I'm so excited about 2006 that I've become quite annoying to be around. The other day I was on a train (wearing my Petfinder.com fleece), and a teenager noticed it and proclaimed loudly, "I'm on your site ALL the time!" Delighted to meet someone else so enthusiastic about Petfinder.com, I proclaimed, "That's so awesome! Tell me more!" Her dad, with whom she was traveling, went to get coffee. Smart man--we had a four-hour ride ahead.

The reality of what we've accomplished in animal welfare over the last ten years is thrilling and with the next generation of welfare-aware adults joining our community, I know the best is yet to come!

As for January, this is Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month. Thousands of lost, abandoned and unwanted birds are relinquished to animal placement groups every year. Right now, we have more than 1,000 birds waiting to find homes. We have all shapes and sizes from parakeets to emus. So, if you’ve daydreamed of a bird buddy, this is the month to let that dream take flight!

Thank you again for all of your continuing support and help in our mission:
TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL ADOPTABLE PETS HAVE A CHANCE FOR A HOME

Until next month --

Betsy Saul
Founder and President, Petfinder.com

"He could not fly at all, and anything could have injured or killed him."

“That tiny one had a guardian angel because twelve flight feathers were clipped off of each wing,” says Tamara Whitman of Collinsville, IL. “He could not fly at all, and anything could have injured or killed him.”

The parakeet actually had several guardian angels, one of them being Tamara, who made an eight-hour roundtrip to adopt him from the City of Independence Animal Control/Shelter in Missouri.

“One evening I sat down and told him he was staying here, and we had to find a name,” Tamara said. “He was sitting on his perch, preening. I ran some names by him to see what fit. When I got to the name Pulsipher, he looked up from preening, so I said to him, ‘OK, that’s your name then.’”

Tamara, a baseball fan, dredged the name up from ten years back when Bill Pulsipher was a “phenom” pitcher in the New York Mets organization. She liked the sound of the name. After naming the parakeet, she began doing research to see what had become of the man. She learned that he was with the Redbirds in Memphis, where she saw him play shortly thereafter.

“I actually got to meet him, give him a picture and tell him the story of his little namesake,” she said. “He called me the bird lady.”

Pulsipher the parakeet enjoys his home in the company of several other rescued birds, giving credence to Tamara’s bird lady moniker.

Enter to Win!
We love to hear about heartwarming pet adoptions. Send us your story. Each month we’ll choose one lucky family to receive a six-month supply of FRONTLINE ® Plus or FRONTLINE Top Spot ® from our sponsor, Merial!

Chances are, when you think "rescued animal" you picture a charismatic canine or fuzzy little feline. In fact, many other lost and abandoned animals are also in need of homes.

January is Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird month, the perfect time to find your "tweetheart" and help a homeless bird. Never had a bird? No problem — our friends at PETCO have put together Care Sheets with tips and information on caring for a variety of our feathered friends.

Please help us spread the word about Adopt-a-Rescued-Bird Month. Many birds form strong bonds with their families and are quick to greet them with cheerful chatter throughout the day. From parakeets to parrots, lovebirds to lorikeets, cockatoos or cockatiels, a rescued bird could put a song in your heart!

Petfinder.com Trivia: The five most popular names for rescued birds listed on Petfinder.com are Sunny, Buddy, Kiwi, Charlie and Angel. Buddy is also one of the top five dog names, Angel is also one of the top five cat names, and Charlie is one of the top five names across the board!

Put Warmth to Work!

When you buy a Petfinder.com Women's Fleece Jacket, you're putting your dollars to work! Each purchase funds 28 bowls of food for shelter animals, courtesy of The Animal Rescue Site!

The new Petfinder.com Women's Fleece Jacket was custom designed for quality with heavy-duty zippers and double-stitched durability. Warm your body and heart, and spread the word about pet adoption. From $24.95 in sizes S to 5XL.
Learn More »