Results tagged “pet rescue” from Petfinder Blog

'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 recently ran a post about a New York Times columnist who bought a dog even though her young son had urged her to adopt.

The reason? Her husband wanted a Golden Retriever -- or at least a "bigger dog ... who fetched and swam" -- and they didn't think they'd find one in a shelter.

Our blogger wrote that it's a common misconception that there are no purebreds in shelters (in fact, 25% of shelter pets are purebred). One commenter suggested another misplaced belief:

[T]hat somehow a shelter animal (even a purebred rescue) is somehow less healthy or less valuable.  ... People feel [that] spending $800 or $1,000 on a purebred dog or cat is a symbol of how high-class they are as individuals.

So we decided to put together a list of common adoption myths, in the hopes that you can gently point friends toward this post when they talk about why they've got their heart set on buying.

Myth #1: I don't know what I'm getting
There may in fact be more information available about an adoptable pet than one from a breeder or pet store.

Many of the pets posted on Petfinder are in foster care. Foster parents live with their charges 24-7 and can often tell you, in detail, about the pet's personality and habits. If the pet is at a shelter, the staff or volunteers may be able to tell you what he or she is like.

At the very least, you can ask the staff if the pet was an owner surrender (rather than a stray) and, if so, what the former owner said about him or her. Quite often pets are given up because the owner faced financial or housing issues (more on that later). You can also ask about the health and behavioral evaluations the pet has undergone since arriving at the shelter. In contrast, pet store owners rarely have an idea of what a pet will be like in a home.

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

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

What we are looking for:

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

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

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

We look forward to hearing from you!

One of the ways Petfinder helps our members get their pets out there is by working with organizers of the dozens of public pet expos that take place around the country. We arrange to have a Petfinder booth at an expo, and one of our shelter or rescue-group members mans it on our behalf to spread the word about Petfinder and their own organization.

The folks at Tower Show Productions, a major organizer of pet expos, has been a great partner with us in this. At its recent Twin Cities Pet Expo in Minneapolis, the St. Paul-based Resource for Iguana Care and Adoption (RICA) manned the Petfinder booth.

RICA president Kathy Claugherty sent us this report after the expo:

The Pet Expo was a tremendous success for RICA. We opted not to bring an iguana because of the temperature issue, but it just so happens I have a life-sized plush iguana toy and I brought that instead. We also had a folder with pictures and bios of our adoptables along with our brochure and other materials. The plush toy was a big hit! It enabled me to show how big they get in a non-threatening way.

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.

Greg Kincaid is the author of A Dog Named Christmas, a novel about the power of pet adoption. He has been blogging for Petfinder about his and his wife Michale Ann's quest to adopt the perfect dog. Read all his posts here.

We had agreed that after our confusing visit to Wayside Waifs the night before that we would have to think a while longer before continuing on our journey to find me the perfect man-dog.

It started to occur to me that our analysis for picking a dog was missing a layer. We had thought about size, age, breed, coat qualities, color and general personality traits, but when we looked at dogs that had those valued qualities, I just didn't flip.

Why was it that after thinking about all the things that seemed to matter most, the one dog that met none of our requirements seemed the most attractive? How fitting that his name was Chance. He was four months old, a puppy. We wanted an older dog. He sure looked like a terrier and I wanted a hound.

When we took Chance into the holding area to look him over, he saw a garden hose hanging on the wall and he didn't like it. The fur on his back went up and he gave the hose a good barking. The hose didn't back down, so he gave up and ran over and leaped straight onto my lap like we had known each other for years and not 25 seconds. I wasn't sure if he was retreating from the vicious hanging wall serpent or just wanted my company. It didn't matter. He was telling me that this was where he wanted to be, a message the more perfect dogs never delivered.

Greg Kincaid is the author of A Dog Named Christmas, a novel about the power of pet adoption. He has been blogging for Petfinder about his and his wife's quest to adopt the perfect dog. Read all his posts here.

Lab mix Seal Boy is adoptable at T.A.R.A. in Kansas City, MO

My calm indifference caused the battle lines in the Dog Wars to tilt in my favor. "I guess we can't agree, so we'll just pass on a dog for now" brought my wife Michale Ann straight to the bargaining table. We framed a four-part truce. Its terms:

A) We would get a dog that was big enough to navigate a hay field without a periscope.
B) A scruffy, cute face would not be the single deciding factor in choosing a dog.
C) We would take our time, look at lots of dogs, and make a careful decision.
D) We'd spent the last 25 years raising kids, so we would stay away from puppies, opting instead for a wise and mature personality.

As per the terms of the truce, we both combed Petfinder for the next few days and tried to get a feel for the look and size of the dog we might be able to agree upon. I had a hound-looking dog in mind, but Michale Ann seemed pulled in another direction -- really, just about any other direction. I stuck to my guns for a few more days and finally she made a sneak attack to nudge me off my hound fixation.

"What about Seal Boy?"

In the mood for some positive thoughts? (Who isn't these days?) Then check out our Thanksgiving Happy Tail contest. We asked readers to submit stories about how their pets changed their lives. We picked our favorites, and now you can vote for yours through Dec. 19. The winner gets a BISSELL Pet Clean-Up package. You can vote once a day, every day. Spread the word (and some holiday cheer!). Cast your vote here.

Finalist #1 - Carbon
from Sharon Legrand of Silverdale, WA

I've just moved to the U.S. from India. I'm a Navy wife, and three months after my arrival, my husband was due to be deployed. I was miserable and homesick. I didn't know anyone, and I was terrified of being alone in a new country without my husband.

I visited the Kitsap Humane Society, where I met Carbon. He wasn't young, and was a stray, but I loved him. I brought him home, and my life just turned around. My husband left soon after.

Carbon has made sure that I'm never lonely. He loves me and hugs me and does all those things that just makes my life complete. If it wasn't for him, I probably would have just turned around and gone home to India. He is the first wonderful thing that has happened to me in the U.S., and I love him for it.

Carbon was adopted from Kitsap Humane Society in Silverdale, WA.

Finalist #2 - Luke
from Sarah Matthews of Houston, TX

My daughter was diagnosed as being bi-polar five years ago. She hadn't smiled in a long time. Her peers made fun of her because she was socially immature when compared to other girls her age.

I promised her a long time ago that when we bought a house, we would get a pet. That finally happened. We went to the shelter right before one of her doctor's appointments and visited with a few dogs. We left to make our decision and when we returned that evening, our choices had been adopted.

I talked her into looking at the dogs again. She saw Luke, and she wanted to visit with him. We took him outside and they chased each other around. She laughed more than I could ever remember, and ever since, they have been chasing each other around our backyard with her laughing and giggling the whole time.

Luke was adopted from the Houston SPCA in Texas.

Finalist #3 - Mochaccino and Dakota
from Kimberly Mockler of Port Washington, NY

Mochaccino and Dakota are my rescue dogs. They both know American Sign Language (Dakota also knows touch signals since she is deaf and blind).

Mocha and Dakota both passed their CGCs and participate in agility, fly-ball and little rally. They have also won several Halloween costume contests.

Mocha is also a Delta therapy dog and will be working with the deaf and deaf/blind population.

Since Dakota is a special needs dog, she has inspired me to help out with rescuing other deaf and deaf/blind double merle dogs. She is an inspiration -- she can do anything except hear and see!

Rescue dogs are the BEST and Mocha and Dakota have just helped to make my life so much better and so much more FUN! :)

Mocchaccino and Dakota were adopted from Wing and A Prayer Dog Rescue And Referral Inc., in Binghamton, NY.

Finalist #4 - Carmyne
from Lonnie Gerbracht of La Center, WA

Carmyne, a little Chihuahua, belongs to my disabled daughter. He is the best thing that has happened for her. We found out that he can tell when she is about to have a seizure migraine, and he tells her to take her medication and go to bed. He also helps her overcome her social phobia. And he has had NO training for this!

Not only has he helped her emotionally, but he has exactly the same hair color that she does! When he curls up on her shoulder you can't tell the difference between her hair and his! He is as attached to her as she is to him, and he means the world to her! Thank you Second Chance Companions! You made it possible for my daughter to live on her own in spite of her disability!

Carmyne was adopted from Second Chance Companions in Battle Ground, WA.

Finalist #5 - Casey
from Jennifer Clouse of Springfield, IL

I have been recently diagnosed with bi-polar 1 mixed disorder. It's been months since being diagnosed, and I still have a hard time with my life.

I adopted Casey after being in the hospital in January. He came with medical problems, like problems with his eyes and Lyme disease, but every day we are glad that we adopted him.

He knows when I have my bad days because he will not leave my side. He is 70 pounds, but he will jump on my lap so that I can hug him until I stop crying. Even on my better days I can count on him being right next to me, looking into my eyes as if to say, "I will always be here for you."

Adopted from Menominee Animal Shelter Inc. in Menominee, MI.

Ears! That's the first thing I think of when I look at the great pictures on Longhopes Donkey Shelter's pet list on Petfinder.

Housing approximately 30 donkeys at any given time, the Bennett, CO-based rescue was started a decade ago and has been instrumental in rehoming more than 300 donkeys.

Founder Kathy Dean started up Longhopes after she tried to find donkeys to adopt, but could not because unwanted donkeys were routinely sold for slaughter. Today, many of her adoptable donkeys were saved from the slaughter truck (check out her page of dramatic before-and-after photos).

For the donkeys that are housed at the shelter, sponsors can step in and help support a specific animal's care. The E.A.R.S. (Education and Rehabilitation Sponsorship) program connects the resident donkeys with donors who, for $30 a month, care for them until they find an adoptive home. This program allows donkey admirers near and far to take part in their care.

Visit Longhopes Donkey Shelter on Petfinder.

Last week, I had to interrupt the "Dog Wars" to jump up and down like I just sacked Peyton Manning on a fourth-down game clincher. One very special dog was adopted at a book signing and I was pumped! Not being in the dog-adoption business, it was exciting for me -- though I am sure commonplace for others.

If I was giddy about finding a home for one dog, you can only imagine the gymnastics that resulted from this letter from Pam at Florida's Pine Forest Animal Clinic.

Dear Greg,

I am a veterinary technician in a busy animal hospital in Pensacola, FL. I picked up your book and loved the story. At the hospital where I work, we had 37 abandoned, unwanted and repaired pets looking for homes. That is, until I took your idea from the book and created "Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays."

The local news did a several-day piece on the nightly program [here's one clip]. It was amazing!! All of the animals were sent to homes for Thanksgiving and only three cats returned today; the other 34 were adopted.

I thank you for a great story and idea! We plan to do it again in a few weeks for Christmas.

Pam

In my book, A Dog Named Christmas, Todd McCray hears about a holiday fostering program called "Adopt a Dog for Christmas" and pleads with his dad to participate. Todd's father has some reservations about the concept and calls the shelter for details. He soon sets his concerns aside: "Ultimately, it was one of those times in my life when I took a deep breath and trusted that it would work."

Thanks to Pam for taking a deep breath and trusting that what worked in this story would work in the real world too.

Pam received "several hundred" calls and assures me that she put the whole program together in 10 days and with very little time or effort! There were not nearly enough dogs to go around. She said she had never seen such an enthusiastic response.

Greg Kincaid is the author of A Dog Named Christmas, a novel about the power of pet adoption. He has been blogging for Petfinder about his and his wife's quest to adopt the perfect dog. Read all his posts here.

I know I'm supposed to be writing about the Dog Wars, but I have to take a mid-week hiatus while the combatants reload.

It's very exciting to see A Dog Named Christmas listed this week as the "On the Rise" selection by the American Book Seller's Association for hardcover fiction. But something else happened recently that reminded me that the real power of the book lurks behind those numbers.

I was at a book signing at Watermark Books in Wichita. The signing started at 7:00 p.m., and around 6:30, Barbara and Jack from Lifeline Animal Placement and Protection, Inc., showed up with three dogs in need of homes. We had decided that, because of the strong rescue theme in the book, public events would be a great opportunity to also plug Petfinder and animal rescue. And what better way to promote adoption than with adoptable dogs?

Jack and Barbara had three dogs with them. One was a small terrier-spaniel mix. The second was a miniature-poodle mix, and the third dog was very large standard poodle named Rogan. Rogan was beautiful and clearly had more charisma than any man or beast could demand. His picture really does not begin to capture his rather regal bearing.

When a fellow animal rescuer dies, the loss is felt by every person and animal touched.

On November 13, 2008, longtime animal rescue advocate Ingela Levett passed away after a long battle with leukemia. After her retirement form the corporate world, Ingela devoted her life to animal rescue, creating Rawhide Rescue in 2001.

Based out of New Jersey, Ingela worked hard to create a phenomenal network of volunteers and foster homes across the state with the mission of saving homeless dogs.

The organization she created has re-homed thousands of dogs since it began. In addition to helping the animals, Ingela inspired countless people to become involved in animal rescue.

On behalf of everyone at Petfinder, we are honored to have known and worked with Ingela.

Visit Rawhide Rescue on Petfinder.

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!

Editor's note: Greg Kincaid's first novel, A Dog Named Christmas, hit shelves on Tuesday. The book tells the story of a special young man who inspires his entire town to take in dogs from the local shelter.

Greg lives on a farm in East Kansas with his wife, Michale Ann. He and his family had always taken in stray dogs who "found them," but after writing the book, Greg was inspired to adopt from a shelter. He will be blogging here each week about his search (on Petfinder, of course!) for the perfect dog.

This fall, Christmas came early. On my wish list was launching my new book, A Dog Named Christmas, finding a good truck and, finally, settling on the perfect dog to go into it.  

In October, I finally found the right truck. It's a real  beauty -- a 1982 Ford  F-250 with only 80,000 miles. The search took me several months, but the book was worse: That was about nine years from start to finish. The effort that went into the truck and book were significant, but picking the right dog ... I had no idea! It was quite a journey, but I can't remember when I've had more fun.

To research A Dog Named Christmas, I had the privilege of visiting shelters and meeting some of the most amazing people -- many of whom have made it their life's task to care for creatures who want nothing more than a home, a place where they belong. Before I wrote this book, I had never been inside a shelter. In my mind, it would have been too painful. Like most of us, it was easier to pretend that the problem didn't exist and, even if it did, it wasn't really my problem. Frankly, like some of the characters in my book, I was carrying around a flawed perspective.

I learned something important in my visits.

Montana and her two siblings were ditched, literally, beside a road in Georgia.

The abandoned litter was taken to the Humane Society of Statesboro and Bulloch County where they were treated for mange and malnutrition. Montana was diagnosed with parvovirus as well and was placed in isolation. Fortunately, she survived.

The shelter posted her photo and description on Petfinder, but held out only moderate hope that she would be adopted. Her face was crusted over with a secondary infection from the untreated mange, and she didn't have any hair to speak of.

But some people live by the conviction that beauty is more than skin deep. Such a person is Kaci Deater of Statesboro, Ga. She was looking for a pet to adopt on Petfinder and had looked at hundreds of listings. But she kept coming back to Montana.

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!

October 25 is Pit Bull Awareness Day, so in its honor, we're highlighting a group doing amazing things for Pits: BAD RAP, which stands for Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pitbulls.

The San Francisco-based organization provides rescue services as well as extensive educational opportunities.

BAD RAP made national news last year when it was called in to evaluate 48 dogs from the Michael Vick case. Several groups stepped forward to foster the dogs, and 10 Pits came back to the Bay Area with BAD RAP. The dogs' amazing progress is detailed in the group's Vick Dog Blog.

In addition to its hands-on rescue work, BAD RAP offers a gamut of services to the local community as well as to animal welfare professionals. Most notably, it offers weekly Pit Ed classes to help educate the parents of these special dogs. According to the BAD RAP mission, Pit Ed participants "learn basic handling skills, dealing with breed traits and responsible ownership protocol."

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.