Dear Friends,

Over the past 11 years, we've made small changes to our Web site, but in July we launched a major re-do, and we thought it was appropriate to signify the beginning of our second decade with a sunrise at the top of the page. The new design gives us more opportunities to highlight events and share pet care information. I hope you'll take time to visit Petfinder.com to see our new look.

The sunrise also signifies a new beginning for all the pets that are adopted after someone sees them on our site. Please help spread the word. Encourage your friends to adopt a homeless pet to help us in our mission to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets.

Betsy Saul
Co-Founder, Petfinder.com

Happy Tail

Our house was in desperate need of a dog. Our beloved lab mix had passed away and our family was heart broken. We knew what we had to do. We wanted to adopt another pup.

We kept coming across this pit bull mix on Petfinder.com, but we had heard horror stories and had watched the news and decided a pit bull wasn't for us.

By mid-summer, we still hadn't found a dog, and that same pit bull still hadn't found a home. She was "urgent"... her time was running out, so we decided to take a look at her. Upon meeting her, we immediately decided she was the one. We expected her to have some issues since she was found as a stray, but to our surprise, she was completely housebroken, knew basic commands, and was a professional snuggler. She loves cats, dogs and people. We decided to enroll her in classes to become a therapy dog. She will be certified by next summer.

I can't imagine life without my "vicious" pit bull. She is my life, my love, and my companion. Gracie is, hands down, one of the best dogs I've ever been owned by far.

Gracie was adopted from West Hartford Animal Control.

From Sarah Allyn, Falls Village, Connecticut

Do You Have a Happy Tail?

Send us your Petfinder pet's happy ending story. It will be entered in our monthly Happy "Tail" drawing , and you may win a Man's Best Friend Fun Pack and a baseball cap from our friends at The Animal Rescue Site.

Keeping Cool

Last month, we asked how your pet keeps cool. A kiddie pool was the most common answer we received. Texan Lin Grado wrote about her greyhound, Alexa, "First she will drink, then she will lie down in the water. Once she's cool, she runs through the sand to get muddy, and then runs in the house and jumps on the futon in the living room under the ceiling fan." Lin adopted Alexa from Partnership for Pets in Longview, Texas.

The Gift of Compassion

Last month the Petfinder.com Foundation received a Sponsor-a-Pet donation from Nicole made in memory of her father-in-law, Mike, who was an "avid" supporter of animal welfare. Thanks to Nicole, Mike's compassion for animals continues and one pet available for adoption at the Animal Friends Humane Society will be supported in his memory.

Nicole also shared the news that her girlfriend was adopting a cat that day that she found through Petfinder.com. "My girlfriend asked me what I thought of him and while I was looking on your Web site I decided to sponsor an animal," explains Nicole. "I will continue to do so every month as it made me feel really good to do so. This makes me feel like I'm doing something to help."

You can do something to help, too, by donating to the Petfinder.com Foundation, which will have a positive impact in many ways. Your donation can honor a cherished relative or animal, help support a homeless pet, or directly support a local shelter. For more information on how you can make a special gift, please visit http://www.petfinder.com/foundation. Together, we can have a tremendous impact on increasing the number of homeless pets finding new homes.

Tail Wags

Your gifts, no matter what size, make a difference. We would like to acknowledge the following companies and individuals for their generous contributions to the Petfinder.com Foundation:

Rhonda Gibbs
GreaterGood.org Foundation
HarperCollins Children's Books
Paws to Save Pets by Merial
Maddie's Fund
STAR 101.5 in Seattle (for our Pet of the Week segment on Wednesday mornings)

Sponsor a Homeless Pet

We know you can't adopt them all, but you can still help through our Sponsor-a-Pet program, which provides opportunities to help homeless animals at over 80 participating organizations. Your donations help with housing and food costs for the animals, veterinary bills, and staffing costs for the organization.
Sponsorships are easy, safe and appreciated! If the animal you select has already found a forever home, your donation is directed to another homeless pet.

Visit Sponsor-a-Pet today for more details.

PETCO'S Sizzling Summer Sale

Hot savings on all your pet needs! Up to 25% off everything on Petco.com, plus FREE shipping on orders of $50 or more, excluding dog and cat food, litter, and aquatic life. Just enter "hotsummer" in the promotion code box at checkout.

Keep Cool with a Petfinder Water Bottle

Just right for a day at the park tossing the Frisbee! Our no-leak dishwasher-safe 28-oz. polycarbonate water bottle will help you stay hydrated and comfortable while you walk, run, in-line skate, bike, or just hang out with your adopted companions. Best of all, you'll be sharing the news about Petfinder.com every sip of the way!

Get yours on sale for $8.95 now at the Animal Rescue Site, a proud partner of Petfinder.com and the Petfinder.com Foundation.

Avoiding Canine Heatstroke

With summer temperatures soaring, it's important to recognize the signs of heatstroke in dogs and take steps to prevent your furry friend from overheating. Provide plenty of fresh, clean water and a shaded area while your friend is outdoors, and consider sunscreen for lighter-nosed dogs. Avoid heavy exercise or play in the heat of the day.

A dog's normal body temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Dogs keep cool naturally by panting. If your dog shows signs of rapid breathing, dry mouth and nose, a rapid heart rate, red or dull, grayish-pink gums, weakness, dizziness or vomiting, it's time to seek veterinary help immediately. While you're on the way, lower his temperature by wetting him thoroughly with cool water, and keep a fan on him if you can.

Car Travel with Your Pet

Brisco was adopted from Frisky Whiskers in St. Louis by Kimberly Pesek

August is often a month for vacation road trips, and if you're taking the furry family members along, here are some suggestions for safe travel:

• Take your companion animal for a veterinary check-up and obtain a health certificate and documentation of inoculations before you begin your trip.
• If your pet has never been in a car, take him on short trips to condition him for the journey. Remember, traveling can be very stressful for a pet; you should try to eliminate as much stress as you can.
• Your pet should wear a flat-buckled ID collar with his name, your address and telephone number. For further protection, consider additional forms of identification, such as a microchip and rabies vaccination tag.

More tips for a happy trip are available in the full article in Petfinder's online library.

Homeless This Week

Help us spread the word that shelter animals - including pit bulls - make terrific pets. Here's just one of the 220,000+ animals who need a home this week.

Skip spent time as a stray in New York City, where he ended up in the custody of animal control. He's now fostered by Jeanie from Smilin' Pit Bull Rescue in Albany, NY, and is loving life! Skip is very obedient, loves other pups, and is a wonderful example of an all-American house-dog.

Making a Difference

Do you want to impact as many lives as possible? Are you interested in helping animals but are afraid of a long-term commitment? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, foster care may be for you! Whether it is bottle feeding a litter of kittens, caring for a dog recovering from an accident or giving some extra love to a senior pet needing a break, foster care makes a huge difference in the lives of the animals and people involved. Sign up to be a foster parent in the Petfinder Volunteer Database today!

Pet-Friendly Travel Information at Your Fingertips from Purina

On the go with your pets? Get all the information you need directly on your cell phone. Purina has teamed with go2® to provide you with useful, relevant information to make living and traveling with your pets a pleasure. You'll find the location of off-leash parks, pet-friendly accommodations, camping, airlines, fun places, kennels, vets and much, much more—all on your cell phone! To sign up, visit www.go2pets.com.