Petfinder Blog

Today's guest blogger, Shauna, is a proud pet parent. She has shared her popular and entertaining blog about "dogs and other messy things," Fido and Wino, with us in preparation for Valentine's Day.

As Valentine's Day approaches you could be thinking a couple of things. Maybe you're contentedly daydreaming about perforated paper bunny cards, too-hot cinnamon hearts and the various secret admirers you are sure to have doting on you this year.

Or perhaps you are thinking, "Ugh."

You're not alone. Yahoo News reports that one in five people would prefer to spend Valentine's Day with their pet over their partner.

So here are the top ten reasons why a dog makes a better date this Valentine's Day:

1. Dogs don't talk. I could elaborate, but I think we can all agree this is a good thing.


2. If you worry your dog will destroy your lovely home four seconds after you step out the door, you can put him in a crate. The authorities frown upon this when it comes to dates.

Find out the other eight reasons after the jump!

Melinda Stewart, who volunteers at Dent County Animal Welfare Society in Salem, Missouri, sent us a good holiday homecoming story. She recently went to the shelter and saw a pitiful little Shih Tzu the rescue was calling Star. 

"[Star] had eye infections in both eyes," Melinda says. "She had green coming from her nose, and a chest cough that rattled. She had just gotten back from the vet where she'd had to be sedated to be shaved because the mats were so tight." (See Star's dramatic shaved picture after the jump.) Despite Star's discomfort, her sweet nature shined through. 

Melinda brought her home so the Shih Tzu could have a quiet place to heal. Meanwhile, Star was listed on Petfinder.

Two weeks later, Melinda got a phone call from someone who had seen Star's Petfinder profile. The person thought the dog had been stolen from his backyard four months earlier.

"He described her to a tee," Melinda says. Star even seemed to respond to "Bobbie Sue," the name of the man's lost dog.

Bobbie Sue's parents were soon on their way, hoping to retrieve their beloved companion.

Still, it seemed unlikely that Star was their dog. Bobbie Sue went missing 50 miles north of Kansas City and Star was found in Montauk, a four or five hour drive away. How could a dog, weighing less than ten pounds, make it over 200 miles from home?

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!"

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.

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.

We are always looking for new voices to help engage, educate and inform our readers.

We regularly highlight animal-welfare professionals and other guest bloggers who have unique perspectives on pet adoption and care.

What we are looking for:

• Pet-care tips and tricks
• Ideas for pet lovers and advocates
• Top 10 lists
• Inspirational adoption campaigns or news
• Problems solved and how you solved them
• Pet-related pictures and video
• Useful, helpful or engaging information
  
• Content that reflects on a previous Petfinder blog post
  
• The sky's the limit! Just stick to your area of expertise.
  

If you can share your insights with us in 800 words or fewer, please e-mail us at "Jane (at) Petfinder dot-com."

We will follow up with our guidelines for guest posts and how material should be submitted for consideration.

We look forward to hearing from you!

A while back I posted some photos of cool animal-rescue tattoos and asked you to send in yours. Well here are the results!

Kelly writes:

"I saw the pictures of people's rescue tattoos and definitely thought my friend Lisa from Athens, GA, should be added to the list. She is extremely dedicated to animal welfare and takes her rescue efforts very seriously -- especially the spay and neuter part, as the photo shows! Thanks for letting me share and remember to always SPAY and NEUTER!"



From Kay:

"Here's my contribution. It's my dog's actual pawprint. I took an ink pad and got his pawprint. I had the guy tattoo everything that came out on the piece of paper, even where his fur had smudged the ink.

"The pawprint is of my 11-year-old dog, Simba. I've had him since I was 10 years old. He's the whole reason I got into rescue and I love dogs so much. He's taught me so much and he'll forever be a part of me, not only on my skin, but in my heart. Now I share my heart with three other rescued dogs and it's all thanks to him."

More pics after the jump!

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).

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'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.

Last month, we asked subscribers to our newsletter: What healthy human foods do you prepare for both you and your pet?

The replies ran the gamut from A (steamed artichoke leaves) to Z (zucchini). Besides meats, raw carrots were mentioned most often.

As for fruit, bananas were a favorite, although Cheryl C.'s potbellied pig, Harley, loves to eat papaya. "I cut it in chunks and he eats it with a smile on his face, smacking as he eats," she writes.

Here's another fun answer we received:

Kirby, our little Pomeranian mix, loves raw baby carrots. Our Chow Chow tried them, only because she saw Kirby eating them with such gusto. Afraid that she might be missing out on a good thing, she decided to beg for one; she really, really tried to like it, but the faces she made reminded me of a little kid trying to eat Brussels sprouts. Just too funny! But she at least tried a healthy snack; that's more than I can say about my husband.

New pet parent Martha writes:

Hello! We recently adopted two terrific mixed breed dogs, Jake and Tycho, and can now, more than ever, appreciate all the wonderful work you do. We have produced a public service announcement video starring Jake and Tycho that we want to share with you.

Thanks Martha!

(You can also check out the video on the Petfinder.com Foundation YouTube channel!)

This just in from a Petfinder.com reader:

We were growing increasingly concerned: Perseus, our new cat, had not been using his kitty litter box.

Then one evening we heard someone in the bathroom and found Perseus perched on the toilet doing his business.

Our three shelter dogs are amazed and love to run in and watch him.

The moral of the story? Adopted pets are full of (wonderful!) surprises.