Petfinder Blog

We are thrilled to be featured in a special advertising section in this week's TIME magazine (the Sept. 5 issue with Gaddafi on the cover).

The section, which you can view as a PDF here, talks about Petfinder's history and the recent, incredible post-tornado adoption event in Joplin, MO -- the hometown of Petfinder co-founder Betsy Saul, who is interviewed in the article.

The piece also highlights the two types of pets who are in the greatest crisis in U.S. shelters: cats and Pit Bulls, with our own Kim Saunders pointing out, "They both tend to be prolific breeders and they're both misunderstood in their own ways."

Best of all, the article spotlights our FurKeeps initiative, which is designed to help pet adoptions last a lifetime by supporting pet parents in the areas of behavior (via training resources), pet health-care costs (with discounted pet insurance) and lost-pet recovery (with a microchip registration program).
 

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.

The new iPhone ad begins with the words we at Petfinder love to hear: "We've been wanting a dog for a while -- so we searched local shelters ..." Even better, the ad features our new iPhone app (learn more about our app or download it for free on iTunes)!

And because Apple has the marketing muscle to run the ad during hit shows such as 24 and American Idol, the result has been overwhelming: Nearly 16,000 downloads in one day, and the Petfinder iPhone app is now #1 in the free lifestyle apps category and #49 among all free apps (considering there are hundreds of thousands of free iPhone apps, this is huge!).

Of course, most important that all these downloads mean more people are looking at more adoptable pets, and that means more pets will be adopted. So thanks to Apple for promoting our app (and pet adoption) and to everyone who downloaded it!

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:

Since 1995, Petfinder.com has found homes for approximately 15 million animals. Unfortunately, many adopted pets end up right back where they started, in shelters.

In an effort to decrease the number of surrendered pets across the country, on March 8 we launched FurKeeps, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to arm potential pet parents with the information they should consider before adopting, as well as the resources they need to ensure the adoption lasts a lifetime.

The program kicked off with a week-long "Ask the Experts" campaign during which current and potential pet parents chatted with certified pet trainers, veterinarians, behavioral specialists and legal experts on our message boards and Facebook page.

The turnout was even better than expected! Over the course of seven days, more than 200 questions were answered by our experts and over 7,000 pet lovers read their advice.

Since a wealth of important information was shared during the launch week, we wanted to highlight some of the best questions received and expert advice shared for those who are still in need of a little help when it comes to taking care of their furry friends! (Soon you'll be able to find all the Q&As in our library.)

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." ...

Our new FurKeeps section includes a link to The Shelter Pet Project's Pet Personals, a quiz that matches users with Petfinder pets who suit their lifestyle.

Just for fun, I took the quiz to see what everyone at Petfinder has been raving about. When asked whether I was interested in a dog or cat, I chose dog, entered my Zip code and then answered the questions about my life and what I was looking for in a pet.

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.

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

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

We're celebrating Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month by partnering with LOLcats site Icanhascheezburger.com to bring adoptable cats to a whole new audience.

If you check out any adoptable cat on Petfinder, you will see a button under his or her photo that says ADD TO ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM.

When you click, you have the chance to write a creative LOL-worthy caption. You know the pictures ... the ones that when you look at them, you can't help but put words in the cat's mouth?! Well, here's your chance.

Once you submit a captioned adoptable kitteh (that is LOL-speak for cat!), she will go into the gallery and Icanhascheezburger visitors will vote on their favorites.

The top vote-getters make it to the home page with a link back to the cat's Petfinder profile. It's fun -- and it will also, we hope, get more people to check out the adorable, adoptable cats on Petfinder.

I love my cat. My cat loves her (huge, carpeted, gray, well-scratched) cat tower. But I have to admit, I do not love the cat tower.

How to decorate a stylish home that's also fun and stimulating for cats is a perennial dilemma. Luckily, The Refined Feline has a solution in its assortment of high-end cat towers, litterbox cabinets, and cat beds.

And in honor of June, Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, The Refined Feline is partnering with The Petfinder.com Foundation to help pets in need.

By clicking this link, 10% of purchases will donated to the Petfinder Foundation.

The Refined Feline is also helping our shelter and rescue-group members in two ways (if you are a Petfinder member, visit the admin page for more info):

1) One lucky Petfinder member will receive a cat-room makeover with Refined Feline cat furniture worth more than $1300. We'll share the before-and-after pictures here on the blog!

2) The Refined Feline is also offering members an affiliate program, in which groups can sign up to receive 10% on all orders placed through their Web site.

Happy Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, everyone!

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!

While some of the 12,500+ shelters and rescue groups that list their adoptable pets with us will only adopt locally, not all of them have that policy, and we often get Happy Tails from people who traveled huge distances to adopt the perfect pet they found on Petfinder.

But this story about British couple Rose and Chris Rasmussen takes the cake. The pair spotted Sparky on Petfinder and fell in love, despite the fact that they live in suburban London and Sparky was at the Clare County Animal Shelter in Harrison, Michigan.

(Read the full story at Central Michigan's TheMorningSun.com.)

With help from Clare County Animal Control Director Dave Gendregske, who completed piles of paperwork and made
sure Sparky was microchipped, vaccinated, quarantined and vetted, the Rasmussens were finally able to travel to Harrison to collect their new family member.

Many congratulations to brilliant comic-strip artist (and tireless pet-adoption advocate) Patrick McDonnell, the creator of Mutts, for adopting a new dog -- whom he found on Petfinder, no less!

In his May newsletter, McDonnell writes:

On Saturday, March 13, Amelie joined the McDonnell clan. At 1.5 years old she is full of life, love, and energy. We don't know too much about her background, but she was surrendered to Animal Care and Control in NYC, spayed, and then brought into Posh Pets Rescue in Manhattan. After placing her in a foster home, Posh Pets put her profile up on Petfinder. A few days later she was on her way to her forever family.

Thanks to YOU, Petfinder Mobile is the winner of the People's Voice Webby Award in the category Mobile: Listings & Updates!

Thanks so much to all who voted (I know it was a challenge to register sometimes due to the high volume of traffic, so we are especially grateful for your persistence).

We are so proud to have a mobile application (you can view it from your desktop at m.petfinder.com) that allows users to view adoptable pets from wherever they are. Our dream is that adoption advocates like you can use Petfinder Mobile to spread the word -- that is, when your friend talks about wanting to buy a puppy from a pet store, instead of just TELLING her to check out Petfinder, you can SHOW her all the great adoptable pets near her.

Petfinder facilitated more than 2 MILLION adoptions last year, and we couldn't have done it without wonderful supporters like you!

Check out all the Webby winners here.

Previous entry:

Petfinder Mobile is nominated for a Webby Award!

Here's another update from Elizabeth Lujambio, founder of Marley's Pit Stop in Los Angeles, on Liza Bean, the shy pit bull she's fostering whose debilitating fearfulness was the subject of a phone consultation Elizabeth won with It's Me or the Dog star Victoria Stilwell.

(Read Elizabeth's first post-consultation update here.)

Week #2

With Victoria Stilwell whispering advice in our ears and the support all of the Petfinder members, Liza Bean and I embarked on week two of Liza's training.

Basic training agenda included reinforcement of the "sit" command and learning the "down" and "stay" commands. We also introduced a new person to the training: a tried and true Marley's Pit Stop volunteer and foster failure (he kept three foster dogs!), Dave.

Initially, I began the teaching of basic commands. Liza B. always had her "sit" mastered -- although, because she has such a long body, it takes her a bit to get there! Next, we began the "down" command, using treats and the leash from her already-familiar "sit."

We found out that while Liza can do a "down" nicely, she prefers to do so on grass, not on hard surfaces! Who's training who here?! We are practicing the mechanics on grass and can get her to a low crouch on cement. Hopefully, this week she will be able to do a proper "down" regardless of surface.
 

A few weeks ago we invited Petfinder rescue group members to nominate their behaviorally-challenged dogs for a chance at a complimentary phone consultation with It's Me or the Dog star and renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell.

Painfully shy pit bull Liza Bean at Marley's Pit Stop Rescue in Los Angeles earned the most votes from Petfinder visitors (meet the runners up here).

Victoria called Liza Bean's foster mom, Elizabeth Lujambio, and although she'd only committed to a 20-minute consultation, she spoke with Elizabeth for 45 minutes. "It was amazing!" Elizabeth tells us.

Victoria told Elizabeth that Liza Bean needed to do some independence training. Elizabeth realized she needed to "take a step back and stop thinking of her as my little dog -- and start giving Liza Bean some tools to build her confidence."

After the jump, Elizabeth's description of her consultation with Victoria and Liza Bean's progress.

A major cable network that happens to be very Petfinder- and pet-adoption-friendly is filming a series about cat breeds, and for an episode about the Selkirk Rex breed, they're looking for someone interested in adopting one of these exotic felines.

The producers are in touch with two rescue groups in particular about a pair of purebred Selkirks with star potential. If you're interested in adopting either of these cutie pies, contact their respective adoption organizations.

If you're the right fit for one of these great
cats, not only will you have a chance to be on TV, but you'll add a wonderful companion to your life.

According to our Cat Breed Directory, Selkirk Rexes are fun-loving, mellow and people-oriented. They're known for their distinctive soft, curly coat, which can be either long or short.

There are currently 15 Selkirk Rexes or Selkirk mixes available for adoption on Petfinder. Learn more about the breed.

Petfinder Mobile, our wireless application, has been nominated for a Webby award! This is truly an enormous honor for any Web site. We're in the Listings & Updates category in the Mobile division.

While winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and announced May 5, you can vote for us (through April 30) at the Webby's People's Voice site. (You'll need to register.)

And if you didn't know you could get Petfinder on your cell phone, well, you can! Just go to Petfinder on your Web-enabled phone or other mobile device and you'll see a specially formatted search field that fits right on your small screen (you can also go to m.petfinder.com to see what it looks like).

Our mobile site includes a click-to-call feature, so if you find your perfect pet while you're on the road, you can contact the shelter or rescue group with a single click.

Our pals at Best Friends Animal Society are celebrating their 25th anniversary! And as a special thanks to Petfinder, Best Friends is offering a free issue of their fantastic magazine, Best Friends, to the first 1,000 animal lovers who e-mail their name and address here (trialmag "at" bestfriends.org).

What else is Best Friends doing to celebrate? At the Sanctuary in Kanab, UT, welcome goodie bags are being distributed to visitors as our way of saying "thank you," and across the nation, "home parties" are helping spread the word about the organization's efforts toward No More Homeless Pets in our lifetime.

Best Friends also has a commemorative 25th Anniversary CD featuring artists that include Cyndi Lauper, Emmy Lou Harris, Neko Case and others. And Best Friends will celebrate at home and across the country during "Best Friends Week," July 19 - 25. Learn more about the festivities here.

Congratulations to Liza Bean, the painfully shy pit bull rescued by Marley's Pit Stop in Los Angeles. After getting the most votes from Petfinder visitors, Liza Bean will receive a complimentary phone consultation from It's Me or the Dog star and renowned dog trainer Victoria Stilwell -- as will the family who adopts Liza Bean.

(Meet the runners-up, whose caretakers will receive copies of Petfinder's Adopted Dog Bible.)

Marley's Pit Stop founder (and Liza Bean's foster mom) Elizabeth Lujambio was overcome with emotion when she learned that Liza Bean had garnered the most votes, telling us, "I am so grateful to Petfinder and to Victoria Stilwell for this opportunity to help Liza Bean."

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)
  

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!

Check out the new Disney DVD, Space Buddies, in stores tomorrow (Feb. 3). If you buy the DVD, you're in for a treat: a full page about Petfinder in the DVD insert. And if you go to the Space Buddies Web site, you'll find a link to Petfinder.

Disney understands how much kids love animals, and is dedicated to promoting a message of pet adoption along with its animal-themed entertainment. Space Buddies features adorable talking golden retriever puppies on an intergalactic adventure -- and if your kids fall in love with the pups, there are more than 2,500 adoptable golden retrievers and golden retriever mixes listed on Petfinder!

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!

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!

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.

The director of one of our Petfinder.com member shelters (who shall remain nameless) was "walking around" virtually in Second Life, and when she entered the virtual dogpark, she noted a huge Petfinder sign. It's great to know that supporters of pet adoption are all over the (real and virtual) world!

PS: The graphic on that sign, and many others, are available in our Petfinder Download Center.

NASCAR rookie Regan Smith is walking away with this year's Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. Regan is the first Raybestos Rookie of the Year winner to have finished every race he started -- that means he managed to not wreck his car! That's a BIG accomplishment for a rookie.

Regan became a friend of Petfinder when he joined us at the Texas Motor Speedway in April to sign autographs for fans. He's a terrific guy and a terrific driver with a real passion for homeless pets.

Regan shares his home in Mooresville, NC, with three Dobermans, two of them rescues (see photo after the jump) and countless foster dogs and cats.

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

Kelly writes:

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



From Kay:

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

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

More pics after the jump!

One of the best things about being part of a big company like Discovery Communications (which acquired Petfinder in 2006) is getting the support and enthusiasm of hundreds of our fellow employees.

Petfinder and eight local rescue groups felt the love on Oct. 21, when we held the second annual Petfinder.com Adoption Event, in honor of Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month, at Discovery's Silver Spring, Md., headquarters.

Hundreds of Discovery staffers turned out for the event and met more than 30 dogs looking for their forever homes. Already several adoption applications have been submitted to the rescue groups, and our fingers are crossed that many of the dogs will be joining their new families soon.

More photos and a list of rescue groups who attended are after the jump.

In its new cover story, "21 Ways to Serve America," TIME magazine has one suggestion we're all for: fostering a pet!

The magazine notes that, with 1.2 million homes in foreclosure, pets, just like people, are being displaced in record numbers. What you can do:

Sign up to house and care for a pet until its owner finds a residence or the animal is adopted. Use Petfinder.com to find local groups like PetConnect Rescue, which places dogs and cats in foster care.
(Read the article.)

Many thanks to TIME for driving home an important message: Even if you can't adopt, fostering is one of the best things you can do to help homeless pets.

By fostering, you'll help keep pets out of shelters and, if the pet can't go back to her original owner, you'll make her more adoptable by sparing her the stress of living in a shelter and serving as her personal advocate to adopters.

You can sign up to foster through our volunteer database, or find a shelter or rescue group near you using Petfinder. Give them a call -- responsible fosters are always in demand!

Check out this segment from Today featuring Emma Jackson, the remarkable 15-year-old author of A Home for Dixie: The True Story of a Rescued Puppy. The book tells the story of how Emma adopted a dog from Petfinder member Aunt Mary's Doghouse in Montclair, NJ. When Emma learned about the plight of homeless pets, she made it her mission to tell the world -- and especially kids -- about the benefits of adoption.

Best of all, part of the proceeds from this sweet children's book benefit Aunt Mary's Doghouse!

Linda C. Greenberg from Marblehead Animal Shelter in Marblehead, Mass., has written a book called No Fleas on Us about her years as adoption coordinator at the shelter and the many animals she and her colleagues have saved.

Petfinder even gets a mention! Linda tells us, "Petfinder is mentioned in chapter six, titled 'My Favorite Day,' in the segment subtitled 'A Huge Miracle.' The miracle was Petfinder. I can't tell you how positively it changed our shelter for the best."

Check out Linda's book -- and if you live in the Boston area, check out Marblehead's adoptable pets!

You may remember that in an earlier post I mentioned Jodi Geschickter and JTG Racing. In addition to co-owning this team, Jodi volunteers for the Animal Adoption League in Charlotte, NC.

Well up until now, JTG Racing has only fielded entries in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series, two "lower" levels of NASCAR racing. This weekend, JTG is trying for the big time -- the NASCAR Sprint Cup (formerly Winston Cup, formerly Nextel Cup) Series!

This is a big, bold move and their driver, Marcos Ambrose (right, with his foster dog Max, who's since been adopted), will need to qualify to get in the race.

Animal lovers, cross your fingers for Marcos. He generously donated his time and autographs to us when we were at the race in Texas earlier this year and has also fostered dogs for Jodi (and even taken them through the Starbuck's drivethrough for treats!)

Marcos will be driving the 147 Little Debbie Ford. Qualifying is 10 a.m. EST on Saturday on ESPN. GO MARCOS!

Kristen Powers, 14, is the daughter of Petfinder VP Ed Powers. She is the founder of the environmental group Green Teen Clubs.

I was recently working as a counselor-in-training for Piedmont Wildlife Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
It amazed me at the dedication kids there have for learning how they can respect and learn about the nature around them.

These kids, ages 4 to 11, have a desire to learn about anything and everything related to animals. Watching them was brilliant because I knew that I could make a difference in their lives.

While I was at the summer camp, I was carrying my Petfinder.com lunch bag. A little girl in my group came up to me and looked at my lunchbox. Suddenly, her eyes popped and she exclaimed, "I have that same lunch box. Petfinder is awesome!" It's always a wonderful feeling to know that Petfinder has not only reached people looking to adopt, but it is helping to mold the way young children are seeing animal adoptions.

If you or someone you know (like the person who pet sits for you) provides a service to pet owners, Petfinder's new Local Services & Supplies Directory is the perfect place to advertise.

Visitors can search by keyword and location, so whether you're a dog trainer in Duluth or a pet photographer in Petaluma, you can grow your client base by advertising to Petfinder's millions of pet-loving visitors.

A listing with your business name, address, phone number, ratings and reviews is free.

You can also upgrade to a basic ($9.90/month), premium ($19.90/month) or showcase ($29.90/month) listing with additional features. But if you sign up with the coupon code pflist40, you'll get 40% off any upgraded listing.

To sign up, go to https://resources.petfinder.com/advertise.php.

Please feel free to cross post this message and please share this discount code with any pet service provider you know!

You can help spread the word about adoptable pets by posting them to your Facebook mini-feed.

When you're logged into Facebook, just do a search for Posted Items and then download that application. It will let you post any URL to your mini-feed, including Pet Notes pages.

The app also has a "Share on Facebook" button you can drag to your bookmarks bar, so that when you're looking at a cute pet, you can just click the button and it'll add him or her to your mini-feed automatically.

Ryan and Krissie Newman have long been friends of Petfinder and work tirelessly on behalf of homeless pets.

I had the pleasure of meeting them in Texas earlier this year and got to hear Krissie's stories of finding strays on the roads around their property in North Carolina. Sometimes she finds their original owners, sometimes she finds new owners and sometimes ... the Newmans get a new dog!

Their Ryan Newman Foundation raises funds for shelters and spay/neuter efforts. They serve as spokespeople for the Humane Alliance National Spay/Neuter Response Team and they've published a book of NASCAR stars and their pets to raise money for their foundation. Pit Road Pets is a great book with heartwarming stories and huge color pictures of your favorite NASCAR personalities. (I even have my own autographed copy!)

TIME magazine has named Petfinder one of its 50 best Web sites of 2008! This is huge news for us. This type of media exposure has a direct impact on our traffic -- which means, quite literally, that pets' lives will be saved. Thank you, TIME!! Now, we could use YOUR help -- go on TIME.com and rate Petfinder on a scale from 1 to 100. We're currently ranked #4 by readers among all the sites on the list -- show the world you think pet adoption is #1!

For Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month, Petfinder and Cat Fancy asked readers to create an ad for our feline friends. The winning entry, from Cleveland's Randy DeMuesy, lists the many reasons to adopt a cat, and sums them up with, "Have a low-maintenance love affair." (See all the finalists here.)

DeMuesy, 43, serves as creative director, copywriter and producer at his own ad agency, DeMeusy Creative. His wife told him about the contest after seeing it in USA Today.

"I'm actually a dog person," he says, "but last summer a cat started hanging around our house. We'd leave food out for her, and she wouldn't let me touch her, but then one day she jumped up on the patio" and became a part of the family. "She's like a dog, what can I say?" Randy says of the cat, Lamont, who now keeps him company while he works. "She'll beg at the table; she's very vocal." But unlike a dog, Lamont doesn't require a lot of walks. "She sleeps all the time!" Randy laughs.