This week we said a final goodbye to our very sweet hound, Jim, after six years together.

We are ruled by dual masters, and in my case, they rarely agree. My time with Jim has been punctuated by countless quiet, painful battles between my heart and my mind, especially his last few years when he was in and out of hospice care.

I met him as an old, strange community dog in Costa Rica with numbered days, so I don't think either of us expected a long, or especially deep, relationship. But love often sneaks up on us, and if we are lucky, our intellect still gives way to passion. This is what happened to us.

The arc of our attachment had a lot to do with external factors. I was determined to not bond too deeply, since, from the beginning, I knew he only had a few months to live. Then somewhere around the fourth or fifth time he had a medical crisis in which the doctor gave him only a few months, I began to feel as if my hardy Jim, who kept surviving the unsurvivable, might, in fact, never leave me. So I fell in love with this dog and his quirky hound-dog behavior. He became a guidepost for me, and the fact that he'd chosen me increased my net worth substantially.

Here is how it all began ... well, this is not really how it all began. Like so many of you, I can only imagine what my boy's life was like before I met him. I have reason to believe it was full of romping and play and that he was well-cared-for (if not well-loved). But at some point he became homeless. He, like many community dogs, seemed more at ease around other dogs than in the house with people. AT FIRST. Once he discovered things like pizza and dog beds, he began to fulfill his true destiny: to be a house-potato.

I met Jim, sick and emaciated, six years ago on a trip to a small village in Costa Rica, where he blocked my way on the sidewalk, looked me in the eye, and howled -- the most mournful sound I've ever heard. Old, starving, toothless, raw from mange, with a big gross tumor on his belly -- I'd never seen anyone more pitiful.

Here's another great lost-cat reunion story from our partner HomeAgain. You can help lost pets get home again: Sign up to receive lost pet alerts when a dog or cat goes missing in your area.

Animal control thought Leo was a feral cat -- from Jennifer in Dixon, CA
Leo had been missing for 10 days when I got a call from the local animal control saying they had him there.

When I got there I found out someone had trapped him and thought he was a feral cat. Animal control deemed him untouchable so they did not scan him for a microchip. So he sat there in a feral cat trap for seven days.

After the seven-day holding period, they took him out to euthanize him but are required to scan all pets before doing so. Thank goodness! The first words the animal control officer said to me were, "You know that microchip saved your cat's life."

Thank you, HomeAgain. Without you I may have never seen my beloved Leo again.

Little Miss Magic's mother was rescued from a puppy mill, and Magic herself was born shortly after, in foster care. In other words, she didn't have a home to call her own from the day she was born. Eleven months passed while she was cared for by Chris' Rescue Angels in Wright City, MO.

She was posted on Petfinder, but she was large for a Yorkie and timid as well. Fortunately, those two facts didn't matter to Pam Vogt of Gladstone, MO, who saw the listing. She adopted Magic and enrolled her in "family manners" classes within a few months of adoption.

Q: How can I socialize my 2-year-old Lab mix, a spayed female, who got social experience as a puppy and went to training, but still doesn't like other dogs -- mainly ones she has never met?
-- Lindsey C.

Mychelle Blake, CDBC, pet trainer and CEO of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, writes: ‎

Remedial socialization is all about going at your dog's pace. Keep in mind that dogs, just like people, may be discriminating in who they choose to be friends with. Here's what you can try:

• Observe your dog for signs of tension: a stiff body, lip licking, yawning, averting her eyes and head, scratching. Alone, these behaviors can indicate mild stress, or the need to lick food from her lips, or that she is tired, or have
  an itch! But when seen in clusters it usually indicates stress and tension.


• Find calm, amiable dogs and introduce your girl to them one at a time in a neutral environment (i.e. not in either dog's home or yard) to reduce the chances of territorial issues.


• Keep the dogs on loose leashes. They should be very loose so they don't inhibit body-language communication.


• Walk the dogs together, starting at a manageable distance and gradually coming closer. [Watch a video demonstration.] This way, they're moving past lots of interesting smells and sights, which usually helps to decrease any tension between the dogs.

Learn more about Petfinder's next Ask the Experts Q&A by "liking" us on Facebook.

Wondering how to puppy-proof your home? Want a fun and funky way to disguise your cat's litter box? On Thursday, April 26, join us from 12-1 p.m. ET for our live Facebook Q&A on pet-friendly home design. Julia Szabo, writer and nationally recognized authority on how to live stylishly with your pets, will be answering your questions live. Don't miss it!

How to participate:

• "Like" Petfinder on Facebook
• Visit our Facebook page on April 26 from 12-1 p.m. ET
• Ask your questions about pet-proofing, how to make your home pet-friendly and fabulous and more!

About our expert:
Julia Szabo's writing on pets has been published in The New York Times, The New York Post, The New Yorker and Travel + Leisure, and her expert commentary has appeared in Family Circle, Real Simple and the Los Angeles Times as well as on the AP newswire. She's made numerous TV appearances, including on the PBS Nature documentary Why We Love Cats and Dogs, and is a frequent guest of Morning Living on Sirius Radio's Martha Stewart Channel.

The author of six lifestyle books, including the acclaimed titles Animal House Style and Pretty Pet-Friendly, Julia is a columnist for Dogster.com and makes guest appearances on Catster.com. Follow her on Twitter: @PetReporter1.

After a tornado struck Joplin, MO, where we live, we donated a portable kennel our dog had outgrown to our local shelter, which was taking care of many displaced pets. It started us thinking about cleaning out closets and basements -- spring cleaning, in fact -- to donate other items we no longer needed.

So in our March newsletter, we asked what you shared with your shelter or rescue group. The No. 1 answer was your time. We are always awed that so many of you give so many of your precious hours to help homeless pets.

Dee cleans kennels and donates lap time to kitties. She admits it's hard to get over wanting to take them all home but has resigned herself to the idea that her job "is to help each and every kitty over that hump of losing its home and helping it to feel loved again."

Carol, who says she's mostly a dog person, volunteers once a week at her shelter and says it's the best "job" she has ever had. She also helps out at adoption events and, like others of you, donates things the shelter needs.

Read more responses after the jump!

The Petfinder Foundation has partnered with luxury dog-bed retailer P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle and You) to give homeless pets warm places to sleep. Through its Warm Bellies Initiative, P.L.A.Y. will donate a Special Edition Chill Pad to a dog in need for every Artist or Original Collection pet bed purchased on PetPlay.com or at participating retailers.

To celebrate, on April 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. ET, P.L.A.Y. is hosting its very first #WarmBellies Twitter party, and the Petfinder Foundation will be on hand to answer adoption questions!

Also joining the party are dog trainer and Animal Planet personality Andrea Arden and pet fashion stylist Dara Foster of PupStyle.com. And prizes including Petfinder Foundation shirts and P.L.A.Y. pet beds will be given to participants every 5-10 minutes!

Find out how to participate in the #WarmBellies Twitter party (April 3, 7-8:30 p.m. ET).

After the jump: Do shelter pets like their P.L.A.Y. beds? Hear from a Warm Bellies grant recipient!

Angela Mitchell is editor-in-chief of Guinea Pig Today and writes for CavyMadness. She volunteers with Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue, which rescues and fosters cavies in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania; and supports the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine. She travels to pet conferences, expos and other events around the country as a guinea pig advocate. She lives in Northern Virginia with her guinea pigs Papua and Phoenix and cats Toast and Navy.

March is Adopt-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month! After all, guinea pigs, a.k.a. cavies, end up in shelters and with rescue groups just like dogs and cats.

Here are 10 reasons to give a rescued guinea pig a chance:

1. You'll know what you're getting. At rescue groups and shelters, volunteers learn their guinea pigs' personalities and can tell you a bit about them. Cavies might be small, but they have big personalities. You'll find guinea pigs can be shy or outgoing, just like dogs and cats.
   
   
2. Adopted guinea pigs come in all shapes and sizes. Long hair, short hair, bushy hair and even no hair at all! There are many different breeds of guinea pigs to be found at your local shelter or rescue group.
   
   
3. The shelter or rescue group can help you learn to care for your new cavy. When you adopt a guinea pig, you're adopting a community of support as well. Volunteers can show you how to do routine grooming such as nail or hair trimming.
   
   
4. Your current guinea pig can find a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals and are happiest in pairs or small groups. If you currently have one guinea pig, a rescue group or shelter can help you find a compatible friend for him or her.
   
   
5. You can get a vet referral. Volunteers at rescue groups and shelters can help you find a qualified exotic-animal veterinarian who treats guinea pigs. General dog and cat vets don't always see guinea pigs, and your new pets will need a check-up now and again.
   
   
6. Rescued pigs of all ages need homes. Guinea pigs can live up to eight years, but a rescued guinea pig might already be a few years old. Can you give a senior pet a comfy retirement home?
   
   
7. You might be able to foster-to-adopt. Even if the pig you foster isn't a good fit for your household, you might find fostering is a better option for your family. Volunteers are always needed to give temporary homes to guinea pigs who need loving families.
   
   
8. Some rescued guinea pigs have already been spayed or neutered. You won't have to deal with finding a qualified veterinarian for the procedure -- and you won't have any unexpected babies!
   
   
9. You can get guinea pigs who are already bonded. Sometimes pregnant guinea pigs are left at shelters, and that means there are pups who need homes as well. Bonded siblings make an instant pair if you're looking to adopt more than one.
   
   
10. Adopting guinea pigs makes room for more guinea pigs to be rescued. Shelters are already crowded, so you're giving a chance to other guinea pigs waiting in line for their forever homes.
    

After the jump: Can't adopt, but want to help homeless guinea pigs? Find out how.

On Tuesday, April 17, join us from 12-2 p.m. ET for our live Facebook Q&A, Ask the Vet: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Your Pet But Were Afraid to Ask. Veterinarian and Vetstreet.com blogger Dr. Patty Khuly will be answering your questions live. Don't miss it!

How to participate:

• "Like" Petfinder on Facebook
• Visit our Facebook page on April 17 from 12-2 p.m. ET
• Ask your questions about your pet's health, weird habits and more!
  

About Dr. Khuly:
Patty Khuly, VMD, is a practicing veterinarian based in Miami, FL. She's been a passionate blogger for almost six years, cutting her teeth on Dolittler.com and later moving on to Vetstreet.com.

Dr. Khuly earned a BA from Wellesley College, a veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Her writing has appeared in The Miami Herald, USA Today, The Bark, Chickens Magazine (yes, really), Veterinary Economics and Veterinary Practice News, among other publications.

Dr. Khuly is a single mom, avid reader, fitness geek, die-hard foodie and indefatigable fashionista. She's also as pet-obsessed as they come. Her menagerie includes four cats, three dogs, two goats and one hen shy of a dozen.

Lindsey Ahl was determined to adopt a dog, even though her mother had suggested she go to a breeder to buy one. She began to search on Petfinder and one day she found just the right one: Shrek, a 1-year-old black Lab mix.