Petfinder Blog

See Gizmo the Soldier Dog and other pups at work here.

June 26 is Take Your Dog to Work Day, and Petfinder is proud to be the 2009 official adoption partner of the event, which is organized by Pet Sitters International.

To find out how you can participate, including tips for success and how to win over your boss to the idea, visit TakeYourDog.com.

We asked Petfinder visitors if they bring their pets to work. Here are just a few of the responses:

My husband works for the US Army. And while he is not supposed to bring him to work by Army standards, he brings our youngest dog to work with him, and my husband's boss brings his cats to work!

I work at Archdale Animal Clinic in Archdale, NC. We have a very laid-back boss. Pretty much everyone that I work with brings their dog to work with them daily. It's like the dogs have a job too. They all run loose in the back and get along, except for the occasional grumble over treats. The clients know them all by name and love seeing them. Personally I don't know what it would be like to not have Riley with me at work. I have never been in another vet clinic like ours, but for us it works.--Byrd

Since I work at an animal shelter, YES! We are allowed to bring our pets to work. For us, having our pets around really reminds us why we do what we do. Most of us have former shelter dogs, so it reinforces that happy endings do happen! It's a great morale boost when you're dealing with so much sadness. Even if it's a co-worker's dog, feeling that paw on your leg or that wet nose on your arm brings us back to why we started working there in the first place.--Melissa Tata, Program Administrator, Animal Protective Foundation, Scotia, NY

Want to learn more about Petfinder and all the ways we help our shelter and rescue group members get their pets adopted? Check out our 2008 Annual Report.

Some highlights:

• Petfinder accounts for 65% of U.S. and Canadian adoptions.
• For about a quarter of our 12,500+ shelter/rescue group members, Petfinder is responsible for 80-100% of ALL their adoptions.
• Petfinder sends adoptable-pet listings to over 275 popular Web sites such as AOL, Petco.com, Walmart.com, Oodle and MySpace, reaching millions of potential adopters every year.
• Petfinder Mobile takes adoptable pets on the road - via cell phones, BlackBerrys and iPhones.
• The Petfinder.com Foundation awarded more than $1,000,000 in cash and products to our members in disaster-relief grants and power-generator awards.
• Petfinder pets data will power the adoptable-pet search on the web site for the Ad Council's first-ever animal welfare-oriented campaign in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund.

Download the PDF of the report here and let us know what you think!

 
How much do I loooove this TODAY Show segment featuring makeovers of adoptable dogs from New York City's Animal Care & Control? It features Martha Stewart walking a pit bull -- when did you ever think you'd see that?

It's also a great plug for pit bulls, senior pets and shelter dogs in general. And major props to TODAY's Jill Rappaport, who shows off her handsome (and so well-behaved) rescued pit, Petey. Read more about the segment here.

While some of the 12,500+ shelters and rescue groups that list their adoptable pets with us will only adopt locally, not all of them have that policy, and we often get Happy Tails from people who traveled huge distances to adopt the perfect pet they found on Petfinder.

But this story about British couple Rose and Chris Rasmussen takes the cake. The pair spotted Sparky on Petfinder and fell in love, despite the fact that they live in suburban London and Sparky was at the Clare County Animal Shelter in Harrison, Michigan.

(Read the full story at Central Michigan's TheMorningSun.com.)

With help from Clare County Animal Control Director Dave Gendregske, who completed piles of paperwork and made
sure Sparky was microchipped, vaccinated, quarantined and vetted, the Rasmussens were finally able to travel to Harrison to collect their new family member.

Last month, we asked Petfinder visitors like you to take a survey about their experiences adopting, or trying to adopt, from a shelter or rescue group. A whopping 2,667 people responded.

Read the results here and find out what they said about customer service at adoption organizations. Among the questions we asked:

• How was your experience overall?
  
• Have you ever contacted an adoption group and received NO REPLY?
  
• What would make you consider going to a breeder or pet store?

We also asked for write-in answers to questions such as, "Do you have advice for shelters/rescues?" Some examples of the answers we got include:

• "Responsiveness is extremely important for families looking for a pet. I find a lot of rescues either don't respond or are not responsive enough, especially if the only way to contact them is via e-mail."
• "[Have] patience with prospective families as they interact and ask questions regarding their possible new pet. I took a LONG time to decide if my new pet would be 'the one' and the staff were amazingly patient and understanding of my need to make sure this fit would last forever."
• "Don't treat potential adopters like we are the enemy!"
• "As much as I can appreciate their criteria (fenced yard, etc) some things are over the top. I had a rescue turn me down once because I worked and I am single. They wanted someone who stayed home. Are they kidding?"
  

Many congratulations to brilliant comic-strip artist (and tireless pet-adoption advocate) Patrick McDonnell, the creator of Mutts, for adopting a new dog -- whom he found on Petfinder, no less!

In his May newsletter, McDonnell writes:

On Saturday, March 13, Amelie joined the McDonnell clan. At 1.5 years old she is full of life, love, and energy. We don't know too much about her background, but she was surrendered to Animal Care and Control in NYC, spayed, and then brought into Posh Pets Rescue in Manhattan. After placing her in a foster home, Posh Pets put her profile up on Petfinder. A few days later she was on her way to her forever family.

Thanks to YOU, Petfinder Mobile is the winner of the People's Voice Webby Award in the category Mobile: Listings & Updates!

Thanks so much to all who voted (I know it was a challenge to register sometimes due to the high volume of traffic, so we are especially grateful for your persistence).

We are so proud to have a mobile application (you can view it from your desktop at m.petfinder.com) that allows users to view adoptable pets from wherever they are. Our dream is that adoption advocates like you can use Petfinder Mobile to spread the word -- that is, when your friend talks about wanting to buy a puppy from a pet store, instead of just TELLING her to check out Petfinder, you can SHOW her all the great adoptable pets near her.

Petfinder facilitated more than 2 MILLION adoptions last year, and we couldn't have done it without wonderful supporters like you!

Check out all the Webby winners here.

Previous entry:

Petfinder Mobile is nominated for a Webby Award!

I was dismayed to get an alert from the ASPCA that the New York City Housing Authority is implementing a new pet policy, effective May 1 (i.e. Friday!) that bans purebred or mixed breed Pit Bulls, Dobermans and Rottweilers.

The new policy also lowers the weight limit for allowable dogs from the previous limit of 40 lbs. to 25 lbs.

The most important thing to note is that, as the ASPCA notes: "Dogs already registered with NYCHA before the implementation of this revised policy, regardless of breed and providing they do not exceed the current 40 pound weight limit, will be grandfathered and allowed to remain in NYCHA housing."

Residents whose pets are not registered have until April 30 to submit a registration form, and have 90 days to obtain veterinarian certification that their dog is spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies and licensed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

For more information and links to all the necessary forms, visit the ASPCA Web site.

Be sure to tune in to Animal Planet at 10 p.m. EST tonight for a special episode of Animal Cops: Philadelphia, called Puppy Mills: Exposed.

The episode details a raid conducted last year by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on Limestone Kennels in Chester County, Pa., where almost 90 dogs were discovered living in deplorable conditions.

The show should go a long way toward raising awareness of exactly where that doggie in the pet store window came from -- and of the incredible work done by Humane Law Enforcement officers and shelter personnel who work so hard to protect these animal victims.

Here's another update from Elizabeth Lujambio, founder of Marley's Pit Stop in Los Angeles, on Liza Bean, the shy pit bull she's fostering whose debilitating fearfulness was the subject of a phone consultation Elizabeth won with It's Me or the Dog star Victoria Stilwell.

(Read Elizabeth's first post-consultation update here.)

Week #2

With Victoria Stilwell whispering advice in our ears and the support all of the Petfinder members, Liza Bean and I embarked on week two of Liza's training.

Basic training agenda included reinforcement of the "sit" command and learning the "down" and "stay" commands. We also introduced a new person to the training: a tried and true Marley's Pit Stop volunteer and foster failure (he kept three foster dogs!), Dave.

Initially, I began the teaching of basic commands. Liza B. always had her "sit" mastered -- although, because she has such a long body, it takes her a bit to get there! Next, we began the "down" command, using treats and the leash from her already-familiar "sit."

We found out that while Liza can do a "down" nicely, she prefers to do so on grass, not on hard surfaces! Who's training who here?! We are practicing the mechanics on grass and can get her to a low crouch on cement. Hopefully, this week she will be able to do a proper "down" regardless of surface.
 

Today is Earth Day! You may be a die-hard eco-booster, a regular person doing their best (like me), or someone who is sick to death of hearing the "go green" message -- but the fact is, we as pet parents have a little bit more of an environmental impact than those without pets.

Luckily, Petfinder's sister sites have some great resources:

From PlanetGreen.com:

How to Go Green: Pets

6 Ways to Green Your Pet's Poop

Where to Get Green Pet Products

Make Clothes Out of Your Pet's Hair (apparently there are people who actually do this)

From HowStuffWorks.com:

8 Green Pet Care and Cleaning Tips

A few weeks ago we invited Petfinder rescue group members to nominate their behaviorally-challenged dogs for a chance at a complimentary phone consultation with It's Me or the Dog star and renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell.

Painfully shy pit bull Liza Bean at Marley's Pit Stop Rescue in Los Angeles earned the most votes from Petfinder visitors (meet the runners up here).

Victoria called Liza Bean's foster mom, Elizabeth Lujambio, and although she'd only committed to a 20-minute consultation, she spoke with Elizabeth for 45 minutes. "It was amazing!" Elizabeth tells us.

Victoria told Elizabeth that Liza Bean needed to do some independence training. Elizabeth realized she needed to "take a step back and stop thinking of her as my little dog -- and start giving Liza Bean some tools to build her confidence."

After the jump, Elizabeth's description of her consultation with Victoria and Liza Bean's progress.

A major cable network that happens to be very Petfinder- and pet-adoption-friendly is filming a series about cat breeds, and for an episode about the Selkirk Rex breed, they're looking for someone interested in adopting one of these exotic felines.

The producers are in touch with two rescue groups in particular about a pair of purebred Selkirks with star potential. If you're interested in adopting either of these cutie pies, contact their respective adoption organizations.

If you're the right fit for one of these great
cats, not only will you have a chance to be on TV, but you'll add a wonderful companion to your life.

According to our Cat Breed Directory, Selkirk Rexes are fun-loving, mellow and people-oriented. They're known for their distinctive soft, curly coat, which can be either long or short.

There are currently 15 Selkirk Rexes or Selkirk mixes available for adoption on Petfinder. Learn more about the breed.

Petfinder Mobile, our wireless application, has been nominated for a Webby award! This is truly an enormous honor for any Web site. We're in the Listings & Updates category in the Mobile division.

While winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced May 5, you can vote for us (through April 30) at the Webby's People's Voice site. (You'll need to register.)

And if you didn't know you could get Petfinder on your cell phone, well, you can! Just go to Petfinder on your Web-enabled phone or other mobile device and you'll see a specially formatted search field that fits right on your small screen (you can also go to m.petfinder.com to see what it looks like).

Our mobile site includes a click-to-call feature, so if you find your perfect pet while you're on the road, you can contact the shelter or rescue group with a single click.

Our pals at Best Friends Animal Society are celebrating their 25th anniversary! And as a special thanks to Petfinder, Best Friends is offering a free issue of their fantastic magazine, Best Friends, to the first 1,000 animal lovers who e-mail their name and address here (trialmag "at" bestfriends.org).

What else is Best Friends doing to celebrate? At the Sanctuary in Kanab, UT, welcome goodie bags are being distributed to visitors as our way of saying "thank you," and across the nation, "home parties" are helping spread the word about the organization's efforts toward No More Homeless Pets in our lifetime.

Best Friends also has a commemorative 25th Anniversary CD featuring artists that include Cyndi Lauper, Emmy Lou Harris, Neko Case and others. And Best Friends will celebrate at home and across the country during "Best Friends Week," July 19 - 25. Learn more about the festivities here.

Congratulations to Liza Bean, the painfully shy pit bull rescued by Marley's Pit Stop in Los Angeles. After getting the most votes from Petfinder visitors, Liza Bean will receive a complimentary phone consultation from It's Me or the Dog star and renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell -- as will the family who adopts Liza Bean.

(Meet the runners-up, whose caretakers will receive copies of Petfinder's Adopted Dog Bible.)

Marley's Pit Stop founder (and Liza Bean's foster mom) Elizabeth Lujambio was overcome with emotion when she learned that Liza Bean had garnered the most votes, telling us, "I am so grateful to Petfinder and to Victoria Stilwell for this opportunity to help Liza Bean."

As many commenters to this blog have already noted, news emerged this weekend that Oprah Winfrey, after adopting a cocker spaniel puppy from PAWS Chicago, adopted a second dog, her puppy Sadie's littermate Ivan, who died of parvo.

As PeoplePets.com reports:

Ivan ... came down with a deadly virus called Parvo last Wednesday and died, said Dr. Jean Dobbs, the veterinarian who [is treating] Sadie since she was exposed.

"It was just a little bit too late. All the veterinary community got together to save his life," Dr. Dobbs told PEOPLE Pets. "The puppy didn't make it, but he's teaching others how important this is to get vaccinated at the right times."

Dr. Dobbs, who founded Hemopet, a non-profit animal blood bank [which also posts adoptable Greyhounds on Petfinder - ED], said that she thinks the shelter and vets did everything right, but that Ivan was exposed between two critical shots.

One of the ways Petfinder helps our members get their pets out there is by working with organizers of the dozens of public pet expos that take place around the country. We arrange to have a Petfinder booth at an expo, and one of our shelter or rescue-group members mans it on our behalf to spread the word about Petfinder and their own organization.

The folks at Tower Show Productions, a major organizer of pet expos, has been a great partner with us in this. At its recent Twin Cities Pet Expo in Minneapolis, the St. Paul-based Resource for Iguana Care and Adoption (RICA) manned the Petfinder booth.

RICA president Kathy Claugherty sent us this report after the expo:

The Pet Expo was a tremendous success for RICA. We opted not to bring an iguana because of the temperature issue, but it just so happens I have a life-sized plush iguana toy and I brought that instead. We also had a folder with pictures and bios of our adoptables along with our brochure and other materials. The plush toy was a big hit! It enabled me to show how big they get in a non-threatening way.

Oprah introduced her new adopted puppy, Sadie, on her show on Friday. What a cutie! Oprah and Alexandra Wentworth also give some great props to shelter pets and urge viewers to adopt. (See more on Oprah's Web site.)

In other, sadder celebrity pet news, Martha Stewart's new puppy was killed along with 16 other dogs in an explosion at a Pennsylvania kennel / breeding facility.

Previous entry:

Oprah Winfrey adopts a dog from PAWS Chicago

Oprah Winfrey has adopted a cocker spaniel puppy from Petfinder member PAWS Chicago, a rep for the shelter tells Us Weekly.

According to Usmagazine.com, Oprah "adopted an 8-week-old blonde-colored cocker spaniel on Sunday. ... The pup -- one of a litter of six -- was named Amanda by shelter staff, but [shelter rep Lisa] Nowak isn't sure if Winfrey renamed her."

This is, of course, great news for adoption advocates! Oprah vowed her next dog would come from a shelter during her episode last year that exposed the horrors of puppy mills (and featured Bill Smith of Petfinder member Main Line Animal Rescue).

Of course we're thrilled that she's made good on her promise -- but she'd become a bona fide pet adoption advocate even before this week:
 

• She donated to PAWS Chicago in honor of her late cocker spaniel, Sophie.
• She aired a show recently about Yorkies rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.
• Her Web site features a photo gallery of her employees' rescued pets.

Michelle Obama tells PEOPLE magazine the First Family has settled on a breed and date for their long-promised dog adoption.

The Associated Press reports:

The family wants a rescue Portuguese Water Dog who is the appropriate age and match.

"Temperamentally they're supposed to be pretty good," Mrs. Obama said. "From the size perspective, they're sort of middle of the road -- it's not small, but it's not a huge dog. And the folks that we know who own them have raved about them. So that's where we're leaning." (Read the full story.)

This breed is not common in shelters -- there are only two adoptable Portuguese water dog mixes listed on Petfinder right now (Wema, who'd had a major PR effort behind her, has already been adopted from the Martin County Humane Society in Fairmont, MN).

The Obamas' situation is common among adopters: They know what kind of dog they want and when they want it. But the reality is, their ideal dog may simply not be available in a shelter by their deadline -- and if the right dog IS there, the adoption process might not fit their timetable.

Okay, I'm a little late to blogging about this, but our own VP of shelter outreach, Kim Saunders, continued her media blitz promoting the Petfinder.com Adopted Dog Bible with an appearance on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (watch the video).

This was one of my favorite media spots because Kim was able to not only promote responsible pet adoption, but also to show
off some wonderful dogs whom the average adopter might not think to seek out:

• Rocky, a 10-year-old pit bull at NYC's Picasso Veterinary Fund
  
• Deke, a blind, senior shepherd mix, also at Picasso Veterinary Fund
• Higgins, a St. Bernard-mix puppy who was hit by a car and is being cared for and given veterinary cary by Companion Critters in Clark, NJ
• Valentina, a young beagle the Humane Society of NY (okay, she's the type of dog EVERYONE seems to be looking for -- but it's always good to let people know they CAN find a purebred dog at a shelter)
  

Update: Thanks to the commenter who pointed out this great post on the Best Friends Network's Stop BSL blog, which lists ways to speak out against this policy.

Original post: Breed-specific legislation has now extended its ugly reach to the military.

Good News for Pets writes about a new memo banning "aggressive or potentially aggressive" dogs, including pit bulls, rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, chows and wolf hybrids from military housing as of Feb. 1, 2009.

You can see copies of the memo on the Web sites for Fort Riley, Kansas, and Army Hawaii Family Housing, to name just two examples.

How sad that our government is rewarding our brave servicemen and women by taking their beloved family pets from them. As Good News for Pets points out:

According to the ruling, dogs of any type who currently live on base can be grandfathered in. However, [Lynette] Lynde [a pit owner whose husband is an Afghanistan vet] points out that families are frequently being asked to re-locate. When they do, they can no longer bring their banned dogs with them. Similarly, new enlistees must leave their dogs at home if they're indentified as a banned breed.

Making the ban even more upsetting: Not so long ago, pit bulls were considered the embodiment of the American military spirit for their bravery and loyalty.

I'm not a huge fan of the Westminster Dog Show, but I couldn't help being pleased that 10-year-old Sussex spaniel Stump won Best in Show this year.

The Sussex spaniel is a pretty exotic breed -- there are only three adoptable Sussex spaniel mixes listed on Petfinder -- but there are thousands of dogs age 10 and older waiting for their forever homes in shelters and foster care right now.

Many people overlook senior dogs (and other senior pets) when they're looking to adopt because they worry their time with the pet will be too short and the inevitable goodbye too painful.

My dog Champ didn't actually participate in my wedding, but we did put a little plastic toy pit bull that looked just like him on our cake with the bride and groom figurine.

But we want to know: Was your dog (or other pet) in your wedding? Or are you planning a wedding and planning to include your pet? Send your story and pics to me at "blog (at) petfinder.com" -- or post them in the comments here. (Here's how to post a photo in the comments.)

Check out the new Disney DVD, Space Buddies, in stores tomorrow (Feb. 3). If you buy the DVD, you're in for a treat: a full page about Petfinder in the DVD insert. And if you go to the Space Buddies Web site, you'll find a link to Petfinder.

Disney understands how much kids love animals, and is dedicated to promoting a message of pet adoption along with its animal-themed entertainment. Space Buddies features adorable talking golden retriever puppies on an intergalactic adventure -- and if your kids fall in love with the pups, there are more than 2,500 adoptable golden retrievers and golden retriever mixes listed on Petfinder!

February is Adopt-a-Rescued-Rabbit Month, which gives me a great excuse to give some press to one of the many non-dog-or-cat species available for adoption on Petfinder.

In fact, we've got more than 6,300 adoptable rabbits waiting for their forever homes in shelters and rescue groups around the country.

I have some friends with pet rabbits, and they are adorable, affectionate, funny and full of personality. They're also NOT low-maintenance pets! As House Rabbit Society president Kathleen Wilsbach says:

The ideal "rabbit person," in addition to being calm, patient and eager to get to know a rabbit on his own terms, must be willing to rabbit-proof an appropriate exercise area in the home to prevent damage from chewing.

Already have a rabbit or are thinking of getting one? Check out this great blog, The Rabbit Advocate, by Mary Lempert, a rabbit behavior consultant to the Boston MSPCA. She gives warm, thoughtful and uncritical advice to readers with questions about everything from a bunny with runny eyes to a woman whose male newfoundland dwarf has an unnatural attraction to her bunny slippers. Mary's goal is to keep rabbits out of shelters by educating their caregivers -- something we here at Petfinder are all about.

Watch CBS Videos Online

Check out this amazing video from CBS News about an unusual friendship between a dog and an elephant. (Sniff!)

The Winnipeg Humane Society, a Petfinder member in Canada (yes, we do have rescue groups in Canada, as well as Mexico, posting their pets on Petfinder!) has some labradoodle puppies for the Obamas.

According to AFP:

The Winnipeg Humane Society helped police break up an illegal puppy mill in the city in December, and seized 55 Labradoodles, including 21 puppies and two pregnant females.

One of them, named "Lilly," has since given birth to a litter of 11 "bright and happy" puppies, the shelter's executive director Bill MacDonald told AFP.

"When I learned that President Obama's first official state visit would be to Canada, and that he was looking for a puppy for his daughters, I thought a shelter puppy would make a great gift from our government," he said.

Read the full story here.

Officials in the California city of Lancaster have adopted an ordinance that requires, among other things, all pit bulls, rottweilers and pit and rottie mixes to be spayed or neutered (read the L.A. Times article here).

This is breed-specific legislation, to be sure, but is it perhaps not a bad idea?

Now, I know a lot of our readers are, like me, pit bull parents and defenders of these wonderful and misunderstood dogs. We are horrified by the idea that we could one day have our beloved pets seized from our homes, as has happened in American cities in the recent past.

But that's not what this law is about. It's about spaying and neutering these dogs who are euthanized by the thousand because shelters are overflowing with them and too few people are willing to adopt them. (This law is arguably also about racial profiling, but let's just stick to the animal welfare implications here.)

Petfinder's own Kim Saunders was on Sunday's episode of the TODAY show talking about things to consider before adopting a dog (for more great tips on that subject, check out our new book, the Adopted Dog Bible).

Also starring on the TODAY show segment were some adorable, adoptable dogs from Animal Care & Control of NYC (the min pin and rat terrier are handled by Brendon, Animal Control Officer extraordinaire and Puppy Love Pet Rescue of Roselle Park, NJ ... including Kim's own foster dog, Carly the pointer.

Check out this great clip from this morning's episode of the TODAY show, featuring our own VP of shelter outreach, Kim Saunders, and Petfinder member Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, NJ.

I love that this clip contains some positive news about adoption -- some states are seeing an increase in adoptions, even as more pets are surrendered due to home foreclosures -- as well as an unexpected plug for senior pets at the end, when the puppy one anchor is holding starts squirming and crying as the older dog on another anchor's lap sits quietly!

Anyone who thinks you can't get an A-list dog from a shelter or rescue group hasn't been to the movies lately.

As Julia Szabo points out in her New York Post column, the star of the new movie Hotel for Dogs, a terrier named Cosmo, was surrendered by a family who couldn't handle his high energy, and his double, J.R., was "discovered" at a Northern California animal shelter.

The movie also features a pair of rescued pit bulls (one of them a three-legged tripod), and as it turns out, the film's producer insisted as much. Check out this great article on BestFriends.org, which reports:

Movie producer Ewan Leslie is a devout pit bull lover who works with Karma Rescue in Los Angeles. Says Leslie, "When we started working on the movie, I told Mark Forbes, our head trainer from Birds and Animals, Unlimited, that we had to have some pits in the movie."

The article also says the cast and crew found homes for seven dogs, six of them pit bulls (three of those pits were adopted by crew members, including Pearl, a blue pit who'd been abandoned in a parking lot and who can now be seen on the movie's poster. And as if that weren't enough, the movie's site, hotelfordogsmovie.com, even links to Petfinder!

We've been reporting for months on the Obamas' efforts to find a dog. Apparently, the family has gotten closer to selecting a breed. Here's an excerpt from the President-elect's interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos:

STEPHANOPOULOS: What kind of a dog are we getting and when are we getting it?

OBAMA: The -- they seem to have narrowed it down to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A medium sized.

OBAMA: Medium sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking at shelters to see when
one of those dogs might come up.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you're closing in on it?

OBAMA: We're closing in on it. This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Obamas adopt. And while I know I'll get piled on by commenters who think the decision is none of my business, I still think the family would set a great example by making a shelter pet First Dog, and could save the lives of countless homeless pets as a result. (Besides, the President-elect has talked about it publicly and in detail, so I don't think it's an invasion of their privacy to have an opinion.)

UPDATE: Cast your vote ... for the breed you think the Obamas should adopt! Check out AnimalPlanet.com's Presidential Puppy poll.

Learn more about hypoallergenic dogs and living with pet allergies ... and urge the Obamas to adopt.

You may have seen ads on Petfinder for the movie All Roads Lead Home, which is available on DVD tomorrow, Jan. 13. This sweet, PG-rated film is about a 12-year-old girl named Belle (Vivien Cardone) who loves animals, and it will appeal to any kid who feels the same way.

But I'm excited about this movie for other reasons as well. Number one: One of the main characters, Belle's father Cody (Jason London), is an animal control officer in their Kansas town. He brings stray and neglected animals to the local open-access shelter, staffed by his friend Milo (Patton Oswalt).

Cody and Milo love animals but, as much as it saddens them, sometimes have to euthanize pets for illness, behavior or space. I've never seen such a sensitive portrayal of animal control officers, particularly in a kids' movie, where the neighborhood "dog catcher" is almost always the bad guy.

Reason number two: The film's distributor, Anchor Bay Entertainment, is putting its money where its mouth is to support pet adoption and animal shelters, first by advertising on Petfinder (thank you!!) and second by donating $3,000 to the Petfinder.com Foundation, money that will go directly to our rescue group members to help them save, care for and find homes for pets in need. Finally, Anchor Bay is also donating 200 free copies of the DVD to rescue-group staffers and volunteers attending our Adoption Options training workshops.

The Petfinder blog is taking a little hiatus to play with our new toys and take pictures of our pets in their new sweaters.

Happy New Year to everyone and we'll see you on Jan. 5!

In a recent blog post, Humane Society of the United States president and CEO Wayne Pacelle writes that he has a special place in his heart for people who adopt senior pets. As the parent of several longevity-blessed pets, I couldn't agree more!

Pacelle posts a letter from blogger Mary Lattanzio about seeing an adoptable three-legged Boston terrier online. Granny Annie was estimated to be about 5 years old. Mary decided to foster her, and went to meet her at her local Florida shelter.

And there she was. Much older than five. Maybe 500. She was scarred on her flanks. Her forehead looks like it was cleaved at one time.

She trailed a long cyst sack that swung when she walked. It was heavy. She is missing a front leg. She hobbles; has lumps, bumps and warts all over. She is gray-faced. ...

Vice president-elect Joe Biden made news (and caused a lot of controversy) when he bought a German shepherd puppy from a breeder recently.

But this weekend he said on This Week With George Stephanopoulous that he plans to get another dog -- and this one will come from a shelter.

Biden told Stephanopoulos that he was partial to German shepherds, but that he had always had two "big dogs" as companions for each other.

"I've had German shepherds since I was a kid, and I've actually trained them and shown them in the past," Biden said in the interview. "So I wanted a German shepherd, and we're going to get a pound dog, which my wife wants, that is hopefully a golden" retriever (Philly.com).

Of course, since Mrs. Biden wants a golden retriever, I happen to know of a great little Web site called Petfinder where she can search rescued pets by breed, location and more! There are currently 2,600 golden retrievers and golden mixes available for adoption on Petfinder.

The Bidens can also work with one of our 63 golden retriever breed rescues, such as Golden Retriever Rescue of Southern Maryland in Valley Lee, MD (if they want to look near their home in the capital), or Golden Retriever Adoption Placement and Education in Springfield, PA (if they want to stay closer to their home state of Delaware).

My suggestion? A female dog (since their shepherd puppy is a male) who is young enough to show the puppy the ropes when it comes to housetraining and "indoor behavior," but young enough to romp and play with him to his heart's content. Whatever dog the Bidens adopt, I wish them all the best with their growing family!

In the mood for some positive thoughts? (Who isn't these days?) Then check out our Thanksgiving Happy Tail contest. We asked readers to submit stories about how their pets changed their lives. We picked our favorites, and now you can vote for yours through Dec. 19. The winner gets a BISSELL Pet Clean-Up package. You can vote once a day, every day. Spread the word (and some holiday cheer!). Cast your vote here.

Finalist #1 - Carbon
from Sharon Legrand of Silverdale, WA

I've just moved to the U.S. from India. I'm a Navy wife, and three months after my arrival, my husband was due to be deployed. I was miserable and homesick. I didn't know anyone, and I was terrified of being alone in a new country without my husband.

I visited the Kitsap Humane Society, where I met Carbon. He wasn't young, and was a stray, but I loved him. I brought him home, and my life just turned around. My husband left soon after.

Carbon has made sure that I'm never lonely. He loves me and hugs me and does all those things that just makes my life complete. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have just turned around and gone home to India. He is the first wonderful thing that has happened to me in the U.S., and I love him for it.

Carbon was adopted from Kitsap Humane Society in Silverdale, WA.

Finalist #2 - Luke
from Sarah Matthews of Houston, TX

My daughter was diagnosed as being bi-polar five years ago. She hadn't smiled in a long time. Her peers made fun of her because she was socially immature when compared to other girls her age.

I promised her a long time ago that when we bought a house, we would get a pet. That finally happened. We went to the shelter right before one of her doctor's appointments and visited with a few dogs. We left to make our decision and when we returned that evening, our choices had been adopted.

I talked her into looking at the dogs again. She saw Luke, and she wanted to visit with him. We took him outside and they chased each other around. She laughed more than I could ever remember, and ever since, they have been chasing each other around our backyard with her laughing and giggling the whole time.

Luke was adopted from the Houston SPCA in Texas.

Finalist #3 - Mochaccino and Dakota
from Kimberly Mockler of Port Washington, NY

Mochaccino and Dakota are my rescue dogs. They both know American Sign Language (Dakota also knows touch signals since she is deaf and blind).

Mocha and Dakota both passed their CGCs and participate in agility, fly-ball and little rally. They have also won several Halloween costume contests.

Mocha is also a Delta therapy dog and will be working with the deaf and deaf/blind population.

Since Dakota is a special needs dog, she has inspired me to help out with rescuing other deaf and deaf/blind double merle dogs. She is an inspiration -- she can do anything except hear and see!

Rescue dogs are the BEST and Mocha and Dakota have just helped to make my life so much better and so much more FUN! :)

Mocchaccino and Dakota were adopted from Wing and A Prayer Dog Rescue And Referral Inc., in Binghamton, NY.

Finalist #4 - Carmyne
from Lonnie Gerbracht of La Center, WA

Carmyne, a little Chihuahua, belongs to my disabled daughter. He is the best thing that has happened for her. We found out that he can tell when she is about to have a seizure migraine, and he tells her to take her medication and go to bed. He also helps her overcome her social phobia. And he has had NO training for this!

Not only has he helped her emotionally, but he has exactly the same hair color that she does! When he curls up on her shoulder you can't tell the difference between her hair and his! He is as attached to her as she is to him, and he means the world to her! Thank you Second Chance Companions! You made it possible for my daughter to live on her own in spite of her disability!

Carmyne was adopted from Second Chance Companions in Battle Ground, WA.

Finalist #5 - Casey
from Jennifer Clouse of Springfield, IL

I have been recently diagnosed with bi-polar 1 mixed disorder. It's been months since being diagnosed, and I still have a hard time with my life.

I adopted Casey after being in the hospital in January. He came with medical problems, like problems with his eyes and Lyme disease, but every day we are glad that we adopted him.

He knows when I have my bad days because he will not leave my side. He is 70 pounds, but he will jump on my lap so that I can hug him until I stop crying. Even on my better days I can count on him being right next to me, looking into my eyes as if to say, "I will always be here for you."

Adopted from Menominee Animal Shelter Inc. in Menominee, MI.

Congratulations to Jacci Moss, director of Friends of Felines Rescue Center and Earth Angels Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic in Defiance, OH. She was just named Animal Planet's Cat Hero of the Year!

According to the Toledo Blade, Moss opened Friends of Felines in 1999 with 11 cats. Today the no-cage facility houses up to 100 cats at a time. They come from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, many of them formerly abused or abandoned.

Vice president-elect Joe Biden bought a puppy from a Pennsylvania breeder of German shepherds yesterday. According to Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander:

[H]e's familiar with the breed and its personality. He's excited to bring it home when it gets a little older and has promised that his grandchildren can name it after the New Year. (DelawareOnline.com)

This is clearly disappointing news to all of us who've dedicated our lives to getting homeless pets out of shelters.

Now I'm not against buying dogs *in theory* -- everyone in animal welfare wishes we lived in a world where there were no animal shelters because every pet was in a loving home for its entire life. There would be no unwanted litters, no pets being abandoned because their owners wouldn't or couldn't care for them. In that world, you'd HAVE to buy a dog.

But that's just not the world we live in.

In the *real* world, there are at this moment more than 7,670 adoptable German shepherds and German shepherd mixes and more than 8,700 adoptable shepherd mixes waiting for their forever homes on Petfinder.

Biden loves purebred sheps, you say? And he for some reason needed to get a dog in Pennsylvania? Well he would have been in luck, had he checked Petfinder: We've got two Shepherd-specific rescue groups in the state: Save a Shepherd Rescue Alliance in Hatfield and German Shepherd Rescue of Southeastern PA in Philadelphia.

Biden wants a puppy, you argue? Well a quick search on Petfinder turns up plenty of adorable baby sheps, including Donder (right), at a rescue in Coatesville, PA, a mere 25 miles from Biden's breeder.

Let's hope that the famously gaffe-prone Biden realizes his mistake and adopts a shelter pooch to keep his new puppy company. And let's hope that Obama does a better job choosing his own family pet.

A lot of attention has been paid recently to the story of the hero dog in Chile who risked his life to pull an injured dog off of a busy highway. After the above video aired on TV last week and quickly became a YouTube phenomenon, Chilean officials said they got 15 calls from people offering to adopt the pup (the injured dog, sadly, died). But because the incident happened in March, police and highway workers have given up on finding the hero dog.

As is so often the case, people are rightly moved to want to help an animal whose news-making story tugs at the heartstrings, but there are many, many others who need our help just as badly who don't have the benefit of the media spotlight. And while the dog in the video displayed courage and selflessness, anyone who knows dogs knows that each one is a hero in his or her own way -- even if they just heroically lick our faces when we're feeling down.

If you're interested in helping street dogs in developing countries, you can support the Humane Society International's Street Animal Welfare campaign, which works to promote a humane philosophy of animal control in nations around the world. (Here's a story about its recent spay-neuter program in Patagonia, Chile.)

Another great organization if the International Fund for Animal Welfare, whose Community-Led Animal Welfare program provides veterinary services, including spaying and neutering, to pet owners in some of the world's poorest communities.

What's on my dog's holiday wish list? This awesome "Bully" tank from Muttropolis.com. It would look quite, ahem, fetching, on my pit bull, Champ (he's a boy, but he can wear pink because he's secure like that).

And Santa/Hannukah Harry can feel good knowing that the gift benefits a great cause: Through Dec. 31, Muttropolis is donating 2% of proceeds from sales made using a special coupon code to the Petfinder.com Foundation.

Get the Muttropolis coupon here and you'll also get 10% off your next order.

Another great thing about our friends at Muttropolis? They're committed to promoting pet adoption and often host adoption events at their stores in Tucson, AZ, and La Jolla, Newport Beach and Solana Beach, CA. (Here's a list of stores with links to their calendars of upcoming events.)

The Petfinder.com Foundation gives more than 90% of donated funds directly to shelters to help them prepare for disasters or feed, house and vaccinate the pets in their care. (Find out more about the Foundation's programs.)

Happy shopping!  

Want to send your favorite person a smile for the holidays? Check out our new, free holiday e-cards -- featuring pictures of Petfinder visitors' pets in their holiday best.

While we only had room for three e-cards, the truth is, we loved ALL the ugly-pet-sweater photos you sent in (you can view all the photos here).

Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo -- we're glad to see that your adopted pets are keeping toasty in their loving homes this season! Help spread the word about pet adoption and send a Petfinder e-card today!

Previous entries:

Check out these adorable ugly-pet-sweater photos!

Send us your ugly pet-sweater pic, be on a Petfinder e-card!

I encourage everyone I know to foster -- even if they're dead set on adopting.

Not only does fostering provide an invaluable service to rescue groups and the shelters who depend on them (not to mention the pets themselves), it's a great way to learn about your own needs as a pet owner. (You can't know if you've got what it takes to walk a young puppy at 1, 3 and 6 a.m. until you've done it!)

But I've heard a lot of excuses -- er, reasons -- why people can't or don't want to foster. So I was delighted to get the article below in a newsletter from the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, which answers just about every possible excuse. (It was written by Liz Pease, the shelter's director of operations.)

With shelters overflowing and many people needing temporary care for their pets while they find new housing or weather a crisis, fostering is even more important these days. So print out this list and give it to everyone you know who thinks they just "can't" foster.

"I DON'T HAVE THE SPACE" -- I used to think this too. Then a cat came along that really, really needed me ... and I made the space! All it takes is a small spare bedroom or office, a bathroom, or even a corner where you can set up a playpen cage, which you can borrow from us! While we do need foster cats to stay separate from your own cats, it doesn't take much space to do that. And remember, whatever space you have at home is probably more than the kitty has here at the shelter now! [Editor's note: This is also what I tell people who think they can't adopt a big dog because they live in an apartment--Emily]

"I MIGHT GET ATTACHED" -- OK, yes, you might. But no matter how difficult it is to bring your kitty back to the shelter, just knowing that you're helping to save a life should ease any short-term pain. When you take in a foster cat, it gives us room to help other cats that might otherwise be brought to shelters that euthanize for time and space. It also lets us learn more about a cat's personality than we ever could in a shelter environment, which, in turn, makes the cat much easier to adopt out. Yes, some cats are harder to bring back than others, but be strong! You can do it! (And yes, I've kept one foster cat, but not the 60 that followed that first one!)

Convicted dogfighter Michael Vick today pled guilty to a state dogfighting charge in Virginia, the Associated Press reports.

According to the AP, the plea makes the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback eligible for early release from the Kansas prison where he is currently serving a 23-month sentence on federal dogfighting charges.

It could also put him on the fast track back to the NFL. (The AP reports, "Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending against them.")

Vick was given a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a single count of promoting dogfighting (a second count, involving animal cruelty, was dropped). He told the judge: "I want to apologize to the court, my family, and to all the kids who looked up to me as a role model."

There have been no reports that Vick made any apologies to the dogs he admitted to killing.

UPDATE: After news of Vick's plea broke, our friends at Animal Planet decided to re-air their hit special episode of Animal Witness which details this horrifying case and the brave people who brought Vick to justice (as well as the amazing volunteers who rehabbed the dogs rescued from his compound). The show will air Thursday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. EST. Find out more about the show -- and take the excellent Pit Bull Myths Quiz -- on AnimalPlanet.com.

I just read an interesting story in the Washington Post about a herd of 2,000 wild mustangs due to be euthanized by the Bureau of Land Management.

According to the article:

[Y]esterday, at a public hearing in Reno, Nev., to discuss the issue, a solution arrived on a white horse, so to speak.

Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, made known her intentions to adopt not just the doomed wild horses but most or all of the 30,000 horses and burros kept in federal holding pens. Lifelong animal lovers, the Pickenses just a few years ago led the fight to close the last horse slaughterhouse in the United States.

Until now, I'd only known of T. Boone Pickens as a super-rich advocate of energy independence. How nice to hear that he and his wife are not only animal lovers, but people who use their wealth to quite literally save animals' lives.

But a little Internet digging revealed that, in fact, any qualified person can adopt a wild horse or burro. Find out how after the jump.

For many of us who love animals, "Save the Whales" were probably the first words we ever learned that showed us protecting other creatures could be a collective and even political effort.

But as we got older and started taking action close to home and saving the dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, etc. -- and as laws such as the Endangered Species Act were passed and society in general became more aware of ecological and animal-welfare concerns -- well, we probably figured the whales were okay.

Well, guess what? They're not.

The Japanese are still hunting whales by the thousands, under the banner of research (i.e. using a legal loophole -- you can learn more about the controversial practice here).

Petfinder's sister company, Animal Planet, has been documenting the efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a fearless group of activists who quite literally put themselves between the harpoons and the whales in order to save these giant, gentle creatures.
 

Since I last reported on Obama wanting to adopt a shelter dog, but having concerns about daughter Malia's allergies, two things have happened: (1) The story has only gained ground, and (2) I realized that the buzz is that Malia wants a goldendoodle (not a labradoodle).

I'm thrilled that so many people have urged the Obamas to find their next pet on Petfinder, including Best Friends Animal Society, The Oregonian and author and blogger Carole Raphaelle Davis. And after the jump, I've included links to some of the adoptable goldendoodles listed on Petfinder.

I also learned some interesting information from Petfinder staffer Kim Saunders that could be useful to anyone with pet allergies:

There are plenty of hypoallergenic breeds, but there are actually no non-allergenic dogs (or cats). However, dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair -- like the Poodle or the Bichon Frise -- may be less irritating to some people. This might even be because they are bathed or groomed more frequently.

If your or a family member's allergies are uncomfortable but not life-threatening, you can take these steps to reduce the symptoms:

1. Wash pet bedding regularly and change your air filters frequently. You should also use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner in the home.
2. Create an "allergy free" zone in the home -- preferably the bedroom -- and strictly prohibit the pet's access to it.
3. Brush your pet four to five times a week to reduce pet dander.
4. Choose the right pet brush -- one great option is the FURminator.
5. Consider getting allergy shots to improve symptoms. Steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills can also work to make you feel better.

If you have any other tips for living with pet allergies, let me know!

This whole Obama-dog story is really taking off like crazy. The president-elect told reporters today, according to the Associated Press:

We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic so it has to be hypoallergenic. ...

But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household.

Well we want the president elect to know that it's easy to balance those two things: More than 25% of shelter pets are purebred -- and it's easy to find the breed you want on Petfinder!

To contact Obama and urge him to adopt, you can write to him at his Chicago office at:

John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604

Or e-mail him through the online form at http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision.

And for fun, cast your vote on AnimalPlanet.com's new poll: Should the Obamas adopt from a shelter?

After the jump, links to more adoptable, hypoallergenic labradoodles on Petfinder. Tell us which one is your favorite!

As you've no doubt heard, Barack Obama said in his victory speech Tuesday that his daughters had "earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

The Obamas told Entertainment Tonight on Sept. 30 they planned to adopt a "rescue dog," and we hope they'll keep that promise. (Of course, readers of this blog were nominating dogs for the Obamas back in July!)

Tuesday's election brought other good news for animals as well.

• In California, voters passed Proposition 2, which ends cruel confinement of farm animals.
• In Massachusetts, voters passed the Greyhound Protection Act, banning commercial dog racing.
• And in  South Tucson, AZ, the Tucson Dog Protection Act passed, which will dramatically improve conditions for racing greyhounds.

All of these represent incredible advances in animal welfare. Now let's just hope the Obamas adopt a shelter dog -- that would really be the Change We Need in the lives of homeless pets everywhere!

Whatever your politics, I have no doubt you're excited to vote today. And if you live in California, Massachusetts or South Tucson, AZ, you have the chance to make a difference for animals.

In California, vote yes on Proposition 2 to end inhumane confinement of farm animals. Want to learn more? The New York Times has an interesting article about Prop 2, which includes arguments by its opponents; you can also check out the Web site Yes! on Prop 2.

(Even if you don't live in California, you can vote with your wallet to help farm animals by buying food that is Certified Humane Raised and Handled, a designation awarded by the non-profit Humane Farm Animal Care.)

And thanks to Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell, who notes in his November "Newshletter" that voters in two states have a chance to help racing greyhounds:

• Massachusetts voters can vote yes on Question 3 to pass the Greyhound Protection Act, which would phase out commercial dog racing by 2010. (Learn more at YesOn3.com.)
• Voters in South Tucson can vote yes on Prop 401 to pass the Tucson Dog Protection Act, which would not ban dog racing, but would improve the treatment of racing greyhounds and help protect the public from dog-borne diseases. (Learn more at TucsonCitizen.com.)

And of course, no matter where you live, you can always help by adopting one of the 2,200+ greyhounds on Petfinder!

Thought you might enjoy this pic of "Cerberus" from last year's Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade. Everyone have a safe and fun night!

(Photo by Aaron Edwards)

A while back I posted some photos of cool animal-rescue tattoos and asked you to send in yours. Well here are the results!

Kelly writes:

"I saw the pictures of people's rescue tattoos and definitely thought my friend Lisa from Athens, GA, should be added to the list. She is extremely dedicated to animal welfare and takes her rescue efforts very seriously -- especially the spay and neuter part, as the photo shows! Thanks for letting me share and remember to always SPAY and NEUTER!"



From Kay:

"Here's my contribution. It's my dog's actual pawprint. I took an ink pad and got his pawprint. I had the guy tattoo everything that came out on the piece of paper, even where his fur had smudged the ink.

"The pawprint is of my 11-year-old dog, Simba. I've had him since I was 10 years old. He's the whole reason I got into rescue and I love dogs so much. He's taught me so much and he'll forever be a part of me, not only on my skin, but in my heart. Now I share my heart with three other rescued dogs and it's all thanks to him."

More pics after the jump!

Today marks the start of an historic animal abuse case brought against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus by three animal-welfare groups and a former circus employee.

The ASPCA, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Fund for Animals (a partner of the Humane Society of the U.S.) and former Ringling Bros. employee Tom Rider charge that Ringling Bros. violated the Endangered Species Act by chaining its elephants for prolonged periods and training them with bull hooks, among other abuses.

I won't go into the details of the case, but Ringling Bros. has started its own Web site about the trial, where you can view a PDF of the complaint. You can also click on the names of the animal-welfare groups above to see their press releases about the case, or read a news story here or here.

But I'm interested in a comment by a lawyer for Ringling Bros.' parent company, who said: "Animal special-interest groups are distorting the facts by making false allegations about the treatment of Ringling Bros. elephants as part of a long-running crusade to eliminate animals from circuses, zoos and wildlife parks."

Leaving aside the question of zoos and wildlife parks, should elephants and other animals be banned from use in circuses?

One of the best things about being part of a big company like Discovery Communications (which acquired Petfinder in 2006) is getting the support and enthusiasm of hundreds of our fellow employees.

Petfinder and eight local rescue groups felt the love on Oct. 21, when we held the second annual Petfinder.com Adoption Event, in honor of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month, at Discovery's Silver Spring, Md., headquarters.

Hundreds of Discovery staffers turned out for the event and met more than 30 dogs looking for their forever homes. Already several adoption applications have been submitted to the rescue groups, and our fingers are crossed that many of the dogs will be joining their new families soon.

More photos and a list of rescue groups who attended are after the jump.

The New York Times on Sunday pointed out what people in animal welfare have known for months: As the economy slips, even the most well-meaning owners are being forced to give up their pets.

The article contains some great comments from Petfinder's founder, Betsy Saul, and spotlights the incredible work done by the shelter where I volunteer, Animal Care and Control of New York City, and its Safety Net program.

Safety Net helps pet owners deal with the issues that are making them consider surrendering their pet: Behavior problems, allergies, the cost of veterinary care, landlord concerns and, increasingly, finding temporary foster care for pets whose owners are in crisis.

It's easy to feel anger toward owners who surrender their pets to shelters, and the instinct for many animal lovers (including this one) is to write off that person and focus on helping the pet.

Did you find your dog on Petfinder? Do you have an amazing adoption story? (Touching, tear-jerking, revealing superhuman acts of kindness, etc.)

Are you willing to tell that story on TV?

Send us your story and photo, and you and your pet may have the chance to promote pet adoption on a major national broadcast. (Sorry I can't give you more details ... yet!)

This opportunity will be a great way to tell the world why pet adoption is THE way to go, and help homeless pets everywhere as a result. Send me your info at "blog (at) Petfinder.com". Looking forward to hearing your stories!

Great news for dogs in Miami-Dade County: Commissioners voted yesterday to make it "illegal to tie a dog to any standing object outside a home unless the dog's owner is present" (Miami Herald).

There was a heated debate before the resolution passed 11-1, with some arguing the law discriminates against families who can't afford to build fences.

"I resent the implication that says if you can't afford it, or can't have a dog without tethering it, you shouldn't have one at all," said Commissioner Barbara Jordan, the
only one to vote against the measure.

With the second presidential debate airing last night -- and Sarah Palin still being compared to a pit bull -- we were thinking: If John McCain and Barack Obama were dogs, what dogs would they be? So we scoured our dog breed directory to look for canines with characteristics that reminded us of the candidates. Check out our picks, then let us know what YOU think.

McCain: German Shepherd or Boxer?
German Shepherd: "[I]ntent on his mission, whatever that may be, and he is virtually unsurpassed in working versatility. He is utterly devoted and faithful ... excel[s] at jobs requiring courage, athleticism and intelligence ... an intelligent and fearless companion and guardian. During World War I, he was the obvious choice for a war sentry." (Learn more about German Shepherds here.)


Boxer: "Inquisitive, attentive, demonstrative, devoted and outgoing ... he can be stubborn, but he is sensitive and responsive to commands ... one of the first breeds to be employed as a police and military dog." (Learn more about Boxers here.)


Obama: Border Collie or Great Dane?
Border Collie: "[A] bundle of mental and physical energy awaiting its chance to be unleashed on the world. ... He needs a lot of physical and mental activity every day to satisfy his quest for work. He enjoys being with his family ... worked hard to gain the reputation of one of the smartest breeds of dogs." (Learn more about Border Collies here.)


Great Dane: "[G]entle, loving, easygoing and sensitive ... generally good with children ... powerful but sensitive ... makes a pleasant, well-mannered family companion. [Has an] imposing yet graceful appearance." (Learn more about Great Danes here.)

The New York Times had an interesting story this weekend about the latest trend in pet parenting: Men admitting they love their cats.

The story pointed out the popularity of Web sites such as Menandcats.com and the YouTube video An Engineer's Guide to Cats, as well as a study by the U.K. organization Cats Protection that showed that

single male cat owners were more likely than their female counterparts to have made, or consider making, a sacrifice for their cat -- including giving up a holiday or going into debt for their cat if necessary.

While I know plenty of women who've made financial and personal sacrifices for their cats, this article is heartening on many levels.

When it was announced that the movie Beverly Hill Chihuahua was hitting theaters Oct. 3, many in animal welfare worried that it would cause a rash of impulse purchases of the little dogs. But Best Friends Animal Society looked at the film as an opportunity to educate the public and spread the adoption message.

They created the above video (which you can also watch on their Web site) and a fantastic poster (after the jump).

Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed 95 bills, "including a measure that would have prohibited dogs from riding on the laps of motorists," the L.A. Times reports.

The reason? "I am only signing bills that are the highest priority for California," the governator said.

Petfinder recommends keeping your dog in a crate or carrier while you're driving for your pet's safety. But be honest: Do you ever drive with your dog (or other pet!) in your lap? Do you think that doing so should be illegal?

Last week was a tough one. Our vet told my mother and me there was nothing more he could do to help our 13-year-old shepherd mix, Sashi, who suffers from arthritis and spinal problems that make it hard for her to use her hind legs.

Because Sashi's quality of life had deteriorated so much (she could barely walk, and was getting scrapes from falling down and from her paws bending under or "knuckling"), we made the gut-wrenching decision to euthanize her.

But at the last minute, we decided to try something I've heard a number of (smart, skeptical) people swear by: veterinary acupuncture.

A search on the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society's Web site brought us to Christina Fuoco, VMD, an IVAS-certified doctor at the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary hospital.

My mother brought Sashi for her first appointment last week and reported that Dr. Fuoco was kind, compassionate and, best of all, optimistic about the potential for improvement that acupuncture could offer Sashi.

Rabies isn't really something we think about here in the U.S. -- at least not when it comes to our pets, since rabies vaccination is so standard.

But according to the Alliance for Rabies Control, it's still a major problem worldwide, killing more than 55,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa.

So the organization is holding its second annual World Rabies Day on Sept. 28. Vaccinating animals against rabies in developing countries will not only prevent human suffering, it may well improve the treatment of animals -- especially stray dogs -- in those countries by raising awareness of their health needs and the relationship between animals' well-being and humans'.

To learn more, visit the World Rabies Day Web site.

Meg in Maine sends us this photo of her cat Bono in his tie (which, she swears, he loves!) and writes:

I adopted this little guy at The West Kennebunk Animal Shelter in Kennebunk, Maine. I was there donating my two Pomeranians' surplus of dog toys and food when I decided to walk around and check out the cats.

My intent was only to play with them and to help the volunteers clean, but this little guy latched right onto me. In fact, he lept into my arms and started purring and giving me headbutts. I put him down to go help out in another cat room, and when I returned, he did the same thing.

I put him down to tend to another cat, and he crawled in my purse ... I figured any cat with that good of taste in handbags was SURELY a keeper.

My friend Sandi has made her dedication to pit bulls and animal rescue permanent -- check out this pic of her new tattoo.

Sandi has devoted her life to animal welfare: She works at NYC's Bideawee shelter and, like me, volunteers at Animal Care & Control of NYC (she also runs a MySpace page for AC&C pets) -- and now she's got the ink to prove it.

Seems like there's a link between caring about animals and getting inked -- maybe because one you've realized how much homeless pets need your help, you're changed for life anyway (check out the guys from NYC's Rescue Ink and Atlanta pit bull rescuer Brandon Bond for a few examples).

A rescue-themed tattoo by Dogs Deserve Better founder Tammy Grimes is after the jump.

Got a great animal tattoo? Send it to me at "blog (at) petfinder.com" and I'll post it here!

Check out this cute photo of The Hills star Lauren Conrad with her adopted dog, Chloe (courtesy of CelebrityDogBlog).

I'm always on the lookout for celebrities who've adopted pets -- especially ones who are popular with young people and can counteract the influence of the Paris Hiltons of the world -- so it's great to see a fashion icon like LC showing that saving a life is always in style.

Conrad, also the proud parent of a rescued cat, adopted Chloe in March, writing on her MySpace blog:

On Monday, I got a puppy from the pound. She is the cutest puppy ever! Her name is Chloe. She is a lab/shepherd mix.

I'm not getting much sleep because she thinks nighttime is play time! Ashes (my cat) is not thrilled with her, but I think they will become friends. (Usmagazine.com)

Congrats to LC on finding such a sweet pet. (Although judging from this photo, she may want to check out our video, Teaching Your Dog to Walk on a Leash.)

In its new cover story, "21 Ways to Serve America," TIME magazine has one suggestion we're all for: fostering a pet!

The magazine notes that, with 1.2 million homes in foreclosure, pets, just like people, are being displaced in record numbers. What you can do:

Sign up to house and care for a pet until its owner finds a residence or the animal is adopted. Use Petfinder.com to find local groups like PetConnect Rescue, which places dogs and cats in foster care.
(Read the article.)

Many thanks to TIME for driving home an important message: Even if you can't adopt, fostering is one of the best things you can do to help homeless pets.

By fostering, you'll help keep pets out of shelters and, if the pet can't go back to her original owner, you'll make her more adoptable by sparing her the stress of living in a shelter and serving as her personal advocate to adopters.

You can sign up to foster through our volunteer database, or find a shelter or rescue group near you using Petfinder. Give them a call -- responsible fosters are always in demand!

Kerry Hyde, a cat behaviorist and feral cat advocate in Florida, sends us this adorable pic of her former foster cat Brianna.

She writes:

Brianna was a feral rescue kitten who was brought into Florida's Gadsden County Humane Society's adoption program. She was my foster and she also had a "special" foot: Her back left foot had no toes. We called it her "ballet slipper foot." She is such a cutie and went to an excellent home with the lady who helps me run our non-profit, It's Meow or Never for Ferals.

Think your adopted pet is just as cute? Send me the pic at "blog (at) Petfinder.com" and I'll mail you a Petfinder bumper sticker.

Previous entry: Are your Petfinder pets cuter than these?

A week after Sarah Palin talked about pit bulls and lipstick, Barack Obama said John McCain was putting "lipstick on a pig" by claiming to be different from Bush.

Now I feel that I must point out two things here. First, NO animal should be forced to wear lipstick under any circumstances! And second, what's wrong with pigs? There are 236 pot bellied pigs available for adoption on Petfinder, including Poloneus, pictured above, at Red Rover Rescue in Kanab, UT.

He's apparently "a little shy, but takes food from your hand." And with that cute smile, he doesn't need any makeup!

Pit bulls have gotten a lot of press lately, thanks to Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's quip last week at the Republican National Convention: "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

Now, I know there are bigger issues at stake here, but as a pit bull advocate, I can't help wondering: Does her comment just reinforce the tired old stereotypes of pits (aggressive, scary), or could it maybe help these misunderstood dogs' image?

After all, Palin obviously wanted to highlight her own positive qualities -- so you could argue that she's saying pits are tough but also loyal, loving and dedicated to their families. Maybe that's a stretch, but hey, Palin is doing well in the polls.

Our friends over at The Food Bowl blog posted this great video of a dog drinking water in slow motion. The clip is from the Discovery Channel show Time Warp.

If you thought you understood how a dog's tongue works to get water into his or her mouth ... you'll be surprised! (Also worth noting: The dog in this video is adorable!)

I can't get over this adorable picture of Rex, a 9-year-old staffie up for adoption at Picasso Veterinary Fund in New York City. He looks just like my 8-year-old pit, Champ -- and I might steal the idea for this Harry Potter outfit when Halloween rolls around! (He just needs a little lightning bolt on his forehead.)

According to his bio, Rex is "very mushy, sensitive and shy." I love this line: "He loves to drink water out of the bathroom sink, but only when allowed to." What a good boy! To adopt Rex, contact Picasso Veterinary Fund at 917-449-2448.

A while back we asked you what healthy foods you and your pet like. We also asked readers to submit their favorite pet- and human-friendly recipes, and the great site SheKnows has posted some of them.

The site also quotes our founder, Betsy Saul, on portion control for pets and what foods you should NEVER feed your best friend.

Instructions for making Simple Scrambled Eggs are after the jump. For recipes for Harvest Veggie Chicken Soup and Lean Mean Meatloaf, check out the post on SheKnows. What are your favorite pet-friendly recipes?

 

For all the bad press that pit bulls get, it's nice to see the media give some attention to a hero pit -- and one who happens to be a shelter dog, no less!

The Associated Press picked up the story of the aptly named Angel, a 2-year-old boxer/pit mix living at the Nevada Humane Society in Reno.

Angel was being walked by volunteer Frank Gomez and his 9-year-old stepson, Joel Fontes, when she became fixated on something in the nearby bushes. Turns out it was a box of six abandoned three-week-old kittens.

See a pic of the kittens and read more on this story after the jump.

I've gotten a couple of requests to explain how to add a photo to a blog comment (particularly regarding this post). Here's the scoop:

If your photo is already posted online somewhere (say, a photo-sharing site such as Photobucket.com), you can get its filename by right-clicking the image (if you're on a Mac, hit control and then click) and selecting "copy image location." Then paste the filename into this bit of code and add it to your comment:

<img src="FILENAME">

For example, the image below (from the Petfinder homepage) is coded like so:
<img src= "http://petfinder.com/images/design/before_you_adopt_dog.jpg">

You can also send your photos to me at "blog (at) petfinder.com" and I'll post them myself (eventually ... I promise!). Make sense?

I love this pic of Jade, a 9-month-old Rottweiler currently residing at the Manhattan branch of Animal Care & Control of New York City. The volunteer who took this photo noted that Jade, who lost her home when her owner died, is playful, loving, housetrained -- and relishes a great shiatsu massage.

Doesn't her face just say, "Ohhhhhhh yeah"? Happy Friday!

(PS -- Want to adopt Jade? Call the AC&C at 212-788-4000 and ask about dog #A775572 -- or stop by and check out ALL the adorable dogs there waiting for homes.)

I'm a big fan of cuteoverload.com, although naturally I think adopted pets are always cutest! Anyway, a while back I asked readers of our message boards for their cutest pet pics.

They didn't disappoint. From this sweet scene of a pit bull with his feline friend to the cutie patooties after the jump, the pics posted to this forum will provide your daily dose of awwwwwww.

Got pics that are just as cute? Send 'em to me at "blog (at) petfinder.com" (and let me know where you adopted them!) and I just might post them here. And join our forums to check out more adorable photos.

Petfinder's shelter members are heroes every day, but once in a while one of their heroic acts makes the papers, and boy are we proud!

On Tuesday, volunteers from Paw Placement in Scottsdale, AZ, rescued nine puppies and their mother who were stuck underneath a portable classroom in Phoenix.

Mama dog had given birth to the puppies underneath the classroom, but they weren't discovered until four weeks later, when teachers arrived to prepare for classes. Workers had to cut a hole in the floor to get the wriggling little guys out, but boy was it worth it. Watch the incredible video here, and see another too-cute-for-words photo after the jump.

A California woman has paid $50,000 to clone her pet pit bull, receiving five puppies Tuesday who are genetically identical to her late dog Booger.

I hear a lot of crazy stuff at this job, and not much really gets the steam coming out of my ears, but this story has me all kinds of angry.

Each week I walk dogs at my local animal control center. The dogs are overwhelmingly pit bulls, and the majority of them are euthanized for lack of homes, even though most are sweet, loving dogs.

If you watched Live with Regis and Kelly or read USA Today yesterday, you probably saw the story about the 44 lb. cat rescued by the Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey.

The cat, 2 lbs. shy of the world record, was dubbed Princess Chunk until it was learned he was a male named Powder, abandoned by his owner when she lost her home to foreclosure.

Shelter director Jennifer Anderch tells the New York Post, "The phones have been ringing off the hook. We've gotten about 800 phone calls already from people inquiring about [him]."

Cute story, and Powder will most likely go to a great home. But that's not all there is to it.

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.

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!

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. 

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

To add to the list of celebrities who support pet adoption: British pop singer Lily Allen posted on her MySpace blog on Monday about her plan to adopt a dog.

She writes:

I'm getting a dog from Battersea dogs home, i found her on the weekend, and after a visit from a rehoming officer hopefully, i'll have her by next week. She's called Honey and she's quite fat (insert dogs like their owners joke here), but very sweet, she's a mongrel.

There were so many Staffordshire Bullies there it was so sad. People should really think about getting puppies from breeders or breeding them for that matter, if you saw all those poor dogs without a home with their sad little faces, you wouldn't even think about buying dogs from people who profit.

Hooray for Lily! A celebrity who saves a life by adopting a pet is a real star in my book!

I've been a little delinquent about updating you on the kittens I found in a tree last week.

On Saturday, my friend Rachel and I spent the entire morning playing with the boys and taking unbelievably adorable photos of them (after the jump -- Rachel's the talented photographer, not me!).

I also wrote to a number of rescue groups, but they all have kittens coming out of their ears -- it is kitten season, after all, and the little ones are not "flying off the shelves," as one told me.

On a long shot, I sent some of the too-cute photos to my friend Renee, whose beloved cat from Animal Care & Control of NYC passed away a few months ago from a congenital heart defect.

One of the most important things a volunteer can do at a shelter is to photograph the pets and write their bios for Petfinder.

At high-intake shelters, a compelling bio and eye-catching photo can literally mean the difference between life and death for a homeless pet.

To that end, photographer Jamie Pflughoeft at Cowbelly Pet Photography in Seattle has posted some excellent tips on her blog. I'm including a sampling but you can read the entire post here.

(PS-This post includes Jamie's photos of Matahari, shown here, and Ebony (who is no longer listed on Petfinder), after the jump, photographed at the Seattle Animal Shelter.

1. Always photograph dogs outside if at all possible. Shoot in shade if it's bright and sunny. Allow them to explore their surroundings for several minutes before diving into your photography. Only start once they have sufficiently explored their immediate area. Keep in mind the disparity between outdoor time and kennel time for these animals. You can't blame them for wanting to explore!

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, recently wrote on his blog that Barack Obama has promised his daughters they can get a dog once the election is over.

Pacelle notes that the American Kennel Club has nominated a number of "hypoallergenic" breeds for the girls -- one of whom reportedly has allergies -- including the bichon frise, poodle, Chinese crested, miniature schnauzer and soft-coated wheaten terrier.

We applaud Pacelle for urging the Obamas to choose adoption, whatever breed they opt for. And, as Pacelle notes, there are plenty of purebreds (such as wheaten terrier Maggie at TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb, IL, pictured here) waiting for loving homes -- in the White House, or any house -- on Petfinder!

Bay Area pit bull group BAD RAP pointed out this great article and audio slideshow in the Washington Post about the Michael Vick dogs in their new homes. It's a great antidote to the recent news about the sad death of female Vick dog 7.

I took the kittens to the vet Thursday night. She  weighed them (1.7 lbs. each), dewormed them and gave me ointment for Smudge's conjunctivitis. They were basically healthy but COVERED with fleas.

We took them home and washed them in the tub with a diluted dishsoap solution, then picked their fleas off one by one with tweezers. The kittens did NOT enjoy this process, but it was quite satisfying to rinse the little bloodsuckers down the drain. Yuck.

On Friday the kittens look much, much better -- white, not gray, and clean and fluffy. They also have noticeably more energy, and I let them out of their cage to explore the office and play. Whereas they had hissed at me on Thursday, they now let me pick them up and purr when I cuddle them. Unfortunately, my cat Molly has realized they're here and is hiding under the bed, on an apparent hunger strike.

Previous entry:

A kitten rescue adventure

Happy 4th of July! This Independence Day, you can do a good deed by telling someone you know that their ideas about pit bulls are all wrong -- and that these loving, loyal, happy dogs were once considered symbols of all-American values.

(You can find more information on this Web site, which also has a great gallery of vintage pit bull photos and prints, including the World War I-era poster at right, and in our breed directory.) 

This holiday weekend comes on the heels of some sad news about one pit bull: A female pit named 7, one of the dogs seized from Michael Vick's property, died recently after being hit by a car (read the press release from All or Nothing Pit Bull Rescue in Atlanta, which had been caring for 7).

But dogs' lives are not defined by their final moments, and I'm glad to know that 7 got to experience love and happiness for some portion of her life.

This morning when my husband and I headed to Prospect Park with our dog for our morning walk, we immediately saw an unusual sight: Two tiny, snow-white kittens clinging to a tree.

Another man stopped at the same time and mentioned that he had a carrier at his house across the street. He left to get it and I shooed away the dog walkers who had gathered to watch -- including my husband!

Then one of the kittens started to slip down to where I could reach him. I gently plucked him off the tree, trying not to hold him too tight -- big mistake! He wriggled out of my arms and skittered under a bush. Great -- now I had to keep an eye on kittens in two separate places until the man returned with his carrier.

The amazing photographer and travel writer Lorraine Chittock blogs about her travels across South America with her two dogs at On a Mission from Dog.

She also sends out regular e-mail updates about her adventures, and recently reported on some positive news for street dogs in Chile:

I'm now in the north of Chile, camping by the Pacific Ocean. It's glorious. It's also a refreshing change to be amongst the Chilean people, who I found friendly when I flew here almost two years ago for a writing conference. They have not changed. What's interesting is their relationship with their dogs. At the first gas station I came to, there were six street dogs, all very friendly. In other countries, they've largely been scared. One man said to me, "We have a saying. Sometimes a better friend for a man, is a dog."

Before Petfinder, I was an editor at People.com, so I've got a secret interest in all things celebrity. I've also got a mental tally of celebrities who adopted their pets, and I'm always happy to add another one to the list.

So I was thrilled yesterday to read the new issue of the New York Post's Page Six magazine and learn that cover girl Gabrielle Union is the proud mama of three dogs:

Bubba, a mastiff-American bulldog mix; Pink, a pit bull-Dalmatian mix; and Bobby Hurley (named for the basketball player), a Maltese. (Read the full story here.) 

Oh, and if anyone wants live like a celebrity, it's easy to find a mastiff-American bulldog mix (like June, left, at Friends of Linden Animal Shelter in Linden, NJ), a pit-Dalmatian mix (like Chablis, center, at Pet Paws for Love in Garfield, NJ), or a Maltese (like Billie, right, at Metropolitan Maltese Rescue in NYC) on Petfinder!   

You can help spread the word about adoptable pets by posting them to your Facebook mini-feed.

When you're logged into Facebook, just do a search for Posted Items and then download that application. It will let you post any URL to your mini-feed, including Pet Notes pages.

The app also has a "Share on Facebook" button you can drag to your bookmarks bar, so that when you're looking at a cute pet, you can just click the button and it'll add him or her to your mini-feed automatically.

The New York Times today ran an article about a topic we've been hearing more and more about lately, both in the news and from our shelter members: the impact of economic hardship on pets.

(The photo at right, from the article, shows a couple from Georgia who lost their home and can't afford to keep two of their three dogs.)

The Times quotes our founder, Betsy:

"Obviously, it's a crisis for local shelters; I worry about what it means for our society," said Betsy Saul, a founder of Petfinder.com, a Web site that showcases animals for adoption at 11,000 sites in the United States.

Ms. Saul recently polled her member organizations to gauge the problem and found that half of her respondents had seen pets turned in because of home foreclosures in the last six months.

Read the rest of the article here.

This just in from a Petfinder.com reader:

We were growing increasingly concerned: Perseus, our new cat, had not been using his kitty litter box.

Then one evening we heard someone in the bathroom and found Perseus perched on the toilet doing his business.

Our three shelter dogs are amazed and love to run in and watch him.

The moral of the story? Adopted pets are full of (wonderful!) surprises.

As the marketing manager for Petfinder, I work out of the New York office of Animal Planet, where staffers volunteer every week to read with local elementary schoolers.

To celebrate the end of the school year, some of those students came to the offices on Friday, where they were treated to a presentation about pet care by Petfinder's public relations coordinator, Cary Moran.

Next, they got to met a real live Petfinder alum, Gwin. A 2-year-old corgi/sheltie mix, Gwin was adopted by Monica Hirsch and her daughter, Nora, from the Mercer County Humane Society in Princeton, WV -- and she's more than just a perfect pet, she's a certified therapy dog!

I recently visited my mother and her dog, Sashi, adopted from the Providence Animal Rescue League.

Sashi is now 13-1/2 and has been  taking medication for arthritis for the past several years. Last week she temporarily lost the use of her hind legs. The vet said it was due to spinal inflammation and gave her a steroid shot, which got her walking again, and she continues to improve.

Then I read Julia Szabo's NY Post column about her arthritic dog's stem cell regeneration procedure.

Maureen Jackson of Erie, PA, sent us this Happy Tail of her late, beloved dog, Brittle, adopted from the Humane Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania. Brittle won a photo contest and had his image digitally made over (NOTE: Dogs do not really scuba dive!).

We adopted Brittle as a puppy. He was the funniest-looking little pup -- he looked like an old man, and so very sad. He grew into one handsome boy and had a great life with us.

His eyes were so blue and he was such a good-natured dog -- very good with our Yorkie puppy who came into our home when Brittle was about 6 years old.

Brittle went over the rainbow bridge last August and we still miss him every day. I have MS and he just knew when I needed some help walking, so he would stand right next to me so I could steady myself on him as we went up or down stairs.

Otherwise he would just run and be his normal self. At the end he became the care-receiver and I was the caregiver to him.

He won a photo contest last year with this photo and this is what they did with it -- it is amazing ...

Our shelter outreach team has been busy calling our 400+ rescue-group members in areas affected by recent flooding in the Midwest.

In response, we've heard amazing stories of shelter workers helping the people and pets in their communities. Eleanor Chiquoine, Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Sauk County Humane Society in Baraboo, WI, writes:

Our shelter is fine. We don't have a basement, and we did not have flood water in the building at all because we are on a hill. A few times we all had to crowd into the pantry (during violent storms), but we did not get flooded.
  
We did have a daring pet rescue. We received a call from a woman who had left one dog and a cat in a house that was flooding, and one dog outside. We have no boat, so our animal control officer arranged for our local Department of Natural Resources to provide a boat and a warden so he could motor in to the thoroughly underwater house. This photo shows the DNR warden and our ACO returning from the flooded house with the dogs and cat.

[You can read more about the rescue in this story in this Portage (Wisc.) Daily Register.]

As much as I love my pets, I get a lot of happiness from some OTHER animals -- the wildlife in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, right near my apartment.

We have a bonded swan pair who raised six cygnets last summer, so my husband and I were filled with suspense when Momma Swan built another nest this summer. After what seemed like an interminable wait, she finally debuted her three new additions last week.

Of course, I don't have a "bond" with these wild animals -- in the photo here, Momma's giving me a "no more pictures" look -- but watching them (and the turtles, double-crested cormorants, and snowy egrets that also call the lake home) makes city life feel a little more natural.

TIME magazine has named Petfinder one of its 50 best Web sites of 2008! This is huge news for us. This type of media exposure has a direct impact on our traffic -- which means, quite literally, that pets' lives will be saved. Thank you, TIME!! Now, we could use YOUR help -- go on TIME.com and rate Petfinder on a scale from 1 to 100. We're currently ranked #4 by readers among all the sites on the list -- show the world you think pet adoption is #1!

I don't even know what to say about this story, in which an Arkansas mayor last week released local shelter dogs to fend for themselves in a forest. (Helena Daily World)

According to a report on Sunday, volunteers spent the day searching for the 10 abandoned dogs, without any luck. The saddest part of this story may be the fact that there was an alternative: "Volunteers with the Humane Society of the Delta say they offered to take the dogs from the animal shelter and foster them, but the dogs were set loose by the time they arrived." (ArkansasMatters.com)

According to a new study by British researchers, animals have "individual differences."

I'm sure it's hard for anyone who works with animals -- or, for that matter, has ever lived with one -- to believe that this is news, but what I found interesting was that the study was done on horses, which are still being slaughtered for food in North America.

I love this post, from the MySpace.com blog of Petfinder member Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society in Kentucky (adoptable shelter resident Lightnin' is pictured; doesn't his expression suit the below perfectly?):

The 10 Commandments, From a Dog's Perspective

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me--it's crucial to my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I understand your voice.

For Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, Petfinder and Cat Fancy asked readers to create an ad for our feline friends. The winning entry, from Cleveland's Randy DeMuesy, lists the many reasons to adopt a cat, and sums them up with, "Have a low-maintenance love affair." (See all the finalists here.)

DeMuesy, 43, serves as creative director, copywriter and producer at his own ad agency, DeMeusy Creative. His wife told him about the contest after seeing it in USA Today.

"I'm actually a dog person," he says, "but last summer a cat started hanging around our house. We'd leave food out for her, and she wouldn't let me touch her, but then one day she jumped up on the patio" and became a part of the family. "She's like a dog, what can I say?" Randy says of the cat, Lamont, who now keeps him company while he works. "She'll beg at the table; she's very vocal." But unlike a dog, Lamont doesn't require a lot of walks. "She sleeps all the time!" Randy laughs.