Rockers The All-American Rejects (AAR) want to help spread the word about how great adoptable pets are. And they should know: Guitarist Nick Wheeler's adopted dog, Dexter, is their unofficial fifth member and joins them on all their U.S. tours! (Read Nick's Happy Tail.)

So all year, AAR will be working with Petfinder to help other pets find homes and to give back to those who help. First up: Three lucky Petfinder fans will win tickets to see AAR in concert and a signed copy of their new album, Kids in the Street. (Find out how to enter here.)

Check back often to learn more about how AAR and Petfinder are working together to help homeless pets. Plus: Don't miss more adorable photos of Dex after the jump.

Nick Wheeler plays guitar in The All-American Rejects (AAR). Here he shares how he adopted his dog, Dexter, who has become the band's unofficial fifth member. (Like Petfinder on Facebook and enter for a chance to win tickets to see The All-American Rejects in concert, plus a signed copy of their new album, Kids in the Street!)

We got off the road in late 2009. A song called "Gives You Hell" had literally taken us around the world twice that year. It's always a head trip when the tour is over and you get plopped back down in reality. This time was different, however. There was definitely something missing in my life.

My family dog, Chiquita (whose portrait I got tattooed on my left leg on an episode of L.A. Ink), was in very poor health, and I had seen her for what I knew would probably be the last time when I was home over Christmas. So I decided that I would take take full advantage of the time off ahead and adopt myself a puppy dog!

I asked a friend in Santa Rosa Beach, FL -- where I was living at the time -- if he knew of any shelters in the area. He told me about Alaqua Animal Refuge (AAR, coincidentally) and all the work they do in the community. So my buddy Tex and I made the trip up to Freeport [where the shelter is located] the very next day.

That's where I met a little man by the name of Buster. Knowing full well my affinity for animal-print stuff (faux, of course), Tex said, "You HAVE TO get him -- he looks just like one of your guitar straps!" He was talking about Buster's tiger-stripe-like brindle coloring. So I snapped this picture and went home to think about whether or not it really was fair for the little guy to go home with a touring musician.

It's an election year (duh). And our friends over at Animal Planet have launched Decision 2012, a yearlong campaign pitting Cats against Dogs (with a challenge from the "Menagerie" Party) to determine once and for all which species is America's favorite pet.

Nominations and voting in the "Cutest" category are open now, so visit the site to upload a photo or video of your own best candidate -- and show your rescue pride by adding the #adopted hashtag. Then check out and vote on the other nominees (and search #adopted to see and vote on fellow formerly homeless cuties).

Over the course of the year, nominations and voting will open up in the Smartest, Most Talented, Most Athletic and Funniest categories. The pets with the highest ratings from each category will move onto the "general election" in November, and the final vote will determine which species is elected America's Favorite.

After the jump: Learn more about how Decision 2012 works.

Our friends at Animal Planet are running a contest: Puppies vs. Babies. Voting begins Oct. 22 and in the end, the top puppy and baby will go head-to-head in a battle of the cutest. Submit a photo of your canine or human cutie and you could win $5,000!

While my 11-year-old Pit Bull is no longer a puppy and my 23-month-old daughter is now more toddler than baby, the contest got me thinking back to how being a pet parent was in some ways good practice for having a newborn.

So if you're a pet parent considering having kids, take heart: You're more prepared than you think. Here's why:

You're already responsible for another life. For petless folks, having a baby represents a big loss of freedom -- no more spontaneous weekends in Paris (well, okay, my life was never like that, but it's nice to think someone's is!). But if you have a pet, you're used to thinking about someone else when you make plans.

You understand non-verbal communication. A newborn is a bundle of needs -- for food, sleep, comfort and going to the bathroom -- with no language to express them. Sound familiar? Pet parents have already learned the subtle art of reading body language, a skill that persists regardless of whether that body is furry and four-legged or otherwise.

Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet Day is March 15 -- but the impact has already been huge.

More than 60 blogs and other websites have pledged to spread the word about pet adoption on March 15, and many have already started.

Here are some of the great ways adoptable pets are taking over the web on March 15:

• Adoptable-pet photo galleries: Oprah.com (yes, that's the Oprah) and PeoplePets.com will treat their millions of visitors to galleries of Petfinder pets.


• LOL adoptable pets: We hope you've been captioning Petfinder photos at ICanHasCheezburger.com! On March 15, the site will be spotlighting the photos with the funniest captions.


• Homepage takeovers: Our friends at Dogster and Catster will be dedicating their entire homepages to pet adoption!


• Today's top story: Pet-news sites PetSugar and AOL's PawNation will be blogging about pet adoption throughout the day.


• Prizes for pledgers: BISSELL is giving away 10 Pet Hair Eraser Vacuums to people who take our pledge to tell at least one person about pet adoption on March 15.


• Adoptable pets on Facebook: You can already search Petfinder pets on IAMS's Facebook page. IAMS has also been posting pet-adoption Happy Tails on Facebook, and will change its profile photo to an Adopt the Internet Day graphic on March 15.


• Wall of Fame: Each day next week, AnimalPlanet.com will post an adorable Petfinder pet on its Wall of Fame.

Throughout December, we're giving you a great reason to sign up for the Petfinder newsletter: Each week, one new subscriber will win two awesome pet products from Animal Planet!

WEEK ONE: Subscribe between Dec. 1 and 5 for a chance to win a portable pet house and a pet fountain!
The Animal Planet Fold and Go Portable Pet House is made of soft foam that's lightweight yet durable, folds flat for travel or storage and includes a padded base for added comfort. At 18" x 18" x 17" H, it fits small and medium-sized dogs.
The Animal Planet Bubbling Pet Fountain is designed to prevent stagnant water and is ideal for cats and dogs of all sizes.
Read the official rules.

WEEK TWO: Subscribe between Dec. 6 and 12 for a chance to win a small pet bed and pet stairs!
The Animal Planet Small Round Pet Bed fits pets up to 25 lbs. It features a washable fleece cover that's warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Measures 23" in diameter x 6" H. Chose from multiple colors.
The Animal Planet Pet Ladder is lightweight and easily folds for storage. Measures 15" W x 19" H.
Read the official rules.

WEEK THREE: Subscribe between Dec. 13 and 19 for a chance to win a pet blanket and a zip-up travel pet bed!
The Animal Planet Pet Blanket is made of ultra-soft fleece. Use it at home on your pet's favorite sofa or chair; use it in the car or RV to keep pet hair off upholstery. Measures 6' x 6'.
The Animal Planet Zip Up Bed has a zipper so it's easy to open and close for convenient traveling. The bed measures 28" in diameter when fully opened.
Read the official rules.

WEEK FOUR: Subscribe between Dec. 20 and 26 for a chance to win a retractable leash with flashlight and a large pet bed!
The Animal Planet Retractable Pet Leash with Flashlight features a 16-foot retractable cord leash with a 4-foot nylon leader and mini cleanup-bag storage space built in. It also has a removable slide-top light for nighttime walks! The leash supports dogs up to 80 lbs.
The Animal Planet Large Pet Bed has a removable cover for easy cleaning. Measures 28" W x 34" L.
Read the official rules.

Even if you don't win, you can still purchase these and other great Animal Planet pet products. Best of all, each purchase benefits Animal Planet's R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) program, whose non-profit partners include the Petfinder.com Foundation. So you can buy a great gift for your pet, and help homeless pets at the same time!

Subscribe to the Petfinder newsletter now for your chance to win!

We're giving away four copies of the new book, Every Dog Has a Gift: True Stories of Dogs Who Bring Hope and Healing into Our Lives.

By Rachel McPherson, founder of the therapy-dog organization The Good Dog Foundation, Every Dog Has a Gift is about dogs who help people in incredible ways. Whether by lending an ear to a traumatized young girl, providing peaceful companionship during the final stages of life, or being an audience to a child as he practices reading, the dogs highlighted in this book are heroes to the lives they touch.

Want to win a copy? Leave a comment below and tell us what gift your pet has brought to YOUR life. Comments can be as long or as short as you like, just include the hashtag "#PFgiveaway," use a valid Facebook account or give us your email and post your comment before 11:59 pm April 17.

Four commenters will be randomly selected to receive a copy of Every Dog Has a Gift. (Terms & Conditions)

I look forward to hearing from you!