Don't miss tonight's premier of Animal Planet's new series, Pit Bulls and Parolees, about Petfinder member Villalobos Rescue Center. The show follows Villalobos' founder, Tia Maria Torres, and her staff of ex-cons as they rescue, rehabilitate and find new families for homeless Pit Bulls.

"[T]he 'bad boys' of society meet the so-called 'bad boys' of the canine community, and boom! Just like that -- they create magic together," Torres says on the show's Web site. "They bring out a side of each other that's sweet, warm and unbelievably touching." Tune in Fridays at 10pm E/P on Animal Planet.

Bugsy, an eight-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, was Lauren Morris's dog. He had come with her from her parents' home -- where he had plenty of playmates -- to her marital home.

Now he was depressed, missing the little pack of terriers he'd been around all his life. Lauren and her husband decided to get him a companion.

"We both agreed the route of rescue would be best," Lauren says, "giving a forever home to someone in need, rather
than supporting the breeding industry."

The couple asked their veterinarian what kind of dog would be best for Bugsy. The vet suggested that a younger female dog would probably work out well.

Lauren's husband favored German Shepherds, but they figured that was too large a breed to be a good companion for little Bugsy. So they logged on to Petfinder to see what was available and were shocked to see how many homeless pets were in their area.

Petfinder has the world's greatest fans -- they're always coming up with new ways to spread the word about pet adoption. Case in point: Pals Jill, Esther and Lisa recently sent us this great video they made for Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month.

Lisa e-mailed to tell us, "I was asked by a friend of mine from YouTube to help her come up with a concept for a video for Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month and I immediately thought of Petfinder.com -- adopt, don't buy!"

This Saturday, October 24, we'll celebrate one of our favorite breeds on National Pit Bull Awareness Day. The annual event was started by Bless the Bullys in 2007 to bring positive media attention to these special, and misunderstood, dogs.

You can find events near you on the Bless the Bullys calendar and at NationalPitBullAwarenessDay.com (also check out Petfinder's own event calendar). Want to do more? Here are some ways to help Pit Bulls, adapted from a previous blog post about Pits.

Here's how you can help:

• Adopt a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls are devoted, affectionate and joy-inducing pets with as great a range in personality as any other breed. As with dogs of any breed, not every Pit is perfect for every family. Read more about things to think about if you're thinking of adopting a Pit Bull.


• Volunteer with Pit Bulls. At many city shelters, Pits and Pit mixes make up the overwhelming majority of the canine residents, and because Pits have been bred to bond closely with humans, the isolation of shelter life is particularly hard for them. You can visit the shelter to help exercise and socialize the dogs; open your home to a foster dog; photograph and write bios for local adoptable dogs' Petfinder profiles; start a bedding drive at your office to collect old blankets and towels to donate ... the possibilities are endless. For more ideas, read our article on volunteering or visit BAD RAP's How You Can Help page.


• Educate others about Pit Bulls. Once you've fallen in love with a Pit (and to know one is to love one), you'll start to notice how many offhand Pit Bull stereotypes people throw around in everyday conversation. Learn the facts about Pits and you'll be able to shoot down the myths (no, they do not have locking jaws). Some great resources include Petfinder's book The Adopted Dog Bible (you'll find an excerpt, Pit Bulls: The Myths, the Legends, the Reality, after the jump), as well as BAD RAP's Monster Myths page and Pit Bull Rescue Central's breed info page. (All three sites are excellent, and we encourage you to click around on them.)
  

With cold weather already upon us, it was no surprise to read about about a cat who survived a two-mile car ride while trapped in an engine. (Read the original story and the follow-up in the New York Daily News.)

Luckily, the cat made it through his ordeal unscathed and is now recuperating at Animal Care & Control of New York City. But every winter, many others aren't so fortunate.

When it gets cold, stray and outdoor cats keep warm however possible. According to the Massachusetts SPCA Web site, "Cats often climb under car hoods to get warm and then get caught in the radiator fan when the engine is started."

What can you do to prevent tragedy this winter? Find out after the jump.

It's that time of year again ... time for the third annual Petfinder Adoption Event! On Oct. 27, eleven D.C., Maryland and Virginia-based shelters and rescue groups will join the Petfinder team for a day of adoptable dogs and -- in an event first -- cats!

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at Discovery Communications World Headquarters, One Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD, from 4 to 6 p.m. It's a great opportunity to meet some of the people behind Petfinder, not to mention your new best canine or feline friend. We'll also be offering snacks, prizes and free custom pet tags.

Here's who will be there:

Best Dawg Rescue

East Coast German Wirehaired Pointer Rescue

Lizzy's Lodge

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue

Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Montgomery County Humane Society

Partnership for Animal Welfare

Roxie's Fund

Shingilana Rescued Felines

St. Seton's Orphaned Animals

Washington Animal Rescue League

Oct. 16 is National Feral Cat Day, and we know many of you come into contact with stray and feral cats in your everyday lives.

For example, when I recently wrote a blog post about what to do if you find an abandoned cat or kitten, reader Robyn asked this question in the comments:

I have five stray cats that I have fed for over a year. I can't bring them in since I have two dogs and a cat
of my own. The smallest cat ate this evening and proceeded to give birth
to at least three kittens (that I see). She went inside the house I have on my small back porch with little dog beds and blankets inside for the cats.

I never knew she was pregnant. I cannot afford to feed any more cats. I know mommy will feed them for a few months, but how do I protect them being outside? I know shelters are overcrowded and I cannot imagine them being put to sleep. These cats have been a part of my so-called family for a while now and I don't know what would be best for them. Any advice?

Petfinder's public receptionist, Kristen, and I e-mailed Robyn some advice, but I wanted to share it here in the hope that you'll find it helpful as well.

What you can do:

Even if your local shelter is too full to take the mom and kittens to re-home, it's a great place to call first. Staffers may be able to refer you to a foster group that can raise the kittens, or at least -- so you won't end up with even more unexpected litters in your yard -- low-cost spay/neuter options or a group near you with a trap, neuter and return program for feral cats (see our article, TNR - The Humane Alternative).

Also try calling your own veterinarian to see if he or she knows of anyone who may help. Your vet's office may already be working with local people who assist outdoor cats, or may offer a discount to good clients who are helping strays.

Lately there's been a lot of discussion about cat and dog vaccines -- when people should vaccinate, whether they should, and what kinds of vaccines are necessary to keep pets safe.

(Check out the comments on vet blogger Doolittler's recent post on the rabies vaccine.)

Vaccines protect pets from upper respiratory infections, distemper and parvo, in addition to rabies, which is transferable to humans. So why all the debate?

The issue is that some pets have adverse reactions to vaccines. In fact, the American Veterinary Medical Association's brochure on vaccinations warns of just that possibility:

The most common adverse responses [to vaccines] are mild and short-term, including fever, sluggishness, and reduced appetite. ...

Rarely, more serious adverse reactions can occur. Allergic reactions appear within minutes or hours of a vaccination and may include repeated vomiting or diarrhea, whole body itching, swelling of the face or legs, difficulty breathing or collapse. ... In very rare instances, death could occur from an allergic reaction.

"Don't buy a dog when you can adopt one from the shelter," Amanda Burke told her mother, who was tempted by Dachshund puppies for sale at a flea market. Amanda's mom was ready to bring a new pet into the family after losing her dog a month earlier.

Amanda decided to see what was available on Petfinder, so she went online, typed in Dachshund and up came Troy -- a Dachshund/Basset Hound mix -- at the Abingdon, VA, department of animal control's C.C. Porter Animal Shelter.

"I took the grandkids by to meet him since my mom had work that day," Amanda says, "and they fell in love with him." The next day, they took Mom to the shelter to meet Troy. She was quite taken with him, but a puppy had recently been brought into the facility as well, so she was torn: the cute little puppy or Troy, an adult dog.

For Amanda, the choice was clear. She
knew puppies get adopted quickly, but Troy might never find a home. Even a 1-year-old dog stands less chance of being adopted. Her mom adopted Troy.

Have you ever wondered what it would look like if dogs ruled the world? What if they selected their forever families at shelters?

Members of the band You Scream I Scream teamed up with Petfinder member shelter the MSPCA Adoption Center -- Nantucket in Nantucket, MA, to find out ... with hilarious results.