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!

Greg Kincaid is the author of A Dog Named Christmas, a novel about the power of pet adoption. He has been blogging for Petfinder about his and his wife Michale Ann's quest to adopt the perfect dog. Read all his posts here.

We had agreed that after our confusing visit to Wayside Waifs the night before that we would have to think a while longer before continuing on our journey to find me the perfect man-dog.

It started to occur to me that our analysis for picking a dog was missing a layer. We had thought about size, age, breed, coat qualities, color and general personality traits, but when we looked at dogs that had those valued qualities, I just didn't flip.

Why was it that after thinking about all the things that seemed to matter most, the one dog that met none of our requirements seemed the most attractive? How fitting that his name was Chance. He was four months old, a puppy. We wanted an older dog. He sure looked like a terrier and I wanted a hound.

When we took Chance into the holding area to look him over, he saw a garden hose hanging on the wall and he didn't like it. The fur on his back went up and he gave the hose a good barking. The hose didn't back down, so he gave up and ran over and leaped straight onto my lap like we had known each other for years and not 25 seconds. I wasn't sure if he was retreating from the vicious hanging wall serpent or just wanted my company. It didn't matter. He was telling me that this was where he wanted to be, a message the more perfect dogs never delivered.

Lian is a special-needs red-eared slider for adoption from MATTS

As it gets colder and colder and we bundle up in our warmest layers, what about the cold-blooded animals who are always wearing their "coats" -- turtles and tortoises?

Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society in Baltimore operates mainly as a conservation organization, but also provides rescue and adoption services to needy shelled friends.

Handling anywhere from 100-200 animals a year, MATTS is dedicated exclusively to turtles and tortoises. In addition to conservation and rescue, MATTS works hard to keep turtles and tortoises in their existing homes.

Because many people purchase these hard-shelled animals without proper knowledge or education, MATTS helps to provide their caretakers with information about how to best care for them.

Visit MATTS on Petfinder.

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!

Greg Kincaid is the author of A Dog Named Christmas, a novel about the power of pet adoption. He has been blogging for Petfinder about his and his wife's quest to adopt the perfect dog. Read all his posts here.

Lab mix Seal Boy is adoptable at T.A.R.A. in Kansas City, MO

My calm indifference caused the battle lines in the Dog Wars to tilt in my favor. "I guess we can't agree, so we'll just pass on a dog for now" brought my wife Michale Ann straight to the bargaining table. We framed a four-part truce. Its terms:

A) We would get a dog that was big enough to navigate a hay field without a periscope.
B) A scruffy, cute face would not be the single deciding factor in choosing a dog.
C) We would take our time, look at lots of dogs, and make a careful decision.
D) We'd spent the last 25 years raising kids, so we would stay away from puppies, opting instead for a wise and mature personality.

As per the terms of the truce, we both combed Petfinder for the next few days and tried to get a feel for the look and size of the dog we might be able to agree upon. I had a hound-looking dog in mind, but Michale Ann seemed pulled in another direction -- really, just about any other direction. I stuck to my guns for a few more days and finally she made a sneak attack to nudge me off my hound fixation.

"What about Seal Boy?"

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.

When you think of malls in December, you probably think of presents, crowds and traffic. But at one mall in New York State, shoppers will also be thinking about pet adoption.

The SPCA Serving Erie County in Buffalo, NY, has a mall storefront at Buffalo's Walden Galleria Mall though the end of 2008. (Read more about the storefront here.)

Strictly for felines, the mall adoption center is the result of a collaboration between mall management, the SPCA and generous donors who made it possible for the center to stay open through Dec. 31 (it was originally scheduled to close on Sept. 30).

The adoption center opened in August, thanks in large part to funding from TalkingPhoneBook.com president and CEO Richard Lewis and his wife Lisa. The couple were deeply impacted by an August 8 column by Buffalo News writer Donn Esmonde about the sad realities of cat overpopulation in Erie County, and decided to fund a program to encourage end-of-summer cat adoptions.

Since its inception, the storefront location has helped almost 400 cats find new homes.

Visit the SPCA Serving Erie County on Petfinder.