Today's guest blogger, Dr. Lauren Brickman, started as a veterinary technician at Garden City Park in 1997 and went on to veterinary school at Ross University. She currently writes a popular pet health and care column for Petside.com that she has shared with us today.

Q: I take vitamins every day. Should my dog and cat take vitamins too?

See Dr. Lauren's answer after the jump.

Sometimes there's nothing better to lift your mood than a cute cat video. So, when it came to our attention that one such video is of a Petfinder pet we just had to pass it along! (Check out more adoptable pet videos.)

Stella is an adoptable Tortoiseshell from the District of North Vancouver Animal Welfare Shelter and her "Happy or Angry Cat?" video is taking the YouTube circuit by storm.

The video was posted to YouTube just a month ago and has already been viewed nearly 500,000 times. But what's the story behind this unique cat?

Find out Stella's story after the jump.

For Fred, there was nothing to be thankful for this past Thanksgiving. Old, blind and toothless, he had just been relinquished to a shelter when his "dad" was admitted into hospice care.

Eight years earlier, the Chinese Crested was found wandering the streets of New York City.

He limped because a broken leg had not healed properly, had a scar across his nose, and was going blind and deaf. His teeth were rotten, and his hair had fallen out.

Fortunately, he was taken in by an old man and nursed back to health. But now, with the old man near death and unable to care for him, Fred was once again without a home.

Now 14, Fred's future was bleak.

Read the rest of Fred's story after the jump.

Today's guest blogger, Dr. Lauren Brickman, started as a veterinary technician at Garden City Park in 1997 and went on to veterinary school at Ross University. She currently writes a popular pet health and care column for Petside.com that she has shared with us today.

Q: My cat gets awful motion sickness! Every time I take him to the vet he throws up in the car. Is there something I can give him to be able to travel short distances?

A: Many animals get motion sickness in the car, just like some people do. This may be because your cat is not used to car rides. If you only take him in the car once a year he doesn't have much time to get used to trips.

See the rest of Dr. Lauren's answer after the jump.

Today's guest blogger, Dr. Lauren Brickman, started as a veterinary technician at Garden City Park in 1997 and went on to veterinary school at Ross University. She currently writes a popular pet health and care column for Petside.com that she has shared with us today.

Q: I recently adopted a Pug. In the paperwork that came with him it says not to give him the Leptospirosis shot.

I have always given my pugs this shot, but my new pug was never given it because of the fear of reaction.

What is your opinion on this? My vet says it's up to me. I want to do what's best for my dogs.

Read Dr. Lauren's answer after the jump.

UPDATE: Entries for the What's That Mutt feature are now closed. Please stay tuned to the Petfinder blog for more great features and giveaways to come!

Do people stop you on the street to ask what kind of dog you have? Are even pet professionals puzzled by your pooch?

We want you!

Our generous partner, Canine Heritage Breed Test, has donated a number of tests to the Petfinder blog, and we will soon resume our popular "What's That Mutt?" features.

Even better: one lucky reader's dog will be selected to receive a free Canine Heritage Breed Test and get featured on the Petfinder blog.

Find out how to enter your dog after the jump.

Soon to be released at select theaters across the U.S., MINE takes a heart-wrenching yet redemptive look at the struggle of Hurricane Katrina survivors to locate and reclaim their beloved pets as they rebuild their lives.

This striking film delves into the complex world of rescue and rehoming pets when their original parents were forced to leave them behind -- a hard subject for pet parents, pet lovers and anyone in the animal welfare industry. (Find a screening near you.)

We caught up with Geralyn Pezanoski, Director of the award-winning documentary, to ask her to tell us a little more about her creation:

Why did you make this film?
A few weeks after Katrina, I got an email from a friend who had been in New Orleans rescuing animals. Her pictures stunned me.

As the months went on, ... I started hearing stories of people encountering serious resistance to getting their pets back. There was so much wrong with this situation, yet everyone seemed to be trying to do the right thing. I had to tell this story.

Find out more about MINE and the Hurricane Katrina rescues after the jump.

Today's guest blogger, Dr. Lauren Brickman, started as a veterinary technician at Garden City Park in 1997 and went on to veterinary school at Ross University. She currently writes a popular pet health and care column for Petside.com that she has shared with us today.

Q: I have a four-year-old Yorkie/Fox Terrier mix who has had two seizures since September.

The first was during a thunderstorm -- he takes Acepromazine (ACE) for those -- about 45 minutes after his dose. The vet told me it was probably due to the storm and excitement.

Then, about three weeks ago, he had another one -- at home during a quiet evening.

What causes seizures in a healthy dog?

Read Dr. Lauren's answer after the jump.

Woman's Day magazine recently scoured the United States looking for "Women Who Are Changing the World." What they found is a collection of 50 brilliant, established and passionate women who are doing just that.

Imagine our Petfinder pride when our co-founder, Betsy Saul, joined the ranks of the other selected women, including Michelle Obama, Bette Midler and Oprah. (Read the whole list here.)

"I was really surprised when I heard. I couldn't believe it because just a few years ago I don't think homeless pets would have hit their radar for 'world changing.'" Besty remarked about the article.

"This is evidence that all the hard work that we've been doing at Petfinder -- and the work the shelter and rescue folks have been doing -- is making a difference. I hope that everyone in animal welfare can share that validation with me and use it to power more great work."

A New York dog has contracted the first confirmed case of the H1N1 Swine Flu virus to occur in domesticated U.S. dogs, according to a recent CBS News report.

Though the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) had previously recorded cases of the Swine Flu occurring in cats, ferrets and poultry, no U.S. cases of human-to-dog transmission had been confirmed until now.

The 13-year-old mixed breed male, which is recovering, apparently caught the virus from its owner. But Michael San Filippo, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said there's no evidence that the flu strain can be transmitted from a pet to a person.

"In theory it could happen, but so far it's really looking like a dead end in pets," he said. (CBS News)

According to the AVMA's Swine Flu FAQ sheet, pet parents shouldn't panic or consider giving up their pets for fear of infection. So help spread the word to other pet parents!

You are much more likely to catch the flu (any type of flu, including the 2009 H1N1 flu) from an infected person than you are from an animal. So far, all of the pets infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus became infected from being around their ill owners. (AVMA Swine Flu FAQ sheet)

Experts are still unsure how serious the Swine Flu strain is in dogs and cats, due to the relatively small number of confirmed cases. While the New York dog is recovering, fatalities have been reported in both cats and ferrets.

Get flu symptoms and prevention tips after the jump.