Petfinder Blog

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

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

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

I mentioned in an earlier post about how wonderful adopters are. Here's a Happy Tail we received recently (it's in the Happy Tail database) that proves what I said and just makes me teary-eyed. It's from Anne at MSPCA Cape Cod.

I used to work In a small animal shelter in Massachusetts. At the height of "kitten season," a woman brought in a severely deformed kitten she had found wandering loose downtown. The kitten, whom I named Molly, had one side of her face very pushed in and was missing one eye.

Despite her ugly face, she was very sweet and outgoing, snuggling into the arms of her rescuer, happy to be inside, warm and fed. No one was sure what had caused her deformity, but the shelter vet believed it happened in utero, perhaps because the mother cat was kicked or physically abused.

We receive hundreds of adoption stories each month, and now you can read them to your heart's content by clicking on "Read More Happy Tails" on our home page. You can play around with searching -- check to see if there are any pets with the same name as your pet, for example. Or if you have submitted a story, you can find it by your name, your pet's name, your city or another keyword. Reading the stories will make you feel really good about the wonderful folks who adopt pets. And the photos are great!

Here's a touching Happy Tail we received from Kat Wamba of Federal Way, WA:

When our Chihuahua Sigurd passed away in the fall of 2007, everyone, including our remaining dog, Tika, was sad. I didn't want to rush into getting another pet, but after six months our yard seemed too big for one dog, and Tika still seemed lonely.

However, Tika was always shy with other dogs, and I knew that we would have to think carefully before adopting a new one. Enter Petfinder. We scrolled through dog after worthy dog, knowing that Tika would be terrified of most of them.

And then -- we saw Abena from The Big Dog Project in Silverdale, WA. Three years old and shy, she had been living in a park in Taiwan when she was tricked into eating a firecracker. She was found by a wonderful woman who brought her to the vet's office, where they reconstructed her muzzle and eye socket, before transporting her to the States through The Big Dog Project.

We knew, we just KNEW, that we had to meet her. She's been with us for almost two months now. Still shy with strangers, she follows me everywhere and lets my son spoil her with treats. She runs and plays shyly with Tika, and they both curl up at my feet as I work. Our yard seems less empty when Abena (which means "beautiful" in Gaelic) is in it. Tika is happy to have a friend. And we are grateful to have the opportunity to be with such a loving and forgiving soul.

A Happy Tail from Patti Hill of Secane, PA:

My adopted Border Collie of 14 years died in April. To say I was forlorn is an understatement. I am 49 years old, live alone with no partner or children. The empty space was devastating. After researching many avenues, I found Jess, another border collie, on your Web site.

She had been transported by seven cars, getting here from West Virginia. After being approved for the adoption, I drove three and a half hours to meet this shy but stunning girl. After committing to adopting her we are now having the time of our lives. She is happy, happy girl, which makes two of us.

Now, once again my life feels full, and I look forward to the years ahead with a new sense of purpose and joy. Petfinder is easy to use and a highly effective tool in finding the right pet that's perfect for anyone looking. All my gratitude to Petfinder, the rescues, volunteers and all the people who touch the lives of these pets getting them to safe, happy homes.