Petfinder Blog

August 31, 2008--Petfinder wants to hear from Gulf state residents in the path of the storm. Let us know how you are faring as you prepare yourself, your family and your pets for Hurricane Gustav. Post your comments here. And stay safe. We're monitoring the situation and will continue our efforts to help pets and families affected by the storm.

August 31, 2008--The Humane Society of South Mississippi will provide a shelter from Hurricane Gustav for domesticated pets on the grounds of Harrison Central High School, at 15600 School Road north of Gulfport, MS starting at 6:00 pm today (Sunday, 8/31/08). The school will open a shelter for humans at the same time.

A society spokesman said pet owners who use the storm shelter for animals must:
--stay at the shelter for people inside the high school
--bring the pet in a kennel or crate
--provide the pet's medical record
--provide enough food and water for each pet to last three days
--bring and use plastic bags for the pet's waste
--bring a photo of the pet with the owner or some other proof that the pet belongs to the person
--provide the pet some attention and exercise while the owner and pet are in their shelters
--bring the pet's microchip file, if available.

August 31, 2008--UPDATE FROM IFAW: The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has been asked by the Louisiana State Veterinarian to send a team to help the State Animal Rescue Team (SART) in setting up temporary shelters in New Orleans, pre-storm. The agreement specifies that animal rescue groups send a team (minimum 10 people) to take over a section of a 'mega-shelter' which will be set up in New Orleans, at a suitable location such as a fairground.

The storm is expected to hit the Gulf coast on Tuesday morning, and New Orleans is the forecast location--although, as of now, there is considerable uncertainty about where landfall will eventually be.The whole situation on the ground, pre-Gustav is complicated by the presence of a second tropical storm (Hannah) out to the East.

Should there be a need for animal search and rescue operations post landfall, those of our IFAW team suitably qualified will leave sheltering operations and head to the disaster scene--wherever that is--to help with animal search and rescue.

The Petfinder.com-IFAW rescue truck and trailer (above) are being readied this weekend and will probably head down to Louisiana on Tuesday. We think the storm will probably wreak its havoc on Tuesday and Wednesday, so search and rescue could start as early as Thursday (during the storm itself, it is not possible to be active within the area affected).

August 30, 2008--Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal released information about evacuations from the State as Hurricane Gustav approaches. Having learned from Katrina, government officials are encouraging residents to take their pets with them when they evacuate. Here is important information regarding pet evacuations:

A pet evacuation center for residents with critical transportation needs will be open in Shreveport in accordance with the timeline set by the local parish OEP officials. It is only for evacuees with critical transportation needs, and those residents are instructed to coordinate with their local OEP offices to arrange transportation for themselves and their pets to the shelter.

Pets under 15 pounds that are carried in a pet carrier will be allowed to travel with their owners on the bus transports (soft-sided carriers are preferred). Larger pets will be placed in size-appropriate pet carriers and bussed separately from their owners to the pet/owner shelter.

Other shelters for self-evacuators for pets and owners will open as storm and evacuation conditions dictate. Pets must have proper identification - preferably something permanent like a microchip or tattoo. Dogs and cats need to have proof of annual rabies and other vaccinations. It's also very important to have collars, leashes, harnesses and kennels for confining animals when necessary. Muzzles may be appropriate for animals that are apprehensive in unfamiliar settings. Pet owners should bring at least a three-day supply of food, water and medications for their animals.

August 30, 2008---Petfinder.com has member animal shelters in Louisiana and the Gulf coast. We are in touch with these shelters to find out how they are doing and what we can do to help. Here are some of the updates we've gotten from shelters scrambling to get ready for Hurricane Gustav:

We are located in Olive Branch, MS at the Northwest corner. Some of the animal clinics in our area are getting a lot of calls for boarding of animals from Louisiana. I have checked with a local PetSmart in Memphis and they are also nearly booked full with reservations.
People are preparing to leave with their pets this time and making provisions for them early. Hopefully everyone will be safe. I am trying to get the media involved to do a story about people coming our way Friday and Saturday.

Vickie with our group works at Olive Branch Animal Clinic. They are booked full but she is staying after hours on Saturday to get pets into the boarding facility for the people that can't make it before noon on Saturday.
When the storm hits we are hoping to line up other facilities such as churches to accommodate people and their pets.

Denise

Hi!!This is the Louisiana SPCA.

All of our adoptable animals are being moved to Dallas, and all owned and stray animals are going to Baton Rouge.

Our Web site will have up-to-the-minute info: http://www.la-spca.org/

Many thanks!!!
Louisiana SPCA

The Atlanta Humane Society has close to 150 animals being readied to depart the East Lake Animal Shelter (Jefferson Parish) in New Orleans at this time. It looks like things could get bad down there from this storm. Good to see so many people working together. Hopefully all of our proactive measure will result in fewer animals needing assistance after the storm. Good luck to all!

Richard K. Rice,

Vice President and General Manager
Atlanta Humane Society
981 Howell Mill Road N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318
www.atlantahumane.org

August 30, 2008--Not just people are being evacuated from

NOTE: Foster homes needed for shelter pets in St. Tammany Parish

A special request is being made for foster homes for pets currently in the St. Tammany Humane Society. Please call (985) 892-7387 if you can foster a pet

to get them out of the way of possible flooding of the St. Tammany shelter. (Shelter workers say that if necessary you can evacuate with your foster pet.)

August 30, 2008--With forecasters predicting that Hurricane Gustav could strike New Orleans as early as Monday, New Orleans' city leaders warned that anyone who failed to evacuate the city would find no government-provided shelter. Residents as well as tourists are being urged to leave the city as soon as possible.

More than 700 buses are being used to evacuate up to 30,000 people today, including the sick and elderly, who have no other means of transportation. The "city-assisted" evacuation is to be followed by a mandatory evacuation order over the weekend, depending on the storm's progress. Trucks will be brought in to evacuate pets from the city, said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Petfinder.com urges evacuees to take steps to ensure their pets' safety. Make sure to put identifying collars and tags on your pets, place pets in pet carriers with your pet's name, your name and cell phone number on the top. You will need to have pets in carriers to be able to use "city-assisted" transportation. Petfinder.com urges evacuees to take their pets with them when they leave.

Aug. 29, 2008--Evacuation update for Louisiana residents:

Louisiana residents who need assistance evacuating before Hurricane Gustav hits should call their parish administrative offices. Every parish has an evacuation and disaster response plan in place. All parishes also have local Offices of Emergency Preparedness which can be contacted for information about evacuations, transportation and shelters. For contact information, see this list of Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Contact Numbers.

--In addition, residents can also call 311 to request evacuation assistance.

--Residents who chose to drive themselves to safety can get a list of public pet shelters from Red Cross Welcome Centers along the evacuation routes.

See also:

Red Cross Moving People and Supplies to Gulf Coast

Red Cross Gearing Up for Gustav

Friday, August 29: 5:00 PM EDT--The Humane Society of the United States released a statement today urging Gulf coast residents to include their pets in any disaster plans they make as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the U.S.. Saying in part:

"As Gulf Coast residents mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, they are once again under the threat of a potentially very serious hurricane," said Scotlund Haisley, senior director of Emergency Services for The HSUS. "I urge residents to prepare now for the possibility of evacuation orders by preparing a pet disaster kit and making plans to evacuate with your animals. If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pet."

On our Disaster Preparedness page, Petfinder.com has a Disaster Plan, a Disaster Preparedness Kit Checklist and many other tools to assist in preparations for the storm.

Friday, August 29: 1:00 PM EDT--Petfinder is tracking Hurricane Gustav on the WAPT-tv website. Gustav is forecast to hit the U.S. mainland sometime Tuesday morning as a substantial category 3 hurricane. Right now, forecasters are predicting landfall will be the Louisiana coast west of New Orleans, or the coast of Texas.

Quick Tips for Disaster Preparation

-- Prepare your disaster plan and review it with all your family members.

-- Take photos of your pet with your cell phone. If you and your pet become separated, the pictures will help rescue groups reunite you more easily.

-- Have a pet carrier ready for your pet in case of evacuation. You will need a carrier for safe transport in your car and for any public evacuation transportation. Also, emergency shelters will not take pets without carriers. Write the pet's name and your cell phone number on the top of the carrier, in permanent ink.

-- If you do have to evacuate, take your pet with you. We learned from Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Don't risk your pet's safety and life.

This blog post will be updated with fresh news and information as we get it.

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.

Brenda from Gadsden, Ala., sends us this touching Happy Tail about how the dog she rescued gives comfort and companionship to her dad, who has Alzheimer's disease:

I found a picture of Zeke while looking through Petfinder for an available dog in the Gadsden area. He looked so pitiful, I wanted him immediately.

While I was at work, my parents went to the Humane Society of Etowah County to adopt him as a birthday gift for me. Poor Zeke was a basket case -- so afraid that he wouldn't even look at them and just sat in Mom's lap shaking. She wanted him on the spot!

After the paperwork was completed, he was off to the vet for his "surgery." Finally on Saturday we were able to pick him up and bring him home.

Though he was a birthday gift for me, Zeke had other ideas. He decided from day one that he was my dad's dog. He followed him everywhere!

Last month we asked subscribers to our newsletter: What is important to you (besides credentials) in choosing a veterinarian for your pet? We reveal the results in our August newsletter.

78% "Pet"side manner
6%   Rates
6%   Recommendations from friends and relatives
3%   Location
7%   Other

Tell us what you think ... then sign up for our monthly newsletter! (You can also find a vet near you in our new Local Services & Supplies Directory).

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.

Like Skylar and Bodie, my mutt Bingo has had his DNA tested to determine what breeds are in his family tree. But before I tell you the results, what's your guess?

Some background: I adopted Bingo from a rescue named C.A.R.E. in Bayonne, NJ, a little over two years ago. They had pulled him out of Associated Humane Societies, Inc. in Newark, NJ, when he was three months old.

He'd been at C.A.R.E. for six months (nobody wanted him!) when I stumbled upon his picture on Petfinder while searching for a Schnauzer mix (my previous dog, whom I'd lost a year earlier, was half Schnauzer).

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.)

Michael Killen and Jim Kreitzburg, the animators behind Taco Bell's talking Chihuahua and the California Cheese cows, created this moving PSA about the cruelty of dogfighting.

Killen says on his Web site that he'd been deeply affected by the Michael Vick case. He writes that he asked himself, "What if we did a commercial speaking from the perspective of the dogs?"

The resulting PSA doesn't contain graphic scenes, but it makes its point with the simple question: "Who's the animal?"

Last week I asked you to guess the "mix" in our shelter rep Kathryn's pit mix, Bodie. You offered up some great guesses, from lab to hound to purebred pit. Well Kathryn got her results from the Canine Heritage Breed Test, and the answers may surprise you! She says:

When I received Bodie's DNA results, I was quite surprised. I was sent a certificate with all of the answers. The majority of Bodie's DNA is pit bull terrier. There was nothing in his secondary.

But down the line in his mix is Rhodesian Ridgeback. I would have never guessed that. I did a Web search on the breed, and actually the back end of Bodie's body is very similar. (See photos after the jump.)

Well, what do you think? Are you surprised? The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a type of hound, so commenter Ali had it right!

Lisa Marie from Sarasota, FL, sends this Happy Tail:

On Thanksgiving Day 2007, my beloved 16-year-old Siamese cat Simon had to be euthanized for renal failure. This was devastating to me.

The following Monday my co-workers urged me to check Petfinder.com, not in the view of replacing Simon, but in giving another cat a much-needed home.

The very first picture I clicked onto was a wonderful fluffy white cat with a goofy crooked tail named Jack, who was residing at the Humane Society of Sarasota County.

My very understanding co-workers insisted I leave work and drive to the shelter to adopt him right after seeing him online. I fell in love with him the second they brought him out of his cage to meet me.

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.

Check out this segment from Today featuring Emma Jackson, the remarkable 15-year-old author of A Home for Dixie: The True Story of a Rescued Puppy. The book tells the story of how Emma adopted a dog from Petfinder member Aunt Mary's Doghouse in Montclair, NJ. When Emma learned about the plight of homeless pets, she made it her mission to tell the world -- and especially kids -- about the benefits of adoption.

Best of all, part of the proceeds from this sweet children's book benefit Aunt Mary's Doghouse!

Here's a "spot-on" Happy Tail from Sandra in Spring Valley, CA:

We had decided that we wanted to give a loving home to an older dog as we had space and a lot of love to give. We had seen Spot on Petfinder and went to the El Cajon Animal Control to see him.

He was 11 years old, extremely overweight, arthritic, and deaf, but his personality shined through. Even though it was very hard for him to get up with the extra weight and the arthritis, he came over to greet us, wagging his tail.

We went home and discussed it, and decided we wanted to share our home with him. We went down to the shelter and adopted him the next day.

Thanks to everyone for your guesses about my puzzle dog Skylar. Next up is Bodie, whose proud mom Kathryn is our shelter representative here at the Pet Video office. Kathryn writes:

This is Bodie. I first met him in April of 2004 at an event at the local ballpark called Bark in the Park. He was one of the dogs up for adoption through the Humane Society of Pinellas.

I fell in love with him right away, so the next day I went down to the shelter with my other dog to see if they got along. They did, so I took him home and things have been great ever since.

I know Bodie is a pit mix, but I'd always wondered what other breed he is, so I decided to give him a Canine Heritage Breed Test. I've had people ask me if he has Lab or maybe Boxer in him -- what do you think?

Learn more about Bodie and see another pic after the jump. Results soon!

A new pet supply store called Living Ruff just opened across the street from my office in Silver Spring, MD.

Owners Jessica and Ron Simon's story reminded me  that adopting a homeless pet can very literally change your life, often in unexpected ways.

The dog, Bourbon, was a sick, emaciated Spitz mix found trapped under a couch in a house that had been marked "clear" by searchers weeks before.

Gravely ill, he was transported to Washington, D.C., where he was cared for by the Washington Animal Rescue League. Jessica and Ron learned about him and adopted him. Then they adopted another dog, Yogi. And then a cat. The "zoo" in their home helped them make some life-altering decisions.

Kudos to Dr. Lila Miller of the ASPCA, who was awarded the 2008 AVMA Animal Welfare Award. The award was given to recognize Dr. Miller's many achievements in advancing the welfare of animals via her leadership, public service, education, research and advocacy -- and I couldn't agree more with the choice!

We all know how important our relationships with our best friends' doctors are. (I'm struggling personally right now because my own trusted veterinarian has moved too far away for us to visit regularly, leaving me too frozen with anxiety and indecision to select the right new doctor to partner with in my pets' health care.) 

Thanks for everyone's great guesses on the heritage of my mixed-breed dog, Skylar! I also thought what many of you did -- that she had some Golden Retriever and the rest was probably Sheltie and/or Border Collie. But I was wrong on all counts!

When you get your results back from the Canine Heritage Breed Test, you get a great-looking certificate and a breed composition analysis with three categories. The first is primary. You probably won't have an entry in this category unless your dog has one purebred parent. Obviously my puppy had no listing here!

The next is secondary, for breeds that have a strong influence on your dog's DNA. No luck here either. But in the third category, "In the Mix," we did well -- Skylar had five breeds listed! This is for identifiable breeds (they test for more than 100) that each have a small presence. In other words, no one in Skylar's recent ancestry had any kind of committed same-breed relationship. Get the results after the jump!

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.

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof recently wrote about his experiences growing up on a farm and how they shaped how he feels about factory farming.

In my opinion, Kristof doesn't do a very persuasive job of revealing his caring, compassionate side. Quite the contrary: He seems to me to be a less compassionate person for his experiences.

If, as he says, he grew to admire some of the animals in his family's care, how could he go on to enjoy eating the animals he admired?

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.

I am the lucky owner of two shelter dogs and, like a lot of people with dogs of unknown origin, I've always wondered, "What exactly are my dogs made of?"

Well, now I know -- at least about one of them. Meet Skylar, my puzzle dog! Skylar was found as a puppy by animal control in southern Alabama. She was wandering down the side of the road with no mom, siblings or owners in sight.

They picked her up and she ended up in a shelter in Pensacola, FL. From there it was just a short time until she found her way into our home and our hearts, but we always wondered exactly what kind of dog breeds she came from.

Yesterday we got our answer! We had used the Canine Heritage Breed Test to take a sample of her DNA. It was really easy. We just got the testing kit from them (www.canineheritage.com or your local Petco), swabbed her cheek and mailed in the DNA. Now we have a certificate that tells us all about her.

But before I reveal the answer -- what do YOU think she's made of? There's another photo after the jump.

Teens, especially girls, love animals. I've noticed there are lots of young people, again mostly girls, who volunteer at animal shelters and boycott products that were tested on animals.

But when it comes to adoption, most of my peers give me a frightening wake-up call. I've heard of many teens who got their pet from a breeder, pet store or, in one case, for $10 at a flea market.

Sometimes we have debates in class that give me a pit in my stomach. One time, some girls were saying that they loved their dog and bringing it to the groomer, where they put the little bows in the dog's fur.

Somehow, this led to that ASPCA commercial with Sarah Mclachlan. "That commercial makes me feel so depressed," one of the girls piped up. "Yeah," said the other, "I change the channel when I watch that because it makes me guilty about my animals."

That a puppy on a leash or a kitten in one's arms is a magnet for the opposite sex is something we all seem to know, but not think much about. (Or maybe you do think about it more than I do?)

Well, officials in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, have thought about it -- a lot. And they've now banned the sale of dogs and cats, and made it illegal to walk dogs outside. According to the Associated Press:

[An official] said the ban was ordered because of what he called "the rising phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families."

Now, the ban on walking dogs outside makes no sense to me, but the ban on selling pets may be in some ways a good thing.

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.