- even though my move-in date was a year away!

I wanted an adult medium-to-large mixed breed and saw a picture of a beautiful Shepherd mix named Ellie. She was found abandoned at just five weeks old.

Her ear was mutilated and her foot was barely attached and needed to be amputated. When I discovered her on Petfinder, she was already about a year old and still waiting for a forever home. She was being fostered by Gulfstream Guardian Angels Rottweiler Rescue in Miami.

The cover story of the New York Times magazine on Sunday was this fascinating article about pets and antidepressants.

The main question: Is it a good thing that we're treating our pets' aggression, obsessive-compulsive behavior and separation anxiety with medication, when in the past those behaviors often led to euthanasia or surrender to shelters?

Or are we using a "magic pill" solution when we should be taking the time to train our pets, not to mention providing them with more natural lifestyles than sitting home alone doing nothing all day?

I don't have an answer. (Full disclosure: My cat has a prescription for Prozac to help with compulsive grooming, but I've never given it to her, since she's not, to put it mildly, easy to medicate.)

What do you think? Have you ever given your pet a psychoative drug, and how did it work out?

If you or someone you know (like the person who pet sits for you) provides a service to pet owners, Petfinder's new Local Services & Supplies Directory is the perfect place to advertise.

Visitors can search by keyword and location, so whether you're a dog trainer in Duluth or a pet photographer in Petaluma, you can grow your client base by advertising to Petfinder's millions of pet-loving visitors.

A listing with your business name, address, phone number, ratings and reviews is free.

You can also upgrade to a basic ($9.90/month), premium ($19.90/month) or showcase ($29.90/month) listing with additional features. But if you sign up with the coupon code pflist40, you'll get 40% off any upgraded listing.

To sign up, go to https://resources.petfinder.com/advertise.php.

Please feel free to cross post this message and please share this discount code with any pet service provider you know!

With all the news about the recent Tennessee puppy mill bust, I remembered the first time I'd ever heard about puppy mills; it was from my friend Andrew Weinstein, a colleague and a dedicated animal welfare activist who used to work as a corporate communications executive at AOL. I asked him to write a post about how he came to care so much about puppy mills. This is his story:

I had actually heard very little about puppy mills until about 10 years ago. My former wife and I had adopted a Rhodesian Ridgeback from a local rescue league here in DC, so we had a good relationship with the woman who ran the local chapter. One afternoon, I got a call from her asking if we might have any interest in adopting a second dog from them.

The dog we were presented with (pictured here) had a tragic story.

I was struck by a recent L.A. Times article about how Last Chance for Animals and Best Friends Animal Society are organizing protests of pet stores that sell puppy-mill puppies in Los Angeles.

What struck me wasn't the news about the protests (to which I say, hooray!), but this sentence about one pet-store manager, Jamie Katz of Pets of Bel Air:

She says Pets of Bel Air is adopting shelter dogs and placing two or three a week for sale out of the store (which is something animal activists encourage pet stores to do).

Huh? I've never heard of animal activists encouraging pet-store owners to adopt and sell shelter pets -- rescue groups that I know of work hard to ensure their adopters plan to make their new pet part of the family.

But let's play devil's advocate.

Renee called yesterday to tell me that the kittens she adopted had taken a sudden and totally unexpected turn for the worse. Smudge, aka Clover, died at the veterinary ER yesterday morning; his brother Smitty, aka Boris, passed away in the afternoon, both victims of feline panleukopenia virus.

I was in tears all day yesterday, and I still get choked up when I look at their pictures. But I don't regret rescuing them. These kittens had short lives, but they spent the end of those lives clean, safe, well-fed, free of fleas and, most importantly, loved. I wonder whether, after fighting for so long, they finally felt that they'd found a safe place where they could let go in peace.