Petfinder Blog

Plenty of Super Bowl ads featured dogs last night, but our favorite was Bud Light's "Rescue Dog." The spot features Weego, a real-life adopted dog who fetches Bud Light whenever anyone says, "Here, Weego!" (Or "Here we go.")

Even better, Bud Light has pledged to donate $1 to help the adoptable pets at Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, CA, for every new "like" to Bud Light's Facebook page.

I'm a little crazy (a tyrant?) about New Year's resolutions. I always bite off more than I can chew and, because I'm a little compulsive, I end up chewing on my overly-tough resolution all year long. Much wiser people make manageable resolutions or cry uncle in mid-January, retooling as necessary.

Petfinder itself may be a byproduct of this dogged (woof woof) obsession with resolution-setting and -keeping. It was in the spirit of the new year (1996) and making a difference that we decided the perfect website -- channeling all the powerful features the web had to offer -- would serve to help homeless pets.

As we enter our 16th year and somewhere around 20 million lives saved, my obsessive resolution-keeping has forever been reinforced.

My favorite personal resolution resulted in a permanent habit that has, more than any other, improved my quality of life. The idea came from Petfinder co-founder Jared Saul. We resolved that our dogs would get three good walks a day -- even though we had a fenced yard -- every single day of the year, regardless of the weather.

The benefits of walking at least three miles a day with your dog are obvious, but for me it has been the gratification of never, ever feeling guilty about them being bored or under-stimulated or under-exercised, which is something that really plagues me.

I also experienced the world, with all its seasonality, with my best friends in a way I would have never done otherwise. I was the eccentric walking around the neighborhood no matter the time of day or the weather -- donning my toasty (and puffy) Carhartt overalls when we lived in New Jersey or my zesty chili-pepper "sunbrella" in Tucson. (By the way, in my version of this resolution, other people walking my dogs counts.) Sixteen years later, my dogs can still count on three walks a day, although Jake, the fence climber, doesn't always wait for us. And old Jim usually opts out if the sky threatens rain.

After the jump: Betsy's resolutions that didn't work out so well.

Last year we asked you to post your holiday pet photos in our Share the Love gallery. For each photo uploaded, Iams pledged to donate a meal to an animal organization in need.

Thanks to you, Iams will donate more than 1,300 meals to homeless pets!

After the jump: See some of our favorite funny holiday pet photos.

2011 may be gone, but its stories won't be forgotten.

I'll never forget the horror I felt when I discovered that one of the canine stars of the Harry Potter films was homeless. Or the joy of watching tornado victim Judy Pugh find her missing cat during her interview with CNN.

We pulled together a list of our most-read stories of 2011 and included them all after the jump. Did you see them all?

Ole, a Welsh Corgi, somehow lived through a Wyoming avalanche that killed his guardian. Ole had been missing for four days and was presumed dead, but this week he turned up outside the motel room where his family had been staying, Reuters reports. (Read the original story here.)

On Dec. 31, David Gaillard, 44, and his wife, Kerry, brought Ole along as they went cross-country skiing near Yellowstone National Park. They inadvertently triggered the fatal avalanche.

Kerry survived by clinging to a tree, but neither she nor rescuers who searched for David saw any sign of Ole, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

After the avalanche, the grieving Kerry returned to her home in Bozeman, MT. Four days later, Ole showed up outside the Cooke City, MT, hotel room where the family had stayed.

After the jump: Details about Ole's reappearance.

Maria is a senior citizen in Florida. The government maintains that she lives alone. Maria begs to differ. She says she lives with her best friend, who just happens to be a Chihuahua.

One of Maria's many challenges is getting outside. Her dog is litterbox trained. However, buying pet food isn't easy for Maria -- she has to depend on others to do the shopping. Moreover, she has trouble paying for the food.

"There's no question that this dog has in so many ways changed Maria's life, so being able to provide proper pet food for Maria has made an enormous difference," says Enid Borden, president and CEO of the Meals on Wheels Association of America.

Learn more about the program, how you can help and how to get help if you can't afford your pet's food after the jump.

We asked shelters and rescue groups to tell us the most wacky or unusual names for adoptable pets in their care this year. Here are our favorites.

2011's Most Unusual Adoptable-Pet Names

1. Dodgy Wodgy Schnookum Doodle
2. Polly Picklepuss
3. Sukimayapoo
4. Iben Hooked (pictured)
5. Blue Sparkles McGillicutty
6. Killer the Dog-Dominating Declawed Cat
7. Purr-etzle
8. Fluff Dog Millionaire
9. Jimmy Chews
10. Ishkabibble

After the jump: Our favorite celebrity-
inspired adoptable-pet names of 2011!

Each year we look through the 300,000+ pets listed on Petfinder to find the top names for adoptable dogs and cats.

For the fifth year in a row, Buddy was the No. 1 dog name, while Lucy is again the top cat name.

The top five most popular dog names stayed the same as in 2010, but cats are a different story: Smokey and Charlie moved up to the No. 2 and No. 4 spots, respectively, while Midnight dropped to tenth after coming in second last year.

As the Twilight saga remains hot in bookstores and theaters, the name Bella, for both adoptable dogs and cats, has remained popular since 2010.

See the most popular dog and cat names after the jump.

Animal Planet's new series Saved (Mondays at 8 p.m. ET) recently featured the story of the Pieters family in Lancaster, PA, and their adopted Terrier mix, Jack. The family adopted Jack to be a companion to their young daughter, Maya, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian Syndrome. CBPS causes partial paralysis of facial muscles, which results in difficulty eating and swallowing. The disease is also associated with seizures.

Jack's company helped Maya's confidence blossom -- and, four years after he was adopted, when 7-year-old Maya suffered her first grand mal seizure, he literally saved her life by sensing her distress and alerting her parents.

We spoke with Maya's mother, Michelle, about Jack's amazing feat and what he means to her family. Watch the video from Saved above, then read our exclusive interview.

PETFINDER: What made you decide to adopt a dog?
MICHELLE PIETERS: Many of Maya's therapists and doctors were the ones to suggest us getting a dog. This was prior to and after her diagnosis of Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian Syndrome in October 2003.

Maya was very lonely -- her brother, sister and dad were all gone to school all day. She socially did not fit in and really never left my side all day and all night long. None of us except for Mary Elise, Maya's sister, were keen on getting a dog.

Finally Mary Elise pleaded enough so we started checking the Humane League of Lancaster County on a weekly basis. Maya was behind in all developmental areas and was in extensive therapies: speech, physical and occupational. She was very resistant to all of these therapists, especially those that had to deal with her oral motor skills.

A heroic dog lost his own life saving his human dad's yesterday morning. According to local news reports, when a fire broke out in Scott Dunn's Cobb County, GA, home, his 3-year-old Boxer, Duncan, alerted Dunn but later died in the blaze.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dunn fell asleep on his couch Monday night, and was awakened by Duncan around 3:30 a.m.

"He was poking at me and barking," Dunn told the paper. "Normally, that means he needs to go out, but when I woke up, I couldn't see because there was smoke."

Dunn got dressed and grabbed the dog by the collar, but "Duncan planted his heels and wouldn't come," says WSB-TV reporter Amanda Cook. (Watch her report.)

National news outlets are heralding Wausau, WI, firefighters for saving a yellow Lab from a burning house -- and reviving him using mouth-to-snout CPR.

On Tuesday, Kim Carlson arrived home to find her house in flames. Her fiance's 17-year-old son, Dwight Borchardt, had already gotten the family's Border Collie and two cats out, but 7-year-old Koda was still inside.

"I was prepared to douse myself with water to get him," Carlson told local news station WSAW. "[My fiance] said, 'You can't, Kim, you cannot go,' and I said, 'I have to get that dog, I love him.' "

She ran into the house anyway, but the smoke was so thick she had to turn back. After firefighters put out the blaze, they found Koda in a bedroom, unconscious.

"When they laid him down on the ground, we could see that he was struggling quite a bit to breathe," firefighter Jared Thompson told WSAW. He and fellow firefighter Jamie Giese began administering CPR and giving Koda oxygen.

When the two appeared on the TODAY show on Friday, Giese told Matt Lauer, "I have never been trained in [CPR for pets]. ... We could tell he was trying to breathe, and our training for humans is airway, breathing, circulation. We had no tools handy, so it was mouth-to-snout.'' They were able to revive Koda, who was rushed to an animal hospital.

A West Fargo, ND, man and his assistant recently proved themselves strong-armed and soft-hearted by pulling three kittens to safety out of a wasps' nest. Jim Johnson, who is being hailed as a hero by cat bloggers, talked to Petfinder about his adventure.

On Oct. 7, Johnson, owner of Jim Johnson Construction, had stopped by a property to do some work when his assistant Eric heard a mewling sound. They discovered the source in a nearby basement window well, where three 3-week-old kittens were trapped inches from a nest of wasps.

The situation was bad -- two of the kittens were unconscious and covered in wasps; the third was trying to fight off the stinging insects.

Jim didn't think twice about helping them, despite the fact that wasp stings are painful -- and potentially deadly to those who are allergic. "When you see something
in dire straits, you just have to act," he tells us. 

Jim told Eric to cut the plastic cover off the window well with his utility knife while Jim retrieved a large pine board he planned to use to kill the wasps. But as soon as Jim swatted a few wasps, more started to swarm.

Jim switched tactics. He put on Eric's sweater -- it was big enough to come down over his hands -- and reached into the window well to pull the kittens out.

Berry, the black, senior German Shepherd who played the canine form of the character Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, has been relinquished to German Shepherd Dog Rescue in the U.K.

Fox News recently reported that 10-year-old Berry and his 13-year-old canine companion, Porridge, were given up by a professional stuntman who didn't have enough time for them anymore. (Read the full story here.)

The news comes on the heels of Petfinder's Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week, which highlighted the pets who can be the hardest for shelters and rescue groups to find homes for, including senior pets and pets with darker fur colors. (See which pets are the hardest to place here.)

I've long had a disaster plan that includes my pets; after all, I'm a born-and-raised New Yorker who was here for 9/11 and the blackout of 2003. But when Hurricane Irene struck, I realized my plan had a gaping hole in it: What if I'm not around during the disaster?

This weekend I was in Tysons Corner, VA, for the BlogPaws pet-bloggers conference. At the time, the worst of Irene was supposed to hit around there, so I didn't think twice about leaving my pets behind in my family's capable hands.

But then Mayor Bloomberg ordered an evacuation of lower Manhattan. Was my neighborhood next? And, if so, would my family be able to get themselves and our pets out without my help? No.

I raced back to New York and got home just before Irene hit. Thankfully, leaking windows and fallen tree branches were the worst damage we saw. But the whole thing made me all too aware of what could have happened if I hadn't have been home to help.

Count this as a lesson learned: From now on, any time I go away for a few days without my pets, I'll be sure to take some precautions. After the jump: Things to consider before you next leave town.

As Hurricane Irene threatens the Northeast, we want all of you who are within the storm's path to be prepared to keep all family members safe.

Visit our Disaster Preparedness and Pets to find disaster preparedness tips in English and Spanish, downloadable disaster preparedness kit checklists for many pet species, and information on evacuating.

Here are a few important things you can do now to be prepared:

1. Make sure all cats and dogs are wearing securely fastened collars with up-to-date identification.
   
   
2. If you must or are planning to evacuate, remember that some community shelters may not accept pets. Check beforehand, and then look into other arrangements as soon as possible, such as having your pet stay with a friend, family member or reputable kennel. Also have pet carriers on-hand and in an accessible place near the front door.
   
   
3. Contact your local animal shelter, elected official or emergency management office to inquire what pet disaster plans are in place.
   
   
4. Assemble a pet disaster kit including your pet's medical records, medications, name and number of veterinarian, a first aid kit, collars and leashes, food, water, bowls and a manual can opener, cat litter and pan and a photo of your pet.
   
   
5. Make sure you have an appropriately-sized crate or carrier for each animal. Pets will be more welcome in an emergency sheltering situation if they are contained. Ask friends, relatives or others outside the affected area whether they could shelter your animals temporarily.
   
   
6. Contact hotels and motels outside your immediate area to check policies on accepting pets and ask about restrictions on numbers, size and species. Ask if "no pet" policies could be waived in an emergency.
   
   
7. Bring pets inside well in advance of the hurricane so you don't have to search for them if you have to evacuate. As the hurricane approaches, call ahead to confirm your emergency shelter arrangements.

After the jump: Links to our disaster-preparedness content.

At the funeral of slain officer Jon Tumilson in Iowa earlier this week, his dog Hawkeye walked up to his casket, laid down beside it and would not leave his late master's side.

Our friends at Animal Planet's Daily Treat blog report on the heartbreaking story:

Navy SEAL U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson was among the 30 American troops killed August 6 when Taliban insurgents downed their Chinook helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade. At his funeral in Iowa, his dog Hawkeye paid his last respects by walking up to the casket, laying down in front of it, and heaving a sigh.

[Tumilson's cousin Lisa] Pembleton wrote on Facebook that Hawkeye was Tumilson's loyal pet who wouldn't leave his master's side during the funeral in Rockford, Iowa.

As wild animals find their habitats shrinking, they're increasingly venturing into human-populated areas in search of food -- and for predators who hunt small animals, your pet may look like food.

And it doesn't matter where you live. A small dog in suburban Woodbridge, CT, was fatally attacked, possibly by a coyote, fisher or bobcat, last week while left alone in his front yard for less than five minutes.

Attacks like that one are not isolated to the Northeast (a coyote killed Jessica Simpson's dog in L.A. in 2009) or to dogs (in NYC last month, a hawk snatched a cat off a terrace, although it eventually dropped the overweight feline, who lived).

After the jump, find out how you can keep your pet safe from predators.

If you've ever been to a Tractor Supply Company store, you already know they go way beyond tractors. With a wide range of pet supplies available, Tractor Supply Company is celebrating Pet Appreciation Week in all its stores nationwide Aug. 3-7.

The main pet event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 6, with adoptable pets from Petfinder shelters and rescue groups at most of the 1,000+ Tractor Supply Company locations around the U.S., as well as giveaways, nutrition demonstrations and more.

Petfinder was thrilled when Tractor Supply Company reached out to us with the idea of in-store pet adoption to celebrate Pet Appreciate Week. What better way to appreciate pets than by supporting pet adoption and, perhaps, adopting a new best friend?

Visit TractorSupply.com/PAW for more information on Pet Appreciation Week and to find a Tractor Supply Company store near you.

Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper, recently adopted a kitten from the Ottowa Humane Society.

Then, in a truly democratic move, he decided to let the public name the cat. Fans of Harper's Facebook page were asked to vote for one of six names: Smokie, Vingt-quatre, Stanley, Earl Grey, Griffin and Gandalf. One soon became the clear favorite.

"Stanley is the winning name! Thank you to those who voted," Harper announced on Facebook in June. "We encourage everyone to adopt their animals from the many wonderful animal shelters across the country."

On Friday, Harper posted the below video of Stanley to his Google+ page. But Stanley isn't the only homeless pet to
benefit from Harper's advocacy: The PM is a longtime cat foster parent who has sections on his official website about fostering pets and pet adoption (including a weekly featured adoptable pet). To which we can only say, Go, Canada!  



Tell us: Would knowing a politician adopted a pet help sway your vote?

California lawmakers are considering making microchipping shelter and rescue animals mandatory in what could be the first major microchipping law in the US. Senate Bill 702, sponsored by California Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, would require that all dogs and cats be microchipped before being adopted or returned to their owners, in the case of lost pets.

Advocates of the bill hope to increase the number of lost pets returned to their homes and reduce the cost of caring for lost pets.

The Associated Press reports (read the full article here):

California taxpayers pay about $300 million every year to impound 1 million dogs and cats, house them and euthanize half of them, according to the Cities and Counties Annual Reports submitted to the state controller. Thirteen percent of lost pets entering shelters in California are reunited
with owners, Lieu said, but studies show that number could grow to 75 percent with chips.

Dr. Linda K. Lord, associate dean for student affairs at Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, studied 53 shelters in 23 states between August 2007 and March 2008. Co-authors included another veterinarian, a humane society representative and a consultant to a Canadian pharmaceutical company, which was also parent to a microchip manufacturer.

They found shelters located owners of microchipped pets in three out of four cases.

When owners couldn't be found, it was because of incorrect or outdated contact information in the chipmaker's registration database, Lord said.

Opponents of the bill cite health concerns for the pets and taking the choice away from pet parents. However, when the Associated Press interviewed four veterinarians about the risks of microchips they stressed that -- when inserted properly -- health risks to the pet are unlikely.

Tell us: Do you believe all shelter and rescue pets should be microchipped?

On Monday we brought you five ways to keep your indoor cat cool. Today, we're going to the dogs. Help keep your dog safe and healthy during the heat wave with these tips:

1. Watch out for heatstroke. Symptoms include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting and collapse. If you think your dog may have heatstroke, get the vet ASAP -- the condition can cause permanent organ damage and death.
   
   Breeds with shorter noses (such as Pugs, Shi Tzus, Pekingese, Bulldogs and Boxers) as well as very young and senior dogs are especially vulnerable. Learn more about heatstroke in pets.


2. Give your dog extra water. You will need to refill your dog's water bowl more often than usual on very hot days.
   
   
3. Offer your dog several ways to cool off. Leave a fan on in a place where your dog can sit in front of it, add some ice cubes to his water or offer him a cool treat. (A Kong that's stuffed with wet food or peanut butter, then frozen, is cooling and a great way to keep your dog entertained.)


4. Never leave your dog alone inside a car. Even with the windows cracked, the inside of a car can heat up to 120 degrees in a matter of minutes on a warm day. And leaving the air conditioning on is no guarantee that your dog will be safe. Watch this PSA about pets in hot cars.


5. Take your walks in the morning or evening. The intense heat of midday can overwhelm your dog during a walk. Exercise your dog during the cooler hours and, if your dog is in the sun for an extended period of time, apply doggie sunscreen. Learn more about sunscreen for pets.


6. Don't leave your dog outside for more than a few minutes. Even in the shade, a dog exposed to extreme heat and humidity is at risk for heatstroke.


7. Avoid hot sidewalks. Your dog's paws can easily become burned on hot surfaces, including pavement, blacktop and sand.


8. Brush your dog regularly. A clean, untangled coat can help ward off summer skin problems and help your dog stay cool. If you want to give your dog a haircut, and your vet thinks it will help him cope with the heat, keep his fur at least one inch long to protect him from the sun. (Shaving down to the skin is not recommended.)
   


9. Be alert for coolant leaking from your vehicle. Dogs are attracted to the sweet taste of coolant, and just a small amount can make your dog sick -- or even cause death. If you believe your dog may have ingested coolant, take him to the vet right away.

To learn more about keeping your dog healthy and comfortable during these hot months, check out our Summer Pet Safety section.

The temperature is soaring, and it's only going to get hotter. Make sure you know how to keep your cat safe in the summer heat.

Bunny, a DSH, is keeping cool at Virtually Home Cats in Chicago.
1. Watch out for heatstroke. Symptoms include panting, lethargy, drooling, fever, vomiting and collapse. If you think your cat may have heatstroke, get the vet ASAP -- the condition can cause permanent organ damage and death. Learn more about heatstroke in pets. 


2. Offer your cat several ways to cool off. Leave a fan on in a place where your cat can sit in front of it, add some ice cubes to her water or offer her a cool treat (check out our recipe for catsicles.)
   


3. Let your cat find cool spots in the house. Your cat will seek out the cooler parts of your home, so make sure she has access to areas with tile floors or rooms that don't get much sun.
   
   
4. Play in the morning or evening. Any exercise should take place during the cooler hours of the day. This is especially important for young kittens and seniors, both of whom are very vulnerable to heatstroke. (If your cat has just eaten, make sure you give her some time to digest before you begin playtime.)
   


5. Brush your cat often. A well-groomed, tangle-free coat will help keep your cat cool. (Learn more about grooming your cat.)
   

To learn more about summer pet safety -- including how to put sunscreen on your cat! -- check out our Summer Pet Safety section.
 

A three-part study recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that pets make us happier, healthier and better-adjusted.

While plenty of research shows that pets help sick people heal, this is the first study to look at the well-being of average pet parents.

The Miami University and Saint Louis University researchers -- who looked at people with dogs, cats, horses, lizards and even a goat -- sought to answer these questions:

1. Do pet parents enjoy better overall physical and mental well-being than people without pets?
2. What social fulfillment do dogs provide, and does it compete with or complement human relationships?
3. Can pets help reduce the sting of social rejection or isolation?

Discovery News reports, "Overall, researchers found pet ownership to be associated with higher self-esteem, higher levels of fitness and lower reports of loneliness among participants."

[The second study,] with a group of 56 dog owners, confirmed the benefits of receiving social support from pets ... seemed to complement existing relationships with humans rather than compete with them.

A third experiment, with a sample of 97 undergrads, looked at participants' reactions to rejection and whether thinking about their pets provided social support. It turns out thinking about pets made people feel just as good as keeping a supportive best friend in mind.

If you needed another reason to adopt a pet, the study comes just in time for our Big Birthday Adoption Weekend! So be sure to share it with your friends when you invite them to attend a birthday adoption event near you.

Steve Dale is host of the nationally syndicated radio show Steve Dale's Pet World and The Pet Minute with Steve Dale. His column, My Pet World (in which this post originally appeared) is carried in more than 100 newspapers nationwide. Steve also serves on the board of directors for the American Humane Association.

Editor's note: Leaving a dog in a hot car is illegal. If you see a dog locked in a hot car and cannot locate the car's owner, notify on-site security personnel if possible or call 911. Learn more about the dangers of leaving a pet in a hot car.

On July 4, Maya Webb, of Bettendorf, IA, went shopping inside a furniture store in Joliet, IL. She left her two Pit Bulls in the car. When she returned, the dogs were found dead. They died of heat stroke.

It was only about 81 degrees out. But the car windows were closed. Webb told police that the dogs were in the car with the engine running and air conditioning on. But police say the engine was not running.

According to various studies -- cars (even with windows open) may heat up to over 100 degrees in as little as 15 minutes when it's 80 degrees outside. Dogs don't cool themselves as efficiently as people, and are more prone to suffer heat stroke. [Learn the signs of heatstroke in dogs and cats here.] Sales records from the store suggest Webb was away about two hours.

Webb was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 4 felony, according to the Chicago Tribune Breaking News. Webb reportedly wept on the scene, but this was absolutely preventable.

©Tribune Media Services, Steve Dale, used with permission.

If you worry that having pets around your kids could make them allergic, you can breathe easy: A new study found that children younger than 1 who live with dogs or cats may actually be 50% less likely to be allergic to pets.

The authors of the study, published in the new issue of the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy (read an abstract), followed more than 560 children from birth to age 18.

They found that boys and girls who lived with cats before age 1 were 50% less likely than those who had not lived with cats to develop cat allergies by adulthood.

When it came to dogs, the same phenomenon held true -- but only for boys. Girls who lived with dogs before age 1 did not see a decreased risk.

Interestingly, having a pet after age 1 did not affect the kids' allergy risk. "The first year of life is the critical period during childhood when indoor exposure to dogs or cats influences sensitization [allergic response] to these animals," the authors write.

Although the research is still new and far from conclusive, it should ease the minds of parents with both kids and pets. Of course, if you or anyone in your household is allergic to pets, check out our tips for living with pet allergies.

A new ruling could save volunteers some hard-earned cash. A California woman who fosters cats for a rescue group went to tax court when the IRS wouldn't let her deduct the expenses she'd racked up caring for the cats -- and the judge ruled in her favor. (Read the Wall Street Journal article about the case.)

Jan Van Dusen, who fosters cats for Berkeley, CA-based Fix Our Ferals, had tried to write off $12,068 she'd spent on cat food, veterinary care, litter, paper towels and other items. Early this month, U.S. Tax Court judge Richard Morrison ruled in her favor.

This is great news for pet foster parents everywhere. The Wall Street Journal reports:

The decision ... paves the way for volunteers of animal-rescue groups like the ASPCA and Humane Society of the U.S. to
deduct unreimbursed expenses
that further the groups' missions, such as fostering stray animals.

But there are three very important criteria you must meet if you want to write off your expenses:

1. The organization you volunteer with must have 501(c)3 status.
2. You must be able to show that your contribution furthers the group's mission.
3. You need a letter from the group acknowledging your donations if they are worth more than $250 (less than $250 and receipts or canceled checks should be enough).

Tell us: What charitable expenses do you write off?

It was recently revealed that the prescription drugs Americans spend the most money on are (in this order): Lipitor, Nexium, Plavix, Advair Diskus and Abilify. 

And this week, Pet Poison Helpline released a look at how those medications affect cats and dogs -- because pets have a tendency to get into their humans' meds.

"Nearly half of the calls we receive are for pets that have accidentally ingested human medications," Pet Poison Helpline's Justine Lee, DVM, says in the press release.

Here's a summary of the report (see a PDF of the full press release here). Note: Even if a substance is considered not highly toxic, call your vet immediately if you think your pet has ingested it. Better safe than sorry.

5. Abilify: Abilify, used to treat depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can cause severe lethargy, vomiting, hyperthermia (overheating) and seizures in your pet, and have a major impact on her heart rate and blood pressure -- if she ingests this drug, take her to the vet ASAP.

4. Advair Diskus: If your dog chews into one of these asthma inhalers, he'll be exposed to high doses of medication and can experience heart arrhythmia, an elevated heart rate, agitation, vomiting and even acute collapse. Another side effect is severe electrolyte abnormalities, which can be deadly. If you think your pet has gotten into this medication, take him to the vet immediately.

3. Plavix: In humans, Plavix inhibits blood clotting and reduces the risk of stroke. It's generally not considered acutely toxic to dogs and cats, and will probably cause only mild vomiting or diarrhea.

2. Nexium: An anti-ulcer medication, Nexium is sometimes given to pets by veterinarians, with mild side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea. If your dog or cat gets into your Nexium, keep a close eye on her, but her symptoms will most likely go away on their own.

1. Lipitor: This cholesterol drug is not considered highly toxic for pets -- your dog or cat will probably have only some vomiting or diarrhea if he ingests it.

I asked Dr. Lee if Pet Poison Helpline's advice on the five medications applies to pets other than cats and dogs, such as rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets and birds.

Want a good cry? Check out this incredible CNN video in which an Alabama woman, showing a reporter her tornado-ravaged home, unexpectedly finds her cat who'd been missing for nearly a month.

Just try not to tear up when you see Judy Pugh standing among the rubble that was her house, hugging her cat and saying, "I have everything in the world now."

Judy was one of thousands left homeless by the storms that ravaged the South last month. (Read about efforts to care for the pets of those affected.)

When the tornado tore the roof off her house, Judy was able to escape with two of her three cats. For weeks, she returned to the site every day to search for the third. 

In a story and video that's gone viral, a mother dog in Cleveland was rescued from beneath a street where she'd been trapped for days after apparently crawling into a deep pothole. (Read the original story on Cleveland's Fox 8 News website.)

The dog was rescued by local adoption group and Petfinder member Secondhand Mutts, whose volunteers have since taken her to the vet and are seeking a foster or forever home for her. Check out Mama Dog's Petfinder listing, and read more about her rescue, here.

We spoke to Secondhand Mutts president and founder Becca Riker, who first learned about Mama's predicament via a Facebook posting on Friday.

"We'd been getting a lot of rain," she tells
us, and the rescue group's volunteers were worried Mama and her eight puppies would drown.

They headed to the scene immediately and, although the pothole was too small for the volunteers to fit through, one was able to coax the dog toward him using wet food and cat treats, slip a lead around her neck and gently pull her to safety.

According to Mama Dog's Petfinder listing, "We then took our camera to the hole to get an idea of where the puppies were so we could attempt to recover them. We were very saddened to find them all buried by Mama Dog, a natural instinct for a mother whose puppies are in distress, so we were unable to save them."

Riker suspects the sweet Lab/Shepherd mix was until recently someone's pet. "Some people were saying she'd been kicked out of a house nearby because she was pregnant," she tells us.

Secondhand Mutts is hoping to find a true forever home for Mama Dog, whom the group says "is very good with people, shows no aggression or fear and we believe would be good with a family with kids. She is snuggly, loveable and knows some basic commands."

Today at 3:30 pm ET, our friends at TreeHugger.com are hosting a live chat with Steven Kotler -- author, journalist and co-founder of Rancho de Chihuahua, a rescue group in Chimayo, NM, that specializes in senior and special-needs Chihuahuas. (See Rancho de Chihuahua's adoptable pets on Petfinder.)

The topic of the chat is "Are Dogs Humankind's Most Important Environmental Issue?" You can watch the chat live -- and participate by typing in text questions below the video player -- here on the Petfinder blog.

Steven argues that dogs may hold the key to reimagining our role within the natural world. As our oldest animal companions, dogs have evolved alongside humans -- and Steven posits that by understanding dogs, we can understand how to live in harmony with the ecosystems we rely on.

Watch the video here at 3:30 today -- and learn more about Steven after the jump:

Nobody likes to think about the death of a pet. But if we understand what diseases are most likely to affect them, we can tailor their veterinary care to give them the best chance at a long and healthy life.

That's the thinking behind a landmark study published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine that looks at the causes of death by breed among nearly 75,000 dogs over a 20-year period.

The authors classified the deaths by organ system (for example, cardiovascular or gastrointestinal) and ailment type (e.g. infectious disease, trauma) for 82 breeds.

Here are the most common causes of death for some popular breeds, with organ system listed first, followed by type of ailment:

• Bulldogs: respiratory; neoplastic (tumors, cancer or other abnormal proliferations of cells)
• Chihuahuas: cardiovascular; trauma
• Golden Retrievers: hematopoietic (diseases of the blood); neoplastic
  
• Great Danes: gastrointestinal; neoplastic
  
• Huskies: gastrointestinal; neoplastic
  
• Maltese: cardiovascular; congenital
  
• Pomeranians: gastrointestinal; trauma
  
• Rottweilers: musculoskeletal; neoplastic
  
• Shih Tzus: urogenital; neoplastic
  

Larger breeds, they found, are more likely to die as a result of cancer, gastrointestinal disease and musculoskeletal disease (disease of the muscle or bone), while smaller breeds are more likely to die from Cushing's disease, diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

The study confirmed some conventional wisdom and offered up some surprises -- find out what after the jump.

Among the information that has emerged about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, there's one particularly interesting detail: The elite team of Navy SEALS included a dog.

The canine commando was most likely a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois, military sources tell the New York Times.

Those breeds " 'have the best overall combination of keen sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to almost any climatic condition,' according to a fact sheet from the military working dog unit."

Discovery News reports that members of the SEALs' dog team "can parachute or rappel into action at a moment's notice" and can be outfitted with "canine tactical assault vests," self-inflating lifejackets, "infrared nightsight cameras and an intruder communication system able to penetrate concrete walls."

And according to a news roundup in the Huffington Post, "The heroic canine was strapped to a member of the SEAL team as he lowered himself and the dog to the ground from a hovering helicopter near the compound."

You may have seen this moving video of the two dogs in earthquake-ravaged Japan, one of them injured, the other refusing to leave his side. After the video was shot, both dogs were rescued and are now safe.

Kenn Sakurai, president of rescue group Butch Japan, posted on his Facebook page:

Those two dogs are rescued. The one which came close to the camera is in the better condition. The other white, gray and black was weak. So it is in the vet clinic in Ibaraki Prefectre. The other dog is in the shelter of the same area. But please know that those two are just the tip of the iceberg. There are more and we need help.

If you want to help other pets in Japan, visit Be the Change for Pets: Paws for Japan, which is fundraising for World Vets.

And if anyone asks you why you care about the animals in an area where so many humans are suffering, remind them that, as we learned on 9/11 and with Hurricane Katrina, being separated from their pets is horribly traumatic for a disaster's human victims.

At least one of the dogs in the video is clearly someone's pet (you can see his collar and tags). Hopefully he can be reunited with his family and give them a measure of comfort amid the devastation.
 

The hot pet story of the moment is about Wall-E, the puppy at Sulphur Animal Shelter in Sulphur, OK, who was believed euthanized, but who survived.

You can read his story on his Petfinder profile, which is maintained by veterinarian Amanda Kloski. Dr. Kloski has been caring for Wall-E since his near-death experience.

(You can also read about Wall-E's story in " 'Euthanized' Dog Rises from the Dead" on DiscoveryNews.com.)

As. Dr. Kloski writes in Wall-E's Petfinder profile, the adorable terrier mix has received hundreds of inquiries from people interested in adopting him. She adds:

In Sulphur we have NEVER had the problem (or BLESSING) of more than one family wishing to adopt a dog so we are new to this concept- most of our dogs do not get this chance or opportunity even ONCE- it is amazing!

So while Wall-E is likely to find a wonderful forever home, it's worth remembering the thousands of dogs out there who are still waiting. If you're determined to adopt Wall-E, check out the 13 other pets named Wall-E who are also listed on Petfinder -- not to mention the 204 adoptable pets named Wally.
 

Discovery News has a story today that says a lot about how long humans and dogs have been part of each other's lives.

Remains of a dog who lived in Siberia more than 7,000 years ago suggest the dog lived and died alongside humans -- who thought highly enough of the canine to give him or her a human-like burial.

The dog was carefully laid to rest lying on his right side in a grave pit that, at other levels, also contained five partial human skeletons.

DNA and stable isotope analysis determined the animal was indeed a dog and that he ate exactly what humans at the site consumed: fish, freshwater seal
meat, deer, small mammals, and some plant foods. (Read the full article at DiscoveryNews.com.)

The dog, like the humans, probably had a tough life. The condition of his spine indicates he was used to carry heavy loads, and other bone fractures suggest he was injured many times, possibly by deer he was hunting. "The researchers cannot rule out that humans hit the dog," Discovery News reporter Jennifer Viegas writes, "but its older age at burial, food provisions, and more suggest otherwise."

In yesterday's vote, Proposition B, the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, passed in Missouri! That's good news for dogs in Missouri's breeding facilities. (Learn more about Prop B.)

The act amends Missouri law to require large-scale dog-breeding operations to provide each dog in their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise; and adequate rest between breeding cycles.

The measure creates a misdemeanor crime, "puppy mill cruelty," for any violations. It also prohibits any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets. Breeders with more than 50 dogs have until November 2011 to reduce their populations.

November is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month! As mom to three "older" cats and one 20-year-old turtle, I consider senior-pet adoption a cause near and dear to my heart.

So this month, I'm challenging everyone to pledge to spread the word by "liking" this post. If you want to do more, we've got ways to help after the jump.

And if you have a friend who's thinking of adopting -- or if you're considering adding a new furry family member yourself -- read and share this list:

10 Reasons Senior Pets Rule:

1. When senior pets are adopted, they seem to understand that they've been rescued, and are all the more thankful for it.


2. A senior pet's personality has already developed, so you'll know if he or she is a good fit for your family.

Saturday, Oct. 23, is National Pit Bull Awareness Day, an event founded in 2007 by Bless the Bullys to rehab the image of the breed once seen as the epitome of the all-American dog.

Unfortunately, today Pits have been so vilified that rarely a week goes by without someone telling me that they "just don't trust" Pit Bulls.

Last week I received a reminder of Pit Bulls' true nature.

Gail is a 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier who was found wondering the streets of the Bronx, covered in cuts, ribs and vertebrae sticking out, fur missing in patches and bloody blisters on her paws.

I first met Gail last week when I went to pick her up from New York City Animal Care & Control's Manhattan shelter. Rescue group Zani's Furry Friends had worked with the shelter to move Gail into a foster home because she'd come down with kennel cough (which, in a crowded shelter, often means euthanasia). I'd volunteered to foster her.

Today marks the start of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month, the perfect time to spread the word about all the wonderful dogs awaiting homes in shelters and with rescue groups nationwide.

It's especially important to remember shelter dogs this year, when the lingering recession has put many shelters in a bad position, with pet relinquishment up and adoptions and donations down.

If you know someone who is planning to get a dog but hasn't decided to adopt, please share this list with them.

5 Reasons to Adopt a Dog

1. You WILL make a difference. If the problem of pets dying in shelters seems overwhelming, think about this: If just one in three people opted to adopt rather than buy a dog, no adoptable dogs would need to be euthanized for lack of a home.
   
2. You will find your perfect match. With more than 174,600 adoptable dogs posted on Petfinder (an estimated 25% of them purebreds), you're certain to find your perfect match.
3. You'll save time and money. Sure, shelters and rescue groups charge adoption fees, but you can easily find a pet who has been vaccinated, spayed or neutered and, quite often, trained. If you were to pay for those services yourself, you'd spend much more.
4. You will receive unconditional love. Ask anyone who's adopted: Rescued dogs just seem to know you saved them (especially older dogs), and they repay that act of kindness a thousandfold. How many times have we heard someone say their shelter pet in fact rescued them?
5. You will not be supporting cruelty. Each dog adopted rather than purchased means less of a market for unhealthy, inbred puppies produced under cruel conditions in puppymill operations throughout the country.

And if you're already planning to adopt a dog, we've got resources to help you choose your perfect match, prepare for his or her arrival and then make your new family member's transition as smooth as possible. Check out our Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog page for more.

Next week is Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week, raising awareness of the wonderful pets who too often get overlooked by adopters. Learn more about the week here and check out our gallery of special adoptable pets nominated by our shelter and rescue-group members.

What makes a pet "less-adoptable"?
"Less-adoptable" pets are those who, for one reason or another, have been passed over by potential adopters time and time again. Sometimes it's because they need to be an only pet, other times it's because they're a little more experienced at life (i.e. senior) or have medical needs, and often it's just because they're the "wrong" breed or color.

Less-adoptable pets have just as much love to share and often prove to be some of the most appreciative and loyal companions around. I should know, I have two less-adoptable cats of my own.

(See which adoptable pets are the hardest to place.)

Joanne Wannan is the author of New Lives: Stories of Rescued Dogs Helping, Healing and Giving Hope. Below is an excerpt from her chapter about Leo, a Pit Bull once owned by Michael Vick who became a therapy dog and Canine Good Citizen. Enjoy the story, and come back on Monday to find out about a chance to select your favorite shelter to receive 50% of the profits from the sale of New Lives for two months!

On April 25, 2007, Marthina McClay was relaxing in her living room watching television when a newsflash was broadcast. Property owned by NFL star Michael Vick had been raided, and approximately 50 Pit Bulls, allegedly part of a dog fighting operation, had been seized.

She sat bolt upright, stunned. "I don't believe it," she thought. And then: "I would really love to get one of those dogs and train it to do therapy work."

Today's USA Today has a great article about shelter pets and the joy they bring their adopters (the piece also features comments from Petfinder's co-founder, Betsy Saul).

Author Janice Lloyd shares the heartwarming adoption stories submitted by readers to USA Today's online pet community, Paw Print Post. Here are just two examples:

Shaggy, a terrier-golden mix, was in the SPCA in Syracuse, N.Y., and about to be put down because he has seizures. Marilyn and Stephen Strock heard about him and took him home. "Seizures are no big deal to
me since I'm a former neurosurgical ICU nurse," says Marilyn Strock.

The makers of Feline Pine have dubbed August 16-22 National Take Your Cat to the Vet Week and we're thrilled! After all, cats outnumber dogs in the U.S. by about 15 million, according to the CATalyst Council. But cats receive less-frequent veterinary care than dogs, and their signs of illness are often more subtle than their canine counterparts'.

Call your vet today and make sure your cat's next wellness visit is on the calendar. (The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends taking cats to the vet for regular checkups twice a year.)

Until your next appointment, here are some of the less-obvious signs that your cat may be sick:

• Bad breath: Stinky breath can indicate kidney problems and serious dental disease in your cat - and sweet or fruity-smelling breath can be a sign of diabetes. Consult your vet if you notice any bad or unusual odors when your cat opens his mouth. (Source: ASPCA)

This month, it will be five years since Hurricane Katrina caused one of the worst natural disasters in American history. We all remember the news stories about pets who lost their homes back then -- but would you believe that some dog and cat hurricane survivors are still waiting for forever homes?

Here they are. Most human survivors of Katrina have found new homes and moved on with their lives. Isn't it time these pets do the same?

Noah
Alaskan Malamute Mix
Louisiana Alaskan Malamute Protection (LAMP)
Baton Rouge, LA
Splash
American Bulldog, Pit Bull Terrier Mix
Doberman Rescue
Fillmore, CA
Spirit
Border Collie, Labrador Retriever
Alchemy Acres Animal Sanctuary
Salem, OH
Davey
Domestic Short Hair
SpayMart Inc.
Metairie, LA

Holly Bukes has been working in animal welfare for over 18 years. She currently serves as president of Coalition: HUMAnE and president of Pit Bull Rescue Central. Holly is also on the board of the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. Today she updates us on the latest in the cutting-edge field of non-surgical sterilization of pets. She lives in Gig Harbor, WA, with her husband, dog and cat.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (ACC&D) symposium in Dallas. The symposium focused on finding a simple, safe and effective way to non-surgically sterilize dogs and cats so that we can combat the worldwide pet-overpopulation problem. I was invited to attend, and was provided with a scholarship by the Petfinder.com Foundation. I would like to extend a special thank you to Betsy Saul for this honor!

The symposium was like nothing I'd ever attended and was a great learning experience. Prior to attending, I have to admit, I thought non-surgical sterilization was a great idea, but I was fairly skeptical about the development of such a procedure ever coming to fruition and being successfully implemented.

Beth Jester is BISSELL's public relations and marketing events manager, and works on social media projects like the BISSELL Pack of Pet Lovers.

My coworkers and I, we've got a problem -- potty mouths. No, we don't use four-letter words, but we spend an unusual amount of time discussing our pets' bathroom issues. Urine. Feces. Vomit. These are hot topics because I work at BISSELL, and we make the products that clean up these accidents. And because most of the employees here are pet parents, we
regularly swap stories about what's coming out of which end of our cats and dogs.

Recently, the Petfinder.com Foundation awarded six Petfinder shelters and rescue groups bordetella vaccination grants totaling more than $64,000.

Bordetella is commonly known as kennel cough, and spreads rapidly among shelter populations. "Shelters are often compelled by their budgets to euthanize otherwise adoptable dogs to stop the spread of the disease," says Petfinder.com Foundation executive director Elizabeth Neuschatz. "The real key to stopping this scourge is prevention, and that's the aim of these vaccine grants: stopping kennel cough before it gets started."

In April I participated in the Be the Change panel at the pet-blogger conference BlogPaws. The panel's points were simple: Anyone can make a difference, and collectively, our small efforts can have a huge impact for pets. As the panel concluded, we issued a challenge to ourselves and the bloggers in attendance to "Be the Change."

Since then, those pet bloggers have done fantastic things to help pets. (See a few of the ways people got involved.) Now we're inviting you to participate!

Starting tomorrow, July 19, we're kicking off the Dog Days of Summer Pet Food Drive. Please join us as we raise food and supplies for shelters in need and spread the word about how helping pets can be fun.

Want to participate? Here's how:

The image of a dog in an oven is disturbing -- but it's making an important point: Leaving a dog in a car on a hot day can be just as dangerous as putting him in an oven.

That's the message of the new Hot Car/Hot Oven PSA campaign by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. The unsettling posters remind us that leaving a dog in a hot car is not only dangerous -- it's illegal.

We talked to Debbie Knaan, LA's deputy district attorney in charge of animal cruelty cases, about the campaign -- and what to do if you see a dog in a hot car. Her answer: If you see a dog left alone in a hot car, try to locate the owner, notify on-site security personnel if possible, or call 911.

(Check out our article on signs of heatstroke and what to do if a pet is exposed to high temperatures.)

Hello! My name is Alison and I am the new summer intern for Petfinder.com. On Friday, June 18, I volunteered with the Petfinder shelter outreach staff at Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association in Ledgewood, NJ, for "Discover Your Impact Day," a day of volunteerism initiated by Petfinder's parent company, Discovery Communications. The Petfinder team volunteered to help repaint the shelter walls at Noah's Ark.

I walked into Noah's Ark to find the Petfinder team in a small room with eight cages. They were priming the walls and the ceilings of the cat cages. This was my first time meeting the outreach team, and I was automatically greeted with smiling faces and a warm welcome. Within 10 minutes, I was painting in a cage alongside them. We then took a break for lunch and I was able to talk with my new friends.

Last Chance Highway follows Mississippi dog rescuer Shelly Bookwalter from Double Dog Rescue South as she gives unwanted dogs across the South a second chance at survival.

We watch Shelly as she pulls dogs out of shelters and off hillsides (literally), vets them and places them in foster homes, posts their profiles on Petfinder and finally, when she's interviewed and approved potential adopters, works with pet transporter Kyle Peterson to have them driven north to their new homes.

In tomorrow's premiere, Shelly spots a Pit Bull mom with a litter of five puppies out near a roadway. She confronts the owner, who is hesitant to part with the neglected dogs.

If you have a cat or kitten, read this! Iams is recalling cans of ProActive Health cat and kitten food with expiration dates between 9/2011 and 6/2012 because they're too low in thiamine, an essential nutrient.

You can read the press release here. For a refund or more info, call P&G at 877-340-8826 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST).

Discovery News reports that the animal world has a new jumping king -- the copepod. A one- to two-millimeter-long crustacean, this tiny creature can "accelerate to a speed of 500 body-lengths per second when they perform an escape jump," according to a recent study. (Read the full article here.)

So how do dogs match up? Well, the Guinness World Record holder for the highest jump by a dog is a Greyhound named Cinderella May a Holly Grey (yes, that's her full name) who cleared five feet, eight inches in 2006. (There's no current record holder for longest jump by a dog.) The average standing height for a female Greyhound is 27-30 inches, meaning Cinderella jumped the equivalent of two and a half times her own height. Wow!

The pictures are heartbreaking. Each day I open my paper to see more animals in distress, caught up in the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.

Rescue teams are working to contain and clean up the oil, but they can't do it alone. U.S. News & World Report has a great list of 10 Things You Can Do to Help the Gulf Coast Clean the Oil Spill. Here are a few that directly impact animals (read the full article here):

• Volunteer. You can register online in Louisiana or Florida or sign up on Oil Spill Volunteers to be matched with a group that needs volunteers. Any and all help is needed, including wildlife cleanup.

Mother's Day is this Sunday!

If you're searching for a unique way to thank your mom for all the times she was there for you, look no further. Give a "Gift of Love" to shelter pets by donating to the Petfinder.com Foundation in her honor. If you click "make this a gift" at checkout, you can write a personal message to Mom that the Petfinder.com Foundation will email her to let her know of your donation.

My rescue dog, Moby, and I are going to honor my mom by giving a Gift of Love this Mother's Day. Our gift will help shelter and rescue groups across the country in her name.

Happy Mother's Day!

A daily click of the mouse, now through May 3, could help a staunch foe of animal abuse win a prestigious honor.

Sheriff John Montgomery of Baxter County, AR, is one of eight finalists for America's Most Wanted's All-Star Award. He's nominated because he guided the creation of a state-of-the-art website to help fight crime (learn more about it here), but we admire him for an additional reason.

Sheriff Montgomery relentlessly pursues justice in cases of animal abuse, and had a pivotal role in bringing a felony animal cruelty statute to Arkansas, Desiree Bender, Arkansas Director of the Humane Society of the United States, tells us.

Elvis has his own stamp, and now adoptable pets do too! On April 30 the U.S. Postal Service will begin selling Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps.

The 44-cent stamps each feature a portrait of a rescue pet (read the pets' bios here). The stamps, and the campaign behind them, Stamps to the Rescue, are designed to raise awareness of pet adoption -- but that's not all.

As part of the launch, pet-food maker Halo is hoping to donate a million meals to shelter pets. You can help by taking a variety of steps to trigger donations, such as following @halopets on Twitter (see all the ways to help here).

Petfinder is a partner in Stamps to the Rescue -- our co-founder, Betsy Saul, is even traveling to L.A. on Friday to introduce the stamps with Ellen DeGeneres, and our pet search is featured on the campaign's website!

The site has some other cool features as well, including rescue-themed merchandise and a Do You Have What It Takes? widget to help you determine if you should be adopting a pet.

A hero dog in Alaska is being honored for leading authorities to a burning building. Buddy the German Shepherd, who guided state troopers to a fire at his family's property, received a silver-plated dog bowl today in Anchorage.

According to the Associated Press:

Troopers say Buddy and his owner, 23-year-old Ben Heinrichs, were in the family workshop when a heater ignited chemicals. Heinrichs told Buddy: "We need to get help."

The dog eventually found a trooper responding to a call about the fire.

Dr. Lauren Brickman writes a pet health and care column for Petside.com. Read all the Q&As she's shared with Petfinder here.

Q: I just got a kitten but I'm confused about the cat litter. Is there one type that is better than the rest? I would like something that doesn't smell and is good for the environment. Can you recommend anything?

A: Cat litter comes in many different forms. An ideal cat litter is highly absorbent, has a pleasant odor, and easy to clean. It is important that not only you like your cat litter but that your cat likes it too.

For National Volunteer Week, we are saluting just a handful of the many thousands of volunteers who dedicate themselves to homeless animals.

Organizations that embrace volunteers benefit from the creativity and energy of new minds. Volunteers can think big -- in some cases REALLY big!

Sweet Onion Animal Protection Society (SOAPS) in Vidalia, GA, sent us photographic evidence of a truly big idea their volunteer Marla Jernigan brought to their local landscape -- a billboard!

The Animal Rescue Site's parent organization, the GreaterGood Network, has a new iPhone app that makes it easy to help homeless pets!

With the "Touch To Give" app, just select The Animal Rescue Site, then tap the Touch To Give button to help the Petfinder.com Foundation provide food and care to shelter pets.

"Touch To Give" each day and watch your contribution grow, and tap the Results tab to see the app's total impact. As with theanimalrescuesite.com's "Click to Give" button, donations are paid for by sponsors' ads and 100% is given to charity.

Download the Touch To Give app for free from the iTunes Store today!

This week, April 18-24, is National Volunteer Week. Volunteers are the lifeline of animal adoption, providing shelters with extra-special care and support. Some adoption groups are composed entirely of volunteers, with no paid staff at all.

Petfinder recently asked our member shelters and adoption groups to send us stories of some of their most valued volunteers.

We were overwhelmed with their incredible tales of volunteer dedication and creativity. We will be sharing a number of these with you throughout this week.

Some volunteers first come to a shelter to adopt a pet and are so impressed by the mission, they return to offer assistance to the pets they could not take home.

Clatsop County Animal Control and Shelter in Warrenton, OR, told us of Linda Dygert, who began her relationship with the shelter about 10 years ago when she adopted a deaf Aussie/Samoyed Mix. 

This past weekend I attended Blog Paws, a first-of-its-kind conference for pet bloggers. Not only were there tons of wonderful, inspiring pet lovers there, I was lucky enough to moderate a panel about helping homeless pets called "Be the Change You Want to See."

The panel included Lynn Haigh, creator of PawPawty on Twitter; veterinarian Jessica "Dr. V" Vogelsang, owner of Pawcurious, and Dorian Wagner of Your Daily Cute. Collectively they've raised nearly $40,000 in the last year for various shelters and rescues, initiated toy drives and much more and they shared their experiences with the audience.

The point of the panel was that anyone can make a difference and save lives.

To prove it, Dorian, Dr. V and Lynn announced the "Be the Change Challenge," a virtual fundraiser on April 21 to raise $500 for homeless pets. An audience member was randomly selected and asked to name their pet charity of choice to receive the funds. Pets without Parents in Columbus, OH was named. Each member of the audience was asked to take part by blogging, donating, or tweeting in the "BlogPawty" fundraiser on Twitter. (Read more about the Be the Change Challenge and how you can participate here.)

This got me thinking: What else can bloggers do to help homeless pets? Are there any small, simple things that each of us can do to collectively make a big impact?

YES! Here are some things you can do:

Anyone who's experienced, or even thought about, the death of a pet has wondered: What happens after my pet passes away? Do pets have souls?

In a new story, "Do Pets Go to Heaven?" Discovery News surveyed major religions' stances on the issue. Here's some of what they found (read the full story here):

Christianity holds that every living being, from the tiniest insect to the largest whale, has a chance at entering the pearly gates. Psalm 145:-9-10,13,15-21 reads, "God loves all His creation and has made plans for all His children and the lesser creatures to enjoy His eternal Kingdom." ...

The Petfinder.com Foundation has joined GoodSearch to help save homeless pets. GoodSearch is a great search engine that raises funds for the cause of your choice every time you search the Web.

It's easy: Just download the GoodSearch-Petfinder.com Foundation toolbar, and each time you search GoodSearch will make a donation to the Petfinder.com Foundation.

Guest blogger Rachel McPherson is the founder and executive director of The Good Dog Foundation in New York City and author of the new book Every Dog Has a Gift.

In my new book, Every Dog Has a Gift, I share true stories of dogs who have made a tremendous difference to their human companions. The dogs in the book are diverse - some are purebred service dogs and others were found at shelters. Yet, as the stories show, every dog has so much to give. Here are just a few of their gifts:

• Dogs help us relax. They lower our blood pressure, decrease our anxiety, and distract us from trauma. In the story "Dog Medicine," members of The Good Dog Foundation were allowed on site to comfort survivors of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. The level of comfort and calm that these therapy dogs provided was amazing to witness.

The Humane Society of the United States' annual Genesis Awards honor entertainment and media that spotlight animal issues - and this year, a project close to Petfinder's heart was a winner.

Hallmark Hall of Fame's adaptation of the novel A Dog Named Christmas earned a Genesis award in the TV Film category. The book and movie have a strong pet-adoption message, and we've been involved from the start.

When the book was first published in 2008, author Greg Kincaid wrote a Petfinder blog and publisher Doubleday donated 200 copies to Petfinder's shelter members. Greg also invited Petfinder shelters to bring adoptable dogs to his book signings.

I am always looking for new ways to support animal welfare. That's why I was thrilled to find replyforall.com, which allows me to raise money for homeless pets by simply adding a signature to my outgoing e-mails. Even more important, it works!

Last year the Petfinder.com Foundation became one of replyforall's non-profit partners. From July to December 2009, 43% of users chose to support animal welfare in their signature, raising $650 for the Foundation.

People who rescue pets often say the pet rescued them in return. But sometimes that's literally true!

The Humane Society of the United States' Dogs of Valor awards honor heroic dogs who really did save humans' lives. (Read HSUS president Wayne Pacelle's blog post about the awards.)

Here are just a few of the finalists:

• Calamity Jane of Aledo, TX, charged a neighbor's yard and scared off armed robbers.


• Jackson of Rahway, NJ, alerted his owner that a 90-year-old neighbor was trapped under a fallen door.


• Prozac of Sanford, NC, not only saved a member of the family when they couldn't breathe, but awoke everyone two months later when the house was on fire.

So head over to the HSUS, read these amazing stories and place your vote for your favorite Dog of Valor. Then come back and find your own heroic canine among the 156,841 adoptable dogs on Petfinder.

Who will you vote for? Here's a hint at my vote -- we Janes have to stick together.

We've launched the Petfinder iPhone app! It's a great way to find adoptable pets on the go -- and best of all, it's free!

With the app, you can:

• Browse adoptable pets near you or nationwide
  
• View full-screen pet photos
• Get pet info and additional pet photos with a single tap
  
• Share pets via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail
• Bookmark your "favorite" adoptable pets and come back later
  
• Add notes and comments to your "favorites"
  
• Call, e-mail or get directions to an adoption group with one tap
  
• Read adoption-story Happy Tails
  

After the jump, read comments from users who have already found pets using the Petfinder iPhone app.

Discovery News reports that a new study traces the origins of small dogs back to the Middle East of 12,000 years ago. (Read the original story.)

According to the study, which appears in the journal BMC Biology, a version of the gene responsible for a dog's small size probably resulted from the domestication of the Middle Eastern gray wolf, which is smaller than other wolves.

The DNA studies, combined with the archaeological record, then suggest that at least 12,000 years ago, the first domesticated small dogs entered the world, with humans playing a major role in the process.

"(There) could have been a mutation arising early in the history of dogs," said [study lead author Melissa] Gray, "which was maintained by breeding and artificial selection by humans, or could have been an adaptive trait that developed during domestication as a means to coexist with humans."

Also interesting: Archaeological evidence has found dog remains close to the size of Great Danes in Belgium, Germany and Western Russia dating to 13,000-31,000 years ago -- meaning big dogs came before small dogs.

I'm so excited to see the new Tim Burton-helmed Alice in Wonderland -- and even more so after reading that shelter bunnies played a role in filming!

According to a press release from Walt Disney Pictures:

Tim Burton wanted the animal characters in Wonderland to appear real rather than cartoony. So before creating the White Rabbit, animators spent a day at a rabbit shelter for abandoned rabbits, observing the animals and shooting photo reference footage to ensure they captured the nuances of rabbits chewing and wriggling their noses.

There are more than 5,000 bunnies for adoption on Petfinder. Could one of them be "late, late, for a very important date" with you?

Discovery News reports that a four-year-old Great Dane has been named the world's tallest dog (see the original story).

Standing at 7 feet and 3 inches from nose to tail and weighing in at 245 pounds, this gargantuan dog is not just your average Great Dane. It's the "Greatest" Dane.

Guinness World Records announced today that "Giant George," a blue Great Dane from Tucson, Ariz., is the new Guinness World Record holder of the Tallest Dog title.

George is three-quarters of an inch taller than the previous record holder, a Great Dane named Titan whose adoptive mom found him on Petfinder.

Want to adopt your own gentle giant? Check out the 1,100 adoptable Great Danes and Dane mixes posted on Petfinder!

The minute I heard about the earthquake in Haiti, I knew that the animals there would need us. And it didn't take long before the Petfinder.com Foundation joined ARCH, the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti, with our partners in disaster relief, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as well as over a dozen other leading animal welfare organizations.

Soon teams were on their way to the ravaged island. Dr. Dick Green, with IFAW, reports that they are treating between 50-100 dogs every day.

"We're seeing a lot of injuries to the paws," he says. "You need to remember that everywhere you look the concrete is down, and we have concrete mixed in with glass and sharp objects, and these poor dogs are foraging through this rubble to try and find food.

Read more about the disaster relief efforts in Haiti after the jump.

I can't pretend I'm an avid sports fan, but there's one game that I'm sure to watch.

As the New Orleans Saints make their Super Bowl debut against the Indianapolis Colts, 20 puppies will steal my attention in Animal Planet's 6th annual Puppy Bowl this Sunday, 3 p.m. E/P.

Not only are the puppies irresistibly adorable, they're all Petfinder alumni, making Petfinder the temporary "home team" for all the players. (See a full list of the participating shelters.)

Of course, it's Petfinder tradition to recognize the many adoptable namesakes of this year's Super Bowl stars. Take a look at some of these adorable adoptables as you get yourself hyped up for the game:

In the Indianapolis Area:

• 27 dogs named "Indy"
• Six dogs named "Colt"
• 39 dogs named "Austin" (perhaps after wide receiver Austin Collie)
• 38 dogs named "Dallas" (perhaps after tight end Dallas Clark)
• 38 dogs named "Reggie" (perhaps after receiver Reggie Wayne)
• 12 dogs named "Pierre" (perhaps after wide receiver Pierre Garcon)

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.

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.

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?

How do you name your pets? Do you give them time-honored names likes Fido and Fluffy? Or do you prefer something distinctive -- Angry Donut, perhaps?

Each year we delve into our adoptable pet database and come out with the ten most popular names for adoptable pets. (See the full list after the jump.)

But, whenever we do, the quirky, wacky and unusual pet names always stand out. So this year we asked you to tell us your unusual, funny or just plain strange pet names. We've listed our top ten favorites after the jump but don't forget to check out the submissions on the Petfinder Facebook Fan page as well.

Find out what common -- or very uncommon -- pet names made the list after the jump.

It's holiday season and the year's end is quickly approaching, so we wanted to share our 2009 top nine "wrap-up" list for pet lovers. Why "top nine"? So there's room for you to add one more!

From gift ideas to our choice for the No.1 pet-friendly celebrity of the year, our list brims with pet-related tips, facts and other favorites for 2009. We hope you enjoy it!

1. Best way to incorporate your pet into the holiday festivities: Throw a tacky holiday sweater party and dress him or her up for the occasion.


2. Best stocking stuffer: Petfinder's Pet Promise Certificate - With this unique gift certificate, you can vow to cover all adoption fees while allowing your loved one to adopt the pet who best suits his or her lifestyle. (Of course, never confine a pet to a gift box under any circumstances.)
   


3. Most fun way to keep the pounds off this holiday season: Exercise with your pet. A great indoor option (and growing trend) is Doga, where you can bend, twist and practice yoga positions with your dog.


4. Most delicious holiday meal that both you and your pet can enjoy: Turkey. This festive favorite can be a treat for both pets and people - just make sure to feed it to your pet only in moderation and don't ever let your pet have the bones!

We're thrilled to announce that Animal Planet's It's Me or the Dog is nominated for the 2010 People's Choice awards in the Favorite Animal Show category.

Victoria Stilwell, a true dog lover and pet adoption advocate, has a proud history with Petfinder, donating her time for our Victoria Stillwell contests. Victoria worked with the two winning Petfinder dogs to help them find forever homes. (Read about the winners Lab mix Logan and shy Pit Bull, Liza Bean.)

According to Discovery News, the stray dogs of Pompeii are about to get a second chance.

On Monday, Pompeii's Emergency Commissioner, Marcello Fiori, announced a campaign to microchip, collar and tag each of the more than 50 dogs that frequent the ruins to find them permanent, loving homes.

"Stray dogs have given Pompeii a bad image, but things are going to change. From now on, dogs will have their own identity and dignity and will be taken care of," Fiori told reporters at the press conference.

Volunteers from three of Italy's leading animal charities have offered assistance with the campaign.

More from Discovery News after the jump.

Titan, a Great Dane, was recently named the World's Tallest Dog by Guinness Word Records and appeared on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. He is also special for another reason.

The Baltimore Examiner reports that Titan's mom found the blind, deaf and epileptic rescue dog on Petfinder when he was just three months old -- and already weighed 55 pounds.

'Tis the season ... of Christmas re-runs. But there's a new movie I bet will be on your seasonal favorite list from now on -- and a brand new Petfinder program to go with it.

The show is Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of A Dog Named Christmas.

Based on a great little book by author and Petfinder blogger, Greg Kincaid, the story follows a developmentally challenged young man who fosters a dog from his local shelter during the holidays and he gets the whole community involved. It's a feel-
good story with a great message.

The idea inspired Petfinder to start the Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays program, and we hope you will invite a shelter pet into your home for this special time of year.

We love stories of lost pets reunited with their families -- often as a result of a wisely placed microchip.

But Discovery News has a truly miraculous lost-pet story, about an Australian explosive-detection dog named Sabi who vanished during a September 2008 gunfight in Afghanistan.

Fourteen months after Sabi's disappearance, a U.S. soldier found her at an isolated patrol base. The retriever was returned to her Australian caretakers in time for a visit (and some pets) from Aussie Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. (Read the full story here.)

Speaking of pets and the military, you can help men and women serving in the armed forces by fostering their pets while they're stationed abroad. Learn more after the jump.

MarthaStuart.com blog The Bride's Guide is asking readers: "Do you intend to honeymoon with your pet? If so, where are you going and how do you plan to get there?"

Blogger Jennifer Miranda even gives Petfinder a nice shout-out, writing:

To me, someone who was never allowed to have a significant pet besides a few goldfish and a newt, that [idea] is just bizarre.

But pet travel is becoming more and more popular in recent years, so much so that Petfinder.com even created a list of the five pet-friendliest airlines.

What about you -- would you take your pet on your honeymoon? Take our poll after the jump.

November is Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month, and we'll let people who've done just that explain why seasoned companions are so special.

Read on for five senior-pet Happy Tails -- and if you can't adopt your own senior pet, you can help them find homes by adding our adoptable senior pet search widget (shown here) to your Web site.

Bunny
"We drove 800 miles to get her. It was love at first site. She happily hopped in the car and headed back to Alabama with us, where she immediately made herself at home and has stolen all of our hearts. She has filled much of the void left by my old pal Bud, and filled our home with the love of a senior dog. We tell her every day that she hit the Basset Hound lottery, but actually it was us who won."
>> Read Bunny's full Happy Tail.

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.

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

October is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month and, with the ongoing economic crisis, there are more dogs in need than ever. But what if you can't adopt?

Here are some easy ways you can still help:

1. Donate your Facebook status. Just paste this message into the "What's on your mind?" box at the top of your page: "October is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month. Save a life: Adopt a dog! http://www.petfinder.com"


2. Tweet, retweet and repeat the following (or your own brilliant message): "October is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month. Save a life: Adopt a dog! http://www.petfinder.com"

Rabies isn't really something we think about here in the U.S. -- at least not when it comes to our pets, since rabies vaccination is so standard.

But according to the Alliance for Rabies Control, it's still a major problem worldwide, killing more than 55,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa.

So the organization is holding its second annual World Rabies Day on Sept. 28. Vaccinating animals against rabies in developing countries will not only prevent human suffering, it may well improve the treatment of animals -- especially stray dogs -- in those countries by raising awareness of their health needs and the relationship between animals' well-being and humans'.

To learn more, visit the World Rabies Day Web site.

It's Deaf Dog Awareness Week and we're happy to bring you an interview with Melissa McDaniel, an avid deaf-dog advocate and blogger, as well as photographer for The Photo Book Projects, a stunning series of soon-to-be-published books calling attention to deaf and rescue dogs.

(Don't miss the great giveaway at the end of this post!)

What is the purpose of The Photo Book Projects?
I wanted to do something to raise awareness and money for deaf-dog advocacy [and rescue] groups and to show these dogs for the beautiful animals that they are. In many respects, deaf dogs are just like hearing dogs. [My deaf dog] Sadie has a great life. She has no idea she's deaf and if she does, she doesn't let it hold her back. Humans could learn a lot from deaf dogs.

What inspired you to create the books?
My dog Sadie is a deaf Border Collie mix that I adopted. Her mother was deaf and she passed this trait along to the puppies. After getting Sadie, I learned all about the issues deaf dogs face, including the horrible statistic that thousands of deaf dogs are put to sleep each year simply because they are deaf.

Why do you think deaf dogs are singled out?
There are many myths circulating about deaf dogs, including that they are untrainable, dumb, stubborn and aggressive, and these just aren't true. Many of the dogs appearing in the books are better-trained than most hearing dogs I know and some are even therapy dogs and/or compete in agility.

We can tell people how great shelter dogs are until we're blue in the face, but nothing changes people's opinions like seeing it in person. That's the thinking behind The Dog Saving Network, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to "us[ing] fun, creative mediums to promote the benefits of positive reinforcement training, generate compassion and encourage shelter adoptions!"

One of the group's coolest initiatives is the Life's Ruff stage show, featured in the MSNBC clip above. The show features adopted former shelter dogs performing tricks they learned in just a few months of twice-a-week training sessions with their regular-folks owners.

What an original, entertaining way to prove to people that shelter dogs are not "damaged goods" -- and that just a little bit of positive-reinforcement-based training can turn any dog into a star!   

iStockphoto

The San Diego Union-Tribune (via Paw Nation) reports that there's something in your refrigerator (or purse) that sounds as dangerous to your pets as anti-freeze and is even more accessible: sugar-free snacks and gum.

That's if they contain the sweetener xylitol, which is harmless to humans and found in many foods.

"Two pieces of sugarless gum can be harmful or fatal for a 20-lb. dog," vet Ashley Weinberg tells the Union-Tribune. Adds vet Valerie Caskey: "One pudding cup can cause harm to a 90-pound Rottweiler."

If you think your pet has eaten something containing xylitol, take him or her to the vet or call the ASPCA's poison control hotline immediately at (888) 426-4435:

Symptoms are vomiting, weak and wobbly appearance or extreme lethargy. A dog's blood sugar can bottom out in 30 minutes, and a pet can fall into a coma, veterinarians say.

These symptoms can be observed from 30 minutes to 12 hours. The longer the pet goes without help, the more grave the condition becomes. (The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Still, this doesn't mean you need to trash all your sugarless foods: Many don't use xylitol at all. Just check the label and, if a food does contain xylitol, be sure to keep it well out of your dog's reach.

As you may have heard, convicted dogfighter Michael Vick has signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick served 23 months in federal prison on charges of conspiracy and running a dogfighting operation. Announcing the deal, Eagles coach Andy Reid told reporters: "I'm a believer that as long as people go through the right process, they deserve a second chance."

While the dogs killed by Vick's dogfighting associates and Vick himself, as several commenters have pointed out will never get their own second chance, many of the Pit Bulls rescued from Bad Newz Kennels have. For some of their stories, check out
the incredible work done by BAD RAP in Oakland, CA.

But they're not the only Pits in need. There are at this moment 11,751 Pit Bull Terriers and 3,851 American Staffordshire Terriers available for adoption on Petfinder.

How can you help?
 

• Adopt a Pit Bull. I am a proud rescued-Pit parent, as are my mother, several coworkers and many of my neighbors. They 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 after the jump.
• 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 (and I'm not just talking about Sarah Palin). 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, Pit Bull Rescue Central's breed info page and Animal Farm Foundation's Fear vs. Fact document. (All three sites are excellent, and I'd encourage you to click around on them.)

A Pit Bull's best friend is the responsible dog owner who allows the well-socialized, happy Pit to be an ambassador for the breed. Unlike Michael Vick, Pit Bulls don't need a multi-million-dollar contract. A loving home, a warm dog bed and plenty of pets are the second chance they need -- and deserve.

Ever wondered who's behind Petfinder and how Petfinder came to be? Check out this article in Guideposts magazine by our founder, Betsy Saul, in which she tells the story of Petfinder's beginnings.

All of us who work here have heard the story many times, but I remember before I got this job, Petfinder and its origins were a huge mystery to me.

Here's my favorite passage:

In those early days, my biggest struggle was hearing heartbreaking stories about abused or abandoned animals. The pup who was left tied to a lamp post in a thunderstorm. The dog who almost ran into traffic trying to escape some mean kids throwing rocks at him. ...

Then a few months into our project, something changed. Somehow my perspective shifted. I started to see the hopeful side of those sad stories, like the woman who chased off the mean kids and coaxed the dog into her car, or the vet who stayed after hours to patch up a street cat who'd been injured, or the family who adopted an abused dog and lovingly taught her to trust again.

Read the full story here.

It's always a privilege to meet with Petfinder shelters and adoption groups to learn about their work. When the Hedgehog Welfare Society invited Petfinder to the Eastern States Hedgehog Show near Albany, NY, I happily whistled my dog Molly into the navigator's seat of my truck and drove up to the beautiful Schoharie Valley to learn about our prickliest pets.

My introduction to hedgehogs came the first night in the relaxation meditation session for hedgehogs and their humans, led by author Dawn Wrobel. Yes, I got to meditate with hedgehogs!

However, when I walked in, there was not a hedgehog to be seen. Everyone was already seated in a circle, and each human participant had a brightly colored cloth bag on their lap. Now and then a bag would give a twitch or a lurch, and I realized these little sacks were the warm, dark and comfortable mode of transportation for well-loved hedgehogs on the go.

Jill Abramson is writing a column in the New York Times called "The Puppy Diaries" about her new pet, which she bought from a reputable breeder.

Prior to her decision to buy, the column says, her son "bombarded me at work with impossibly cute photos from Petfinder.com" of pets who needed homes, but she chose to, as she called it, "be selfish" and buy a dog.

It's not quite clear why she made this choice, other than her husband fell in love with a Golden Retriever that friends had:

We discussed at length the relative merits of adoption versus a breeder.
If we adopted a dog from a shelter, as my sister has done twice, we would be taking the more virtuous, good-for-animals (and society) route. Saving a dog that needs a home or had been mistreated by a previous owner is an unselfish act. But we were leaning selfish. Henry wanted a bigger dog this time, and, when we took our beach walks, he looked longingly at the dogs who fetched and swam. He fell in love with a gentle English Standard golden retriever who belonged to friends, and had his heart set on a dog just like her. Our friends suggested a breeder.

She seems to have wrongly assumed she wouldn't be able to find a Golden on Petfinder, that somehow homeless dogs would be mutts. (Petfinder is host to a large number of Golden Retriever rescues.) I can't help but think what a better life lesson it would have been for her son if she had reinforced his altruism toward homeless pets. To my mind, parents should take every opportunity to pass along positive life lessons, and this seems to have been an opportunity missed.

Okay, so President Obama didn't adopt a dog from a shelter -- but that doesn't mean we don't think Bo the Portuguese water dog isn't a cutie! Check out Bo Obama: The First 100 Days on our sister site, AnimalPlanet.com, where you can read Bo's daily address, take a quiz to find out how well you know Bo, check out a gallery of Bo sightings at the White House and with his new family, and more!

See Gizmo the Soldier Dog and other pups at work here.

June 26 is Take Your Dog to Work Day, and Petfinder is proud to be the 2009 official adoption partner of the event, which is organized by Pet Sitters International.

To find out how you can participate, including tips for success and how to win over your boss to the idea, visit TakeYourDog.com.

We asked Petfinder visitors if they bring their pets to work. Here are just a few of the responses:

My husband works for the US Army. And while he is not supposed to bring him to work by Army standards, he brings our youngest dog to work with him, and my husband's boss brings his cats to work!

I work at Archdale Animal Clinic in Archdale, NC. We have a very laid-back boss. Pretty much everyone that I work with brings their dog to work with them daily. It's like the dogs have a job too. They all run loose in the back and get along, except for the occasional grumble over treats. The clients know them all by name and love seeing them. Personally I don't know what it would be like to not have Riley with me at work. I have never been in another vet clinic like ours, but for us it works.--Byrd

Since I work at an animal shelter, YES! We are allowed to bring our pets to work. For us, having our pets around really reminds us why we do what we do. Most of us have former shelter dogs, so it reinforces that happy endings do happen! It's a great morale boost when you're dealing with so much sadness. Even if it's a co-worker's dog, feeling that paw on your leg or that wet nose on your arm brings us back to why we started working there in the first place.--Melissa Tata, Program Administrator, Animal Protective Foundation, Scotia, NY

Want to learn more about Petfinder and all the ways we help our shelter and rescue group members get their pets adopted? Check out our 2008 Annual Report.

Some highlights:

• Petfinder accounts for 65% of U.S. and Canadian adoptions.
• For about a quarter of our 12,500+ shelter/rescue group members, Petfinder is responsible for 80-100% of ALL their adoptions.
• Petfinder sends adoptable-pet listings to over 275 popular Web sites such as AOL, Petco.com, Walmart.com, Oodle and MySpace, reaching millions of potential adopters every year.
• Petfinder Mobile takes adoptable pets on the road - via cell phones, BlackBerrys and iPhones.
• The Petfinder.com Foundation awarded more than $1,000,000 in cash and products to our members in disaster-relief grants and power-generator awards.
• Petfinder pets data will power the adoptable-pet search on the web site for the Ad Council's first-ever animal welfare-oriented campaign in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie's Fund.

Download the PDF of the report here and let us know what you think!

 
How much do I loooove this TODAY Show segment featuring makeovers of adoptable dogs from New York City's Animal Care & Control? It features Martha Stewart walking a pit bull -- when did you ever think you'd see that?

It's also a great plug for pit bulls, senior pets and shelter dogs in general. And major props to TODAY's Jill Rappaport, who shows off her handsome (and so well-behaved) rescued pit, Petey. Read more about the segment here.

Just in time for summer vacation, we've named the top five pet-friendliest airlines of 2009 (bookmark our story and find more pet-travel tips here). Check out our list and then share your own experiences traveling with your pet in our comments section.

1. Continental - Safety First

Continental is proud of its PetSafe program, which has a 24-hour Live Animal Desk (1-800-575-3335) that tracks the pets from origin to destination. It's pricier than other programs, but it's climate-controlled, allows roomy carriers and has designated cargo staff. Travelers using PetSafe can even earn miles. The airline also allows small cats, dogs, pet rabbits and household birds to be carried in the cabin on most domestic flights for $125 each way.

Pets allowed in cabin: Small dogs, cats, rabbits and birds
Pets allowed as checked baggage: No
Pets allowed in cargo: Yes, all pets that are checked travel in climate-controlled cargo, not as checked baggage

2. JetBlue Airways - Full-Service Pet Love

JetBlue really embraced pet-toting travelers when it launched JetPaws last summer. For no additional cost, JetBlue provides a pet carrier bag tag, two TrueBlue points each way, a welcome e-mail and a free pet-travel guide. However, like other airlines, JetBlue has hiked its in-cabin pet charge: one-way fees range from $75 to $100.

Pets allowed in cabin: Small cats and dogs
Pets allowed as checked baggage: No
Pets allowed in cargo: No

Be sure to tune in to Animal Planet at 10 p.m. EST tonight for a special episode of Animal Cops: Philadelphia, called Puppy Mills: Exposed.

The episode details a raid conducted last year by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on Limestone Kennels in Chester County, Pa., where almost 90 dogs were discovered living in deplorable conditions.

The show should go a long way toward raising awareness of exactly where that doggie in the pet store window came from -- and of the incredible work done by Humane Law Enforcement officers and shelter personnel who work so hard to protect these animal victims.

Finally! I've been saying for years that there should be some level of tax relief for those of us who dedicate our income to our pets!

That there is actual legislation being drafted is certainly a step towards a lively conversation on the subject. It also validates what we already know about the importance of pets as part of the family.

Actor-director Robert Davi writes in The Washington Times:

In 2008, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimated that Americans spent more than $41 billion on their pets. Being allowed to use these expenses as deductions would positively affect the tax burden on a majority of American households. I am pleased to report that Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Michigan Republican, is taking the lead on this, working closely with us to write legislation.

Today is Earth Day! You may be a die-hard eco-booster, a regular person doing their best (like me), or someone who is sick to death of hearing the "go green" message -- but the fact is, we as pet parents have a little bit more of an environmental impact than those without pets.

Luckily, Petfinder's sister sites have some great resources:

From PlanetGreen.com:

How to Go Green: Pets

6 Ways to Green Your Pet's Poop

Where to Get Green Pet Products

Make Clothes Out of Your Pet's Hair (apparently there are people who actually do this)

From HowStuffWorks.com:

8 Green Pet Care and Cleaning Tips

In previous weeks I've written about young recipients of Dosomething.org Animal Action Grants, including 17-year-old Amanda Smith, who is helping to save abandoned horses in Minnesota, and 10-year-old Maggie Maxwell, whose Project H.O.P.E. is raising awareness of homeless pets in Texas.

This week, meet 14-year-old Texan Hayden Whitt, who not only volunteers at his local shelter, but raises money for critical supplies and places adoption ads in local newspapers. (Read more about Hayden's project here.)

What is your project?
I organized a supply and money drive to benefit my local animal shelter. The drive yielded three truckloads of supplies, money to help care for medical attention for the shelter animals and money to help fund ads for pet adoptions.

How did your passion for animals start?
My family and I have volunteered at the animal shelter for over two years now.

The national economic crisis is having a negative impact on pets, their families and the Petfinder member shelter and rescue groups who work so hard to save their lives. You can help! Please consider volunteering to temporarily foster a pet in need, donating your time or money to a local shelter or rescue group, and of course, adopting a pet in need.

A recent survey of our members about how the economic downturn is affecting them and their pets revealed that 84 percent of Petfinder.com animal shelters and rescue groups are receiving more pets in need due to the overall economic downturn, foreclosures and / or job losses. And sadly, 74 percent said that they have seen an increase in pets being given away or abandoned since this time last year due to these economic trials.

According to the survey:
 

• 47 percent of shelters and rescue groups said the No. 1 economy-related reason pets are being surrendered is because of general financial difficulty.
• 18 percent said the driving factor was people having to relocate
• 16 percent said the No. 1 reason was foreclosures

Petfinder.com also uncovered in the survey that 37 percent of shelters and rescue groups have seen a decrease in pet adoptions over the past year.

You can find over 270,000 adoptable pets on Petfinder. So if you aren't ready to adopt yourself, be a voice for the pets and spread the "Adopt a Homeless Pet" call to action loud and clear.

As many commenters to this blog have already noted, news emerged this weekend that Oprah Winfrey, after adopting a cocker spaniel puppy from PAWS Chicago, adopted a second dog, her puppy Sadie's littermate Ivan, who died of parvo.

As PeoplePets.com reports:

Ivan ... came down with a deadly virus called Parvo last Wednesday and died, said Dr. Jean Dobbs, the veterinarian who [is treating] Sadie since she was exposed.

"It was just a little bit too late. All the veterinary community got together to save his life," Dr. Dobbs told PEOPLE Pets. "The puppy didn't make it, but he's teaching others how important this is to get vaccinated at the right times."

Dr. Dobbs, who founded Hemopet, a non-profit animal blood bank [which also posts adoptable Greyhounds on Petfinder - ED], said that she thinks the shelter and vets did everything right, but that Ivan was exposed between two critical shots.

Maggie Maxwell, another Dosomething.org Animal Action Grant winner, amazes me. The 10-year-old Texas native helps organize Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Our Pets through Education).

Below is my interview with Maggie. Check in later for my interview with 14-year-old fundraising dynamo Hayden Whitt, and in the meantime, check out Maggie's Project H.O.P.E. page on dosomething.org.

How did your passion for animals start?
When my family got our first dog.

How did you come up with the idea for Project H.O.P.E.?
My Socrates [gifted] class all decided this
was a good idea for a [community service] project and we are all doing the best we can.

What are some obstacles that you have with your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Money is an issue we need money to help with our project. We could help that with fundraisers. Some of the things that we wanted to change involve our city government and that makes it harder to get things changed. Talking to everyone we can will help change that.
 

Dosomething.org helps teens who want to make an impact in their community by offering information and resources to do so.

Recently, they offered Animal Action Grants of a whopping $500 to young people working to help animals! I was lucky enough to interview three of the winners: Amanda Smith, Hayden Whitt and Maggie Maxwell. They truly are inspirational! (Meet all the winners here.)

This is my interview with Amanda Smith is a 17-year-old from Rochester, Minnesota. I'll post my interviews with Hayden and Maggie in coming weeks.

What is your project?
My project is to help promote RIDE of Rochester. RIDE stands for Rescue/Recreation Involving Deserving Equine. It promotes the rescue and rehabilitation of horses in need, safe and responsible horse ownership and the advancement of animal-assisted therapeutic programming for humans.

RIDE's hard work is entirely volunteer-driven and donor-funded. RIDE's network of foster homes, care providers, therapists and other volunteers help humans and horses in a variety of situations with many levels of need.

A problem is commonly occurring throughout the Rochester area: Neglected or abandoned horses are being left to starve and die. When this happens, RIDE steps in to save these horses on the verge of death. An example is a pony named Grandma. Grandma was left to die and was in the nastiest body condition. RIDE was there to rescue her and rehabilitate her to increase her weight and to get her health back.

A major problem for RIDE is that the public is unaware of its existence! I started an Animal Welfare Club at my high school and we will get together to do the project. 

Oprah Winfrey has adopted a cocker spaniel puppy from Petfinder member PAWS Chicago, a rep for the shelter tells Us Weekly.

According to Usmagazine.com, Oprah "adopted an 8-week-old blonde-colored cocker spaniel on Sunday. ... The pup -- one of a litter of six -- was named Amanda by shelter staff, but [shelter rep Lisa] Nowak isn't sure if Winfrey renamed her."

This is, of course, great news for adoption advocates! Oprah vowed her next dog would come from a shelter during her episode last year that exposed the horrors of puppy mills (and featured Bill Smith of Petfinder member Main Line Animal Rescue).

Of course we're thrilled that she's made good on her promise -- but she'd become a bona fide pet adoption advocate even before this week:
 

• She donated to PAWS Chicago in honor of her late cocker spaniel, Sophie.
• She aired a show recently about Yorkies rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri.
• Her Web site features a photo gallery of her employees' rescued pets.

Okay, I'm a little late to blogging about this, but our own VP of shelter outreach, Kim Saunders, continued her media blitz promoting the Petfinder.com Adopted Dog Bible with an appearance on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet (watch the video).

This was one of my favorite media spots because Kim was able to not only promote responsible pet adoption, but also to show
off some wonderful dogs whom the average adopter might not think to seek out:

• Rocky, a 10-year-old pit bull at NYC's Picasso Veterinary Fund
  
• Deke, a blind, senior shepherd mix, also at Picasso Veterinary Fund
• Higgins, a St. Bernard-mix puppy who was hit by a car and is being cared for and given veterinary cary by Companion Critters in Clark, NJ
• Valentina, a young beagle the Humane Society of NY (okay, she's the type of dog EVERYONE seems to be looking for -- but it's always good to let people know they CAN find a purebred dog at a shelter)
  

NPR recently aired a piece about how many horses are ending up in shelters these days because of the economy.

Some rescues have received more than 300. One horse they mentioned was abandoned, tied to a utility pole.

The commentator said that horses may be inexpensive to acquire these days, but, the piece warned, it takes a chunk of money to keep one in food and to pay for vet bills.

Still, there's a great need right now for people who have the means. The piece concluded that there are simply too many horses -- and that people shouldn't breed them when so many need homes. Sound familiar?

(There are currently more than 2,500 adoptable horses waiting for their forever homes on Petfinder.)

Update: Thanks to the commenter who pointed out this great post on the Best Friends Network's Stop BSL blog, which lists ways to speak out against this policy.

Original post: Breed-specific legislation has now extended its ugly reach to the military.

Good News for Pets writes about a new memo banning "aggressive or potentially aggressive" dogs, including pit bulls, rottweilers, Doberman pinschers, chows and wolf hybrids from military housing as of Feb. 1, 2009.

You can see copies of the memo on the Web sites for Fort Riley, Kansas, and Army Hawaii Family Housing, to name just two examples.

How sad that our government is rewarding our brave servicemen and women by taking their beloved family pets from them. As Good News for Pets points out:

According to the ruling, dogs of any type who currently live on base can be grandfathered in. However, [Lynette] Lynde [a pit owner whose husband is an Afghanistan vet] points out that families are frequently being asked to re-locate. When they do, they can no longer bring their banned dogs with them. Similarly, new enlistees must leave their dogs at home if they're indentified as a banned breed.

Making the ban even more upsetting: Not so long ago, pit bulls were considered the embodiment of the American military spirit for their bravery and loyalty.

Wow! California legislators have been looking at adding a tax of about 9% on veterinary services to fix their budgetary crisis. That would make veterinary care for pets even further out of reach for a lot of people. It's hard enough for them to scrape together money for vaccinations with the way the economy is.

The budget puts veterinary care for our pet companions in the same category as playing golf or getting a piece of furniture repaired, services to which they're also proposing a sales and use tax.

You can call the Governor's office at 916-445-2841 to protest it. When you call, select your language choice, then press 5, which will take you right to hot topics. Next press 1 to select the issue of extending the sales tax to veterinary services, and then press 2 to oppose this proposal.

For more information about the measure and how to take action to oppose it, visit the California Veterinary Medical Association's Web site.

I had the immense pleasure of meeting Dick Schnell, animal control officer at the Minot, N.D., police department, a few years ago when we did an Adoption Options workshop in Fargo.

He had trading cards for the school kids and described his job primarily as "taking dogs home after payday benders." A scuba diver, Dick supplements his income as an ACO by diving for golf balls in the water hazards at the local golf club. So I got a kick out of seeing him mentioned in this story:

Dog Uses Snow Bank to Climb On Roof
MINOT, N.D. - Minot police say they get lots of calls about animals but this one was different. A caller reported a dog on the roof of a house. Animal control officer Dick Schnell said the snow in the back yard of the dog's owner's home apparently was high enough for the dog to walk up onto the roof Tuesday.

The dog, which appeared to be a border collie mix, seemed perfectly content to be there.

"A neighbor from across the street called us and said, 'You're not going to believe this,' " Schnell said.

I'm not a huge fan of the Westminster Dog Show, but I couldn't help being pleased that 10-year-old Sussex spaniel Stump won Best in Show this year.

The Sussex spaniel is a pretty exotic breed -- there are only three adoptable Sussex spaniel mixes listed on Petfinder -- but there are thousands of dogs age 10 and older waiting for their forever homes in shelters and foster care right now.

Many people overlook senior dogs (and other senior pets) when they're looking to adopt because they worry their time with the pet will be too short and the inevitable goodbye too painful.

We're thrilled to announce that Victoria Stilwell, internationally renowned dog trainer and star of the Animal Planet hit It's Me or the Dog, has offered to help one lucky Petfinder pup get adopted.

We've invited Petfinder shelter and rescue group members to send us a description of one of their adoptable dogs who has a behavior issue that could benefit from Victoria's advice.

We'll select finalists, and visitors will be able to vote for their favorite on Petfinder.com from March 4-22. The dog with the most votes will be announced on Petfinder.com beginning March 25.

The winning dog will get a complimentary telephone consultation with Victoria -- and best of all, when the dog is adopted, his or her new family will also have the chance to speak with Victoria to assist with the pup's transition into the new home.

We will detail the advice and progress here on the Petfinder blog so that more people and pets will benefit from Victoria's positive, reward-based training advice. We're huge fans of Victoria, a longtime pet-rescue advocate, and are delighted that she's lending her expertise to one of our adoptable pets. May the best (worst?) dog win!

February is Adopt-a-Rescued-Rabbit Month, which gives me a great excuse to give some press to one of the many non-dog-or-cat species available for adoption on Petfinder.

In fact, we've got more than 6,300 adoptable rabbits waiting for their forever homes in shelters and rescue groups around the country.

I have some friends with pet rabbits, and they are adorable, affectionate, funny and full of personality. They're also NOT low-maintenance pets! As House Rabbit Society president Kathleen Wilsbach says:

The ideal "rabbit person," in addition to being calm, patient and eager to get to know a rabbit on his own terms, must be willing to rabbit-proof an appropriate exercise area in the home to prevent damage from chewing.

Already have a rabbit or are thinking of getting one? Check out this great blog, The Rabbit Advocate, by Mary Lempert, a rabbit behavior consultant to the Boston MSPCA. She gives warm, thoughtful and uncritical advice to readers with questions about everything from a bunny with runny eyes to a woman whose male newfoundland dwarf has an unnatural attraction to her bunny slippers. Mary's goal is to keep rabbits out of shelters by educating their caregivers -- something we here at Petfinder are all about.

UPDATE:
Hi all, those puppies (and kittens) sure were cute. I don't know which puppies came from which shelters, but a full list of the shelters who provided animals can be found here.

Just click the link to go to that group's Petfinder homepage, then click on "our pet list" or some such link.

Many of the puppies and kittens have probably been adopted (Puppy Bowl was filmed a few weeks ago), but PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP! There are THOUSANDS of adorable puppies and kittens waiting to be adopted on Petfinder, so please keep looking to find your own MVP (most valuable pet)!--Emily

ORIGINAL POST:
I am sooooo excited for Super Bowl Sunday this year -- not because I'm a football fan, but because Animal Planet is once again counter-programming with its famous Puppy Bowl ... and this year, ALL the puppy players (as well as the kittens in the halftime show) are adoptable pets from Petfinder shelters and rescue groups!

Puppy Bowl V kicks off on Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. EST. Visit AnimalPlanet.com's Puppy Bowl page, where you can:

• see the full list of shelters and rescue groups who provided the puppies and kittens;
  
• meet Pepper the Parrot, the ambassador for Petfinder member group Phoenix Landing, who will open the game by singing the National Anthem;
  
• check out adorable portraits of all the puppy players.

For those of you who fans of both football AND adoptable pets, check out these Super Bowl star namesakes who are available for adoption on Petfinder:

• Polamalu (named after Steelers' strong safety Troy Polamalu) at W. PA Humane Society in Pittsburgh;
• JJ (like Cardinals' running back JJ Arrington) at Wilson County Humane Society in Wilson, NC;
• Willie (as in Steelers' running back Willie Parker) at Elmsford (NY) Animal Shelter;
• Lap-loving Larry (think Cardinals' wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald) at Earth Angels in Bronx, NY;

And of course, while Bruce Springsteen will be singing at the Super Bowl halftime show, Toms River (NJ) Township Animal Facility has its own star in Boss the "very friendly" rottweiler mix!

Watch CBS Videos Online

Check out this amazing video from CBS News about an unusual friendship between a dog and an elephant. (Sniff!)

Officials in the California city of Lancaster have adopted an ordinance that requires, among other things, all pit bulls, rottweilers and pit and rottie mixes to be spayed or neutered (read the L.A. Times article here).

This is breed-specific legislation, to be sure, but is it perhaps not a bad idea?

Now, I know a lot of our readers are, like me, pit bull parents and defenders of these wonderful and misunderstood dogs. We are horrified by the idea that we could one day have our beloved pets seized from our homes, as has happened in American cities in the recent past.

But that's not what this law is about. It's about spaying and neutering these dogs who are euthanized by the thousand because shelters are overflowing with them and too few people are willing to adopt them. (This law is arguably also about racial profiling, but let's just stick to the animal welfare implications here.)

Petfinder's own Kim Saunders was on Sunday's episode of the TODAY show talking about things to consider before adopting a dog (for more great tips on that subject, check out our new book, the Adopted Dog Bible).

Also starring on the TODAY show segment were some adorable, adoptable dogs from Animal Care & Control of NYC (the min pin and rat terrier are handled by Brendon, Animal Control Officer extraordinaire and Puppy Love Pet Rescue of Roselle Park, NJ ... including Kim's own foster dog, Carly the pointer.

Check out this great clip from this morning's episode of the TODAY show, featuring our own VP of shelter outreach, Kim Saunders, and Petfinder member Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, NJ.

I love that this clip contains some positive news about adoption -- some states are seeing an increase in adoptions, even as more pets are surrendered due to home foreclosures -- as well as an unexpected plug for senior pets at the end, when the puppy one anchor is holding starts squirming and crying as the older dog on another anchor's lap sits quietly!

Anyone who thinks you can't get an A-list dog from a shelter or rescue group hasn't been to the movies lately.

As Julia Szabo points out in her New York Post column, the star of the new movie Hotel for Dogs, a terrier named Cosmo, was surrendered by a family who couldn't handle his high energy, and his double, J.R., was "discovered" at a Northern California animal shelter.

The movie also features a pair of rescued pit bulls (one of them a three-legged tripod), and as it turns out, the film's producer insisted as much. Check out this great article on BestFriends.org, which reports:

Movie producer Ewan Leslie is a devout pit bull lover who works with Karma Rescue in Los Angeles. Says Leslie, "When we started working on the movie, I told Mark Forbes, our head trainer from Birds and Animals, Unlimited, that we had to have some pits in the movie."

The article also says the cast and crew found homes for seven dogs, six of them pit bulls (three of those pits were adopted by crew members, including Pearl, a blue pit who'd been abandoned in a parking lot and who can now be seen on the movie's poster. And as if that weren't enough, the movie's site, hotelfordogsmovie.com, even links to Petfinder!

Skunks can be actors, too. One of our Petfinder members, Skunk Haven, Inc., in North Ridgeville, OH, and its founder, Deborah Cipriani, will be featured in the new PBS Nature documentary, Is That Skunk?

One of Deborah's rescues, Monk, will portray the skunk on the beaches of Martha's Vineyard. Monk and his pal Violet can be seen going after bees in a hive. Several others will be digging through trees, walking in the woods and just ... being skunks.

The show premieres at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 on PBS.

The Obama family is making the transition to First Family, and we all know what's next: getting that new First Dog.

We're so happy for daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, and so pleased that the Obamas are going about their search for a new pet in a responsible way: They plan to reach out to shelters and wait patiently for the right pooch to become available for adoption.

The family is concerned about all the right things: finding a pet that will match their lifestyle and choosing a dog appropriate for Malia's allergies (how great that the Obamas believe a kid with allergies can know the joy of having a pooch -- they must have a good pet-loving pediatrician!).

I just want to shout out a special thanks to the First Family for providing us with such a great example of responsible pet selection. If folks follow their lead, I believe far fewer pets will end up in shelters.

We've been reporting for months on the Obamas' efforts to find a dog. Apparently, the family has gotten closer to selecting a breed. Here's an excerpt from the President-elect's interview on This Week with George Stephanopoulos:

STEPHANOPOULOS: What kind of a dog are we getting and when are we getting it?

OBAMA: The -- they seem to have narrowed it down to a labradoodle or a Portuguese water hound.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A medium sized.

OBAMA: Medium sized dog, and so, we're now going to start looking at shelters to see when
one of those dogs might come up.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, you're closing in on it?

OBAMA: We're closing in on it. This has been tougher than finding a commerce secretary.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Obamas adopt. And while I know I'll get piled on by commenters who think the decision is none of my business, I still think the family would set a great example by making a shelter pet First Dog, and could save the lives of countless homeless pets as a result. (Besides, the President-elect has talked about it publicly and in detail, so I don't think it's an invasion of their privacy to have an opinion.)

UPDATE: Cast your vote ... for the breed you think the Obamas should adopt! Check out AnimalPlanet.com's Presidential Puppy poll.

Learn more about hypoallergenic dogs and living with pet allergies ... and urge the Obamas to adopt.

You may have seen ads on Petfinder for the movie All Roads Lead Home, which is available on DVD tomorrow, Jan. 13. This sweet, PG-rated film is about a 12-year-old girl named Belle (Vivien Cardone) who loves animals, and it will appeal to any kid who feels the same way.

But I'm excited about this movie for other reasons as well. Number one: One of the main characters, Belle's father Cody (Jason London), is an animal control officer in their Kansas town. He brings stray and neglected animals to the local open-access shelter, staffed by his friend Milo (Patton Oswalt).

Cody and Milo love animals but, as much as it saddens them, sometimes have to euthanize pets for illness, behavior or space. I've never seen such a sensitive portrayal of animal control officers, particularly in a kids' movie, where the neighborhood "dog catcher" is almost always the bad guy.

Reason number two: The film's distributor, Anchor Bay Entertainment, is putting its money where its mouth is to support pet adoption and animal shelters, first by advertising on Petfinder (thank you!!) and second by donating $3,000 to the Petfinder.com Foundation, money that will go directly to our rescue group members to help them save, care for and find homes for pets in need. Finally, Anchor Bay is also donating 200 free copies of the DVD to rescue-group staffers and volunteers attending our Adoption Options training workshops.

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!

Congratulations to Jacci Moss, director of Friends of Felines Rescue Center and Earth Angels Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic in Defiance, OH. She was just named Animal Planet's Cat Hero of the Year!

According to the Toledo Blade, Moss opened Friends of Felines in 1999 with 11 cats. Today the no-cage facility houses up to 100 cats at a time. They come from Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, many of them formerly abused or abandoned.

A lot of attention has been paid recently to the story of the hero dog in Chile who risked his life to pull an injured dog off of a busy highway. After the above video aired on TV last week and quickly became a YouTube phenomenon, Chilean officials said they got 15 calls from people offering to adopt the pup (the injured dog, sadly, died). But because the incident happened in March, police and highway workers have given up on finding the hero dog.

As is so often the case, people are rightly moved to want to help an animal whose news-making story tugs at the heartstrings, but there are many, many others who need our help just as badly who don't have the benefit of the media spotlight. And while the dog in the video displayed courage and selflessness, anyone who knows dogs knows that each one is a hero in his or her own way -- even if they just heroically lick our faces when we're feeling down.

If you're interested in helping street dogs in developing countries, you can support the Humane Society International's Street Animal Welfare campaign, which works to promote a humane philosophy of animal control in nations around the world. (Here's a story about its recent spay-neuter program in Patagonia, Chile.)

Another great organization if the International Fund for Animal Welfare, whose Community-Led Animal Welfare program provides veterinary services, including spaying and neutering, to pet owners in some of the world's poorest communities.

What's on my dog's holiday wish list? This awesome "Bully" tank from Muttropolis.com. It would look quite, ahem, fetching, on my pit bull, Champ (he's a boy, but he can wear pink because he's secure like that).

And Santa/Hannukah Harry can feel good knowing that the gift benefits a great cause: Through Dec. 31, Muttropolis is donating 2% of proceeds from sales made using a special coupon code to the Petfinder.com Foundation.

Get the Muttropolis coupon here and you'll also get 10% off your next order.

Another great thing about our friends at Muttropolis? They're committed to promoting pet adoption and often host adoption events at their stores in Tucson, AZ, and La Jolla, Newport Beach and Solana Beach, CA. (Here's a list of stores with links to their calendars of upcoming events.)

The Petfinder.com Foundation gives more than 90% of donated funds directly to shelters to help them prepare for disasters or feed, house and vaccinate the pets in their care. (Find out more about the Foundation's programs.)

Happy shopping!  

Sure, a list of most popular baby names is always a hit, but who can resist a list of the most popular dog and cat names -- or the quirkiest pet names?

For the second year in a row, Buddy is the No. 1 name among Petfinder's 145,242 adoptable dogs, with Max coming in again as No. 2.

Of the 140,269 cats on Petfinder, the No. 1 name is Lucy, just barely beating Molly,
which jumped from No. 10 to the No. 2 slot this year. See the full lists below.

As for unusual pet names, they certainly grab the attention of folks looking to adopt. In fact, they sometimes help get our furry friends into homes even faster. One Petfinder member, Forever Home Rescue New England in Walpole, MA, had trouble finding a home for a dog named Buck. After they changed his name to Joe the Plumber during election season, more people began viewing his picture and he was quickly adopted.

A "very sad-looking dog" named Woe Izmee and a family of cats dubbed Domino, Ditto, Etcetera, And-so-on and And-so-forth ranked highest in originality in our survey of more than 12,000 shelters and rescue groups in the Petfinder network. You can see the full list of the most unusual names and group names after the jump.

So what is the most unusual name you've ever given to one of your pets? Let us know in the comments.

Top 10 Most Popular Dog Names
1. Buddy (805)
2. Max (620)
3. Daisy (588)
4. Jack (520)
5. Lucy (496)
6. Molly (476)
7. Charlie (431)
8. Sadie (415)
9. Jake (407)
10. Lucky (405)
 
Top 10 Most Popular Cat Names
1. Lucy (354)
2. Molly (328)
3. Oreo (320)
4. Kittens (318)
5. Smokey (315)
6. Princess (312)
7. Shadow (310)
8. Tigger (310)
9. Angel (309)
10. Missy (301)
 

Convicted dogfighter Michael Vick today pled guilty to a state dogfighting charge in Virginia, the Associated Press reports.

According to the AP, the plea makes the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback eligible for early release from the Kansas prison where he is currently serving a 23-month sentence on federal dogfighting charges.

It could also put him on the fast track back to the NFL. (The AP reports, "Federal law prohibits prisoners from being released to a halfway house if there are unresolved charges pending against them.")

Vick was given a three-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to a single count of promoting dogfighting (a second count, involving animal cruelty, was dropped). He told the judge: "I want to apologize to the court, my family, and to all the kids who looked up to me as a role model."

There have been no reports that Vick made any apologies to the dogs he admitted to killing.

UPDATE: After news of Vick's plea broke, our friends at Animal Planet decided to re-air their hit special episode of Animal Witness which details this horrifying case and the brave people who brought Vick to justice (as well as the amazing volunteers who rehabbed the dogs rescued from his compound). The show will air Thursday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. EST. Find out more about the show -- and take the excellent Pit Bull Myths Quiz -- on AnimalPlanet.com.

I just read an interesting story in the Washington Post about a herd of 2,000 wild mustangs due to be euthanized by the Bureau of Land Management.

According to the article:

[Y]esterday, at a public hearing in Reno, Nev., to discuss the issue, a solution arrived on a white horse, so to speak.

Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, made known her intentions to adopt not just the doomed wild horses but most or all of the 30,000 horses and burros kept in federal holding pens. Lifelong animal lovers, the Pickenses just a few years ago led the fight to close the last horse slaughterhouse in the United States.

Until now, I'd only known of T. Boone Pickens as a super-rich advocate of energy independence. How nice to hear that he and his wife are not only animal lovers, but people who use their wealth to quite literally save animals' lives.

But a little Internet digging revealed that, in fact, any qualified person can adopt a wild horse or burro. Find out how after the jump.

Since I last reported on Obama wanting to adopt a shelter dog, but having concerns about daughter Malia's allergies, two things have happened: (1) The story has only gained ground, and (2) I realized that the buzz is that Malia wants a goldendoodle (not a labradoodle).

I'm thrilled that so many people have urged the Obamas to find their next pet on Petfinder, including Best Friends Animal Society, The Oregonian and author and blogger Carole Raphaelle Davis. And after the jump, I've included links to some of the adoptable goldendoodles listed on Petfinder.

I also learned some interesting information from Petfinder staffer Kim Saunders that could be useful to anyone with pet allergies:

There are plenty of hypoallergenic breeds, but there are actually no non-allergenic dogs (or cats). However, dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair -- like the Poodle or the Bichon Frise -- may be less irritating to some people. This might even be because they are bathed or groomed more frequently.

If your or a family member's allergies are uncomfortable but not life-threatening, you can take these steps to reduce the symptoms:

1. Wash pet bedding regularly and change your air filters frequently. You should also use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner in the home.
2. Create an "allergy free" zone in the home -- preferably the bedroom -- and strictly prohibit the pet's access to it.
3. Brush your pet four to five times a week to reduce pet dander.
4. Choose the right pet brush -- one great option is the FURminator.
5. Consider getting allergy shots to improve symptoms. Steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills can also work to make you feel better.

If you have any other tips for living with pet allergies, let me know!

This whole Obama-dog story is really taking off like crazy. The president-elect told reporters today, according to the Associated Press:

We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic so it has to be hypoallergenic. ...

But obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So whether we're going to be able to balance those two things, I think, is a pressing issue on the Obama household.

Well we want the president elect to know that it's easy to balance those two things: More than 25% of shelter pets are purebred -- and it's easy to find the breed you want on Petfinder!

To contact Obama and urge him to adopt, you can write to him at his Chicago office at:

John C. Kluczynski Federal Office Building
230 South Dearborn St.
Suite 3900 (39th floor)
Chicago, Illinois 60604

Or e-mail him through the online form at http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision.

And for fun, cast your vote on AnimalPlanet.com's new poll: Should the Obamas adopt from a shelter?

After the jump, links to more adoptable, hypoallergenic labradoodles on Petfinder. Tell us which one is your favorite!

As you've no doubt heard, Barack Obama said in his victory speech Tuesday that his daughters had "earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House."

The Obamas told Entertainment Tonight on Sept. 30 they planned to adopt a "rescue dog," and we hope they'll keep that promise. (Of course, readers of this blog were nominating dogs for the Obamas back in July!)

Tuesday's election brought other good news for animals as well.

• In California, voters passed Proposition 2, which ends cruel confinement of farm animals.
• In Massachusetts, voters passed the Greyhound Protection Act, banning commercial dog racing.
• And in  South Tucson, AZ, the Tucson Dog Protection Act passed, which will dramatically improve conditions for racing greyhounds.

All of these represent incredible advances in animal welfare. Now let's just hope the Obamas adopt a shelter dog -- that would really be the Change We Need in the lives of homeless pets everywhere!

Whatever your politics, I have no doubt you're excited to vote today. And if you live in California, Massachusetts or South Tucson, AZ, you have the chance to make a difference for animals.

In California, vote yes on Proposition 2 to end inhumane confinement of farm animals. Want to learn more? The New York Times has an interesting article about Prop 2, which includes arguments by its opponents; you can also check out the Web site Yes! on Prop 2.

(Even if you don't live in California, you can vote with your wallet to help farm animals by buying food that is Certified Humane Raised and Handled, a designation awarded by the non-profit Humane Farm Animal Care.)

And thanks to Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell, who notes in his November "Newshletter" that voters in two states have a chance to help racing greyhounds:

• Massachusetts voters can vote yes on Question 3 to pass the Greyhound Protection Act, which would phase out commercial dog racing by 2010. (Learn more at YesOn3.com.)
• Voters in South Tucson can vote yes on Prop 401 to pass the Tucson Dog Protection Act, which would not ban dog racing, but would improve the treatment of racing greyhounds and help protect the public from dog-borne diseases. (Learn more at TucsonCitizen.com.)

And of course, no matter where you live, you can always help by adopting one of the 2,200+ greyhounds on Petfinder!

The New York Times on Sunday pointed out what people in animal welfare have known for months: As the economy slips, even the most well-meaning owners are being forced to give up their pets.

The article contains some great comments from Petfinder's founder, Betsy Saul, and spotlights the incredible work done by the shelter where I volunteer, Animal Care and Control of New York City, and its Safety Net program.

Safety Net helps pet owners deal with the issues that are making them consider surrendering their pet: Behavior problems, allergies, the cost of veterinary care, landlord concerns and, increasingly, finding temporary foster care for pets whose owners are in crisis.

It's easy to feel anger toward owners who surrender their pets to shelters, and the instinct for many animal lovers (including this one) is to write off that person and focus on helping the pet.

In 2005 I visited Denver. It happened to be the week the Pit Bull ban's grandfather period ended. In other words, Pit Bulls were illegal to own and as of that week, any Pit Bull in the city was a target for seizure and euthanasia.

As I stood in the shelter that morning, slackjawed and humbled, rows upon rows of Pit Bulls looked back at me. We had the same expression on our faces: "This is all wrong. There has been a terrible mistake."

I thought, "These are owned animals; loving family members." I imagined them feeling, "I have a home; I love my family."

These Pit Bulls had been seized from their homes, without provocation on their part, as part of a city-wide cleansing. Other than being, ostensibly, Pit Bulls, most of the seized dogs had done nothing wrong other than living within the city limits of a town with a breed ban.

Breed bans are troublesome for many reasons.

• They detract from the very real issues of dangerous dogs and irresponsible owners.
• They are applied haphazardly, based on looks alone.
• They criminalize, for no good reason, an entire segment of the population -- those folks who have adopted Pit Bulls and, in many cases, Pit mixes.
• They lend an air of credibility to myths about Pit Bulls. (Pit Bull jaws CANNOT "lock"!)

And, on a more philosophical level, Pit Bull bans smack of dangerous thinking.

Great news for dogs in Miami-Dade County: Commissioners voted yesterday to make it "illegal to tie a dog to any standing object outside a home unless the dog's owner is present" (Miami Herald).

There was a heated debate before the resolution passed 11-1, with some arguing the law discriminates against families who can't afford to build fences.

"I resent the implication that says if you can't afford it, or can't have a dog without tethering it, you shouldn't have one at all," said Commissioner Barbara Jordan, the
only one to vote against the measure.

With the second presidential debate airing last night -- and Sarah Palin still being compared to a pit bull -- we were thinking: If John McCain and Barack Obama were dogs, what dogs would they be? So we scoured our dog breed directory to look for canines with characteristics that reminded us of the candidates. Check out our picks, then let us know what YOU think.

McCain: German Shepherd or Boxer?
German Shepherd: "[I]ntent on his mission, whatever that may be, and he is virtually unsurpassed in working versatility. He is utterly devoted and faithful ... excel[s] at jobs requiring courage, athleticism and intelligence ... an intelligent and fearless companion and guardian. During World War I, he was the obvious choice for a war sentry." (Learn more about German Shepherds here.)


Boxer: "Inquisitive, attentive, demonstrative, devoted and outgoing ... he can be stubborn, but he is sensitive and responsive to commands ... one of the first breeds to be employed as a police and military dog." (Learn more about Boxers here.)


Obama: Border Collie or Great Dane?
Border Collie: "[A] bundle of mental and physical energy awaiting its chance to be unleashed on the world. ... He needs a lot of physical and mental activity every day to satisfy his quest for work. He enjoys being with his family ... worked hard to gain the reputation of one of the smartest breeds of dogs." (Learn more about Border Collies here.)


Great Dane: "[G]entle, loving, easygoing and sensitive ... generally good with children ... powerful but sensitive ... makes a pleasant, well-mannered family companion. [Has an] imposing yet graceful appearance." (Learn more about Great Danes here.)

The New York Times had an interesting story this weekend about the latest trend in pet parenting: Men admitting they love their cats.

The story pointed out the popularity of Web sites such as Menandcats.com and the YouTube video An Engineer's Guide to Cats, as well as a study by the U.K. organization Cats Protection that showed that

single male cat owners were more likely than their female counterparts to have made, or consider making, a sacrifice for their cat -- including giving up a holiday or going into debt for their cat if necessary.

While I know plenty of women who've made financial and personal sacrifices for their cats, this article is heartening on many levels.

When it was announced that the movie Beverly Hill Chihuahua was hitting theaters Oct. 3, many in animal welfare worried that it would cause a rash of impulse purchases of the little dogs. But Best Friends Animal Society looked at the film as an opportunity to educate the public and spread the adoption message.

They created the above video (which you can also watch on their Web site) and a fantastic poster (after the jump).

Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed 95 bills, "including a measure that would have prohibited dogs from riding on the laps of motorists," the L.A. Times reports.

The reason? "I am only signing bills that are the highest priority for California," the governator said.

Petfinder recommends keeping your dog in a crate or carrier while you're driving for your pet's safety. But be honest: Do you ever drive with your dog (or other pet!) in your lap? Do you think that doing so should be illegal?

On Friday Mars Petcare US announced a voluntary recall of all dry pet food products produced at its plant in Everson, Pa., between Feb. 18 and July 29, citing potential salmonella contamination.

Brands affected include Pedigree, Country Acres, Retriever, Doggy Bag, Members Mark, Natural, Ol' Roy, Special Kitty, Paws & Claws, Wegman's, Pet Pride, PMI Nutrition and Red Flannel.

To see if a product you purchased has been recalled, look for "17" as the first two digits of the second line on the UPC. For Pedigree products, look for "PAE" on the bottom line.

To see whether a product you purchased is subject to recall, you can also check the UPC code against the chart on the Mars Web site.

Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463.

Read more about the recall.

A week after Sarah Palin talked about pit bulls and lipstick, Barack Obama said John McCain was putting "lipstick on a pig" by claiming to be different from Bush.

Now I feel that I must point out two things here. First, NO animal should be forced to wear lipstick under any circumstances! And second, what's wrong with pigs? There are 236 pot bellied pigs available for adoption on Petfinder, including Poloneus, pictured above, at Red Rover Rescue in Kanab, UT.

He's apparently "a little shy, but takes food from your hand." And with that cute smile, he doesn't need any makeup!

Pit bulls have gotten a lot of press lately, thanks to Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's quip last week at the Republican National Convention: "What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick."

Now, I know there are bigger issues at stake here, but as a pit bull advocate, I can't help wondering: Does her comment just reinforce the tired old stereotypes of pits (aggressive, scary), or could it maybe help these misunderstood dogs' image?

After all, Palin obviously wanted to highlight her own positive qualities -- so you could argue that she's saying pits are tough but also loyal, loving and dedicated to their families. Maybe that's a stretch, but hey, Palin is doing well in the polls.

Our friends over at The Food Bowl blog posted this great video of a dog drinking water in slow motion. The clip is from the Discovery Channel show Time Warp.

If you thought you understood how a dog's tongue works to get water into his or her mouth ... you'll be surprised! (Also worth noting: The dog in this video is adorable!)

A California woman has paid $50,000 to clone her pet pit bull, receiving five puppies Tuesday who are genetically identical to her late dog Booger.

I hear a lot of crazy stuff at this job, and not much really gets the steam coming out of my ears, but this story has me all kinds of angry.

Each week I walk dogs at my local animal control center. The dogs are overwhelmingly pit bulls, and the majority of them are euthanized for lack of homes, even though most are sweet, loving dogs.

If you watched Live with Regis and Kelly or read USA Today yesterday, you probably saw the story about the 44 lb. cat rescued by the Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey.

The cat, 2 lbs. shy of the world record, was dubbed Princess Chunk until it was learned he was a male named Powder, abandoned by his owner when she lost her home to foreclosure.

Shelter director Jennifer Anderch tells the New York Post, "The phones have been ringing off the hook. We've gotten about 800 phone calls already from people inquiring about [him]."

Cute story, and Powder will most likely go to a great home. But that's not all there is to it.

You hear about hero dogs, and even hero cats. But here's a new one: A hero bunny! According to Britain's Times Online:

A pet rabbit has been credited with saving an Australian couple from a fire that started in their house while they slept. The rabbit woke its owners, Michelle Finn and her partner Gerry Keogh, by scratching on their bedroom door when smoke poured through the house in the Macleod area of Melbourne.

That's Michelle, above, holding her rabbit amid the ruins of her home. Read the rest of this amazing story, then check out the 6,000+ adoptable rabbits on Petfinder for a bunny of your own.

This new ad from Verizon promoting the LG Dare phone is sparking controversy online. What do you think?

The New York Post has the story of Rocco, a beagle who was reunited with his family after escaping from his Queens backyard five years ago -- and ending up in Georgia!

The heroes of the story? Randy Durrence, supervisor at Petfinder member Liberty County Animal Control in Hinesville, Ga., who contacted the Villacis family after scanning Rocco's microchip, and Jorge Villacis, who flew 850 miles to Georgia to pick up the dog that his daughter Natalie, 11 (pictured at right with Rocco), had never given up on.

If only every family would go to such lengths to retrieve their lost pets! This story is also a great reminder to keep your pet's microchip up to date. Your vet can scan your pet's chip and you can update your contact info online.

The cover story of the New York Times magazine on Sunday was this fascinating article about pets and antidepressants.

The main question: Is it a good thing that we're treating our pets' aggression, obsessive-compulsive behavior and separation anxiety with medication, when in the past those behaviors often led to euthanasia or surrender to shelters?

Or are we using a "magic pill" solution when we should be taking the time to train our pets, not to mention providing them with more natural lifestyles than sitting home alone doing nothing all day?

I don't have an answer. (Full disclosure: My cat has a prescription for Prozac to help with compulsive grooming, but I've never given it to her, since she's not, to put it mildly, easy to medicate.)

What do you think? Have you ever given your pet a psychoative drug, and how did it work out?

Bay Area pit bull group BAD RAP pointed out this great article and audio slideshow in the Washington Post about the Michael Vick dogs in their new homes. It's a great antidote to the recent news about the sad death of female Vick dog 7.

Happy 4th of July! This Independence Day, you can do a good deed by telling someone you know that their ideas about pit bulls are all wrong -- and that these loving, loyal, happy dogs were once considered symbols of all-American values.

(You can find more information on this Web site, which also has a great gallery of vintage pit bull photos and prints, including the World War I-era poster at right, and in our breed directory.) 

This holiday weekend comes on the heels of some sad news about one pit bull: A female pit named 7, one of the dogs seized from Michael Vick's property, died recently after being hit by a car (read the press release from All or Nothing Pit Bull Rescue in Atlanta, which had been caring for 7).

But dogs' lives are not defined by their final moments, and I'm glad to know that 7 got to experience love and happiness for some portion of her life.

The New York Times today ran an article about a topic we've been hearing more and more about lately, both in the news and from our shelter members: the impact of economic hardship on pets.

(The photo at right, from the article, shows a couple from Georgia who lost their home and can't afford to keep two of their three dogs.)

The Times quotes our founder, Betsy:

"Obviously, it's a crisis for local shelters; I worry about what it means for our society," said Betsy Saul, a founder of Petfinder.com, a Web site that showcases animals for adoption at 11,000 sites in the United States.

Ms. Saul recently polled her member organizations to gauge the problem and found that half of her respondents had seen pets turned in because of home foreclosures in the last six months.

Read the rest of the article here.