March 11, 2005

Dear Petfinder.com Friends and Supporters,

The winter is about over, and the daffodils are peeking above the ground in my yard. Spring makes me think of things growing, and it does my heart good to think about the growing numbers of people who are adopting pets from animal welfare organizations rather than buying them from pet stores or puppy mills. The euthanasia rate is down in the U.S., thanks to good folks like you, who spread the word that there are great pets waiting for homes and that they can make the match by using Petfinder.com.

Since our inception, we’ve helped over six million pets find their forever homes. By registering at Petfinder.com, you've told us that you support our adoption mission:

TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL ADOPTABLE PETS HAVE A CHANCE FOR A HOME.

Celebrate March the Guinea Pig Way
Join us in celebrating March as “Adopt-a-Rescued-Guinea Pig Month” and watch this great clip (http://members.aol.com/bingtheguineapig/guineapig.html) to see if you are ready to live your life the guinea pig way! You can find the perfect piggy by searching the nearly 1,000 guinea pigs in need of homes on Petfinder.com. Read more about guinea pig care in our Library (http://www.petfinder.org/journalindex.cgi?path=/public/animalcare/samllanimal/1.3.253.txt)

Moe or Les Perfect Piggies
Tracy Macino and her husband wanted a pair of guinea pigs, but it had never occurred to them that there are rescue groups with lots of little piggies waiting for homes. A friend enlightened her and pointed her toward Petfinder.com, which lists almost 1,000 guinea pigs in need of forever homes at any one time. “She had adopted a rabbit through Petfinder,” Tracy says, “and she told me to go to the Web site and look up guinea pigs.”

In no time, Tracy spotted two brothers on the site who were bonded and had to be adopted together. “We went to their foster mother’s house, which was more than an hour away, in the middle of winter, and adopted these two lovely boys, Les and Moe,” she says. “We had to keep their names. I just couldn’t call them anything else.”

Les and Moe were listed on Petfinder.com by Critter Corral in Steger, IL. Their piggies can be seen at http://crittercorral.petfinder.com. “Whenever I had a question about Les and Moe’s care, it was nice to know that the rescue was there.”

Finding Critter Corral has changed the Macinos’ lives. “We have become active with the rescue. If there are guinea pigs in need, we will help transport them, as well as keep them for a little while. We even help with adoption days and some fundraisers. The rescue has become a great group of friends.”

Add Adoptable Pets to your Website We’ve got a great tool for you to help promote homeless pets from shelters and rescue groups from across the country, your state, or from specific animal welfare organizations in your community. The Petfinder.com Featured Pet Module allows you to build a customized Featured Pet Module for use on any website. So if you have a personal or business website – or know someone who does – visit http://www.petfinder.com/tools/featuredpet/ and help an adoptable pet find the perfect home.

Rabbits Aren't the Right Choice for Everybunny
As Easter approaches, people begin to think about bunnies. If you’re thinking of adopting your very own real Easter Bunny, I encourage you to do some research about their special needs first. So many rabbits end up being relinquished to a shelter just weeks after Easter. Potential adopters need to understand that rabbits are fragile, and young children can inadvertently injure them in the simple act of cuddling. Bunnies should be indoor pets, and they need special diets and daily exercise to stay healthy. Make sure you are rabbit ready by reading http://www.petfinder.org/journalindex.cgi?path=/public/animalcare/samllanimal/1.3.258.txt.

Thank you so much for your support for homeless pets.

Betsy Saul, Founder and President
Petfinder.com

The Petfinder.com Foundation is a public charity created to assist Petfinder.com shelters and rescue groups through problem solving, fundraising, and providing relief in times of stress or disaster.