"After all he has been through and continues to go through, he just wants to give his love."

Amanda Tone of Bound Brook, N.J., held back her tears when she first saw Ernie. She and her fiancé, James Kielwasser, had come to an Animal Alliance of Belle Mead adoption day to meet the dog after seeing him on Petfinder.com. Ernie's description on the site was honest; it said he would need a lot of veterinary care, but that didn't daunt the couple. They had adopted another bulldog two years earlier, and he was doing so well that they wanted to help another pooch.

They thought Ernie could be the one. Even so, his condition shocked them. What should have been a robust body was skeletal. Demodectic mange had taken its toll, leaving him a patchwork of scars, and his eyes were so inflamed he could barely see.

"James took one look at him and left the store because he was so upset that someone could have neglected and abused an animal that much," Amanda says. "He didn't want the lady from Animal Alliance to see him cry."

The couple adopted Ernie and began helping him on his journey to better health. There was a period after the adoption when they thought they would lose him, and the dog's dermatologist said she didn't know how he had stayed alive, that he was a strong dog to have made it. The regular treatments are working, and Ernie's condition is improving, slowly but surely.

"We are so proud of Ernie's strength and courage," Amanda says. "After all he has been through and continues to go through, he just wants to give his love. He will never, ever suffer again in his life."

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!

Back to School? Help is in the Bag
Petfinder Sling Bag - only $10.95

Our sleek, black sling bag is great for bicyclists, walkers, or anyone on the go. Its angled Velcro-close pocket is embroidered with "Petfinder.com" so you can spread the word wherever you go! Plus, your purchase feeds shelter pets! With each purchase, The Animal Rescue Site will fund animal care equal to 14 bowls of food for shelter animals.

Homeless This Week
Please help us spread the word that there are all types of pets in shelters. Here are just six of the 220,000+ who need homes this week.

Lizzie the Iguana	Scout the Cat	Junior the Parakeet
Torrie the Goat	Cindy and Jake the Beagles	Firebug the Hound

Tail Wags to Our Special Friends
EVERY gift made to the Petfinder.com Foundation is appreciated. Extra tail wags to the following for their special support:

The Animal Rescue Site - Glaser Progress Foundation
Harari, Inc. - Maddie's Fund
Merial - The Rubyfruit Bar and Grill in NY
and
Purina® Tidy Cats
(and the many auction bidders for the Mini Cooper on eBay)

Does Your Dog's Food Save Lives?
Kobie (see photo on left) switched to Naturally Complete from Dog Chow. Why? Purina has committed 3% of earnings from their new Naturally Complete line to help homeless pets. With every meal, Kobie is supporting the Animal Shelter Fund (a project of the Petfinder.com Foundation to directly assist adoption groups.) Kobie is a former shelter dog, so he's all about that! Naturally Complete is brand new this month. Look for it in your grocery store now.

How You Can Help
The Petfinder.com Foundation helps shelters and rescue groups care for their animals. There are several ways you can get involved.

Homeless Pets
Your donation will help support homeless pets.

Disaster and Emergency Fund
Your donation will help animal victims of disasters.

Sponsor a Pet
Your donation can be targeted to a specific group.

or mail your donation to: Petfinder.com Foundation
P.O. Box 16385
Tucson, AZ 85732-6385

Petfinder.com
Foundation Focus

"The Petfinder.com Foundation is AMAZING! Thank you for helping us to provide the very best medical care possible for these brave survivors."

This is just one of many accolades received from animal rescuers after the hurricanes last fall. From new fences and roofs for shelters to airline tickets for reuniting displaced animals, the Petfinder.com Foundation was able to quickly marshal a significant response, which resulted in saving more animals and supporting the staff and volunteers who cared for them.

Thanks to our caring supporters, and in partnership with Petfinder.com, we:

Launched the Animal Emergency Response Network (AERN) and reunited nearly 3,200 pets with their families. Reunions are still occurring!

Granted more than $519,000 to help fund direct care of the displaced animals, house-to-house rescues, and temporary animal shelters.

Provided access to almost $1 million in veterinary supplies through our special partnership with Merial in the Race to Save Pets® Initiative.

PETCO & SpayUSA
In 2005, we partnered with the PETCO Foundation to raise money through the Round Up/Spay Today campaign. Today, those funds - a $100,000 pledge - are supporting SpayUSA, a spay/neuter referral and advocacy organization.