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DrsFosterSmith.com wants to help homeless pets!  They offer a “Paws for a Cause” program, which encourages site visitors to donate products to animal shelters, and they make it easy to do so.  All shelters are eligible to participate in this program.  Plus they offer a 10% discount for rescue groups and shelters because they’re committed to supporting the great work they do.

In order to encourage adoption retention, DrsFosterSmith.com publishes educational articles on PetEducation.com for all types of animals so that you can learn more about their pets and provide maximum care.  They’ve also posted an Adopt-a-Pet.com pet search widget on their site, giving homeless animals even more exposure!

We thank DrsFosterSmith.com for supporting pet adoption!

This wonderful list was written by one of our favorite veterinarians, Dr. Liz. She’s been a vet in Southern California for over 13 years, helping not only loving pet owners take the best care of their pets possible, but many rescue organizations and the local shelters as well, performing surgeries to help save homeless pets lives. She has aspired to be a veterinarian since age 3, and feels very lucky to be doing what she was born to do: helping and healing animals! She put together these 20 pearls of wisdom to help all pet owners be a better pet parent, and we’re lucky to get to share it with you here!

1. Get annual exams for your pet by a veterinarian.
2. Spay or neuter your pet.
3. Get Pet Insurance.
4. Microchip your pet.
5. Use monthly flea control.
6. For pets over the age of 5, do annual blood testing, blood pressure, and EKG’s.
7. Be aware of heartworm disease.
8. Keep your pet at his or her ideal weight.
9. Check your pet annually for intestinal parasites.
10. Research the veterinary hospital you choose. Look for those that are AHAA certified.
11. Vaccinate your dog with the rattlesnake vaccine if there may be exposure to rattlesnakes.
12. Brush your pets’ teeth.
13. Feed high-quality pet food; avoid byproducts.
14. Know what foods are toxic to your pet, such as: grapes and raisins, chocolate, onions, gum containing xylitol.
15. Avoid table scraps containing lots of fat, spices, or bones.
16. Outside your home, keep your dog leashed at all times (especially smaller dogs because of coyotes).
17. Exercise your pet daily.
18. Watch for hazards in your home: place a fence around your pool, cover electrical cords, etc.
19. Vaccinate your pet depending on his or her lifestyle. Beware of over-vaccinating.
20. Do not smoke in your home or around your pet.

Some people are reluctant to adopt a cat from a shelter because they are worried about ending up with a cat with permanent problems. Others are certain that shelter cats with problems really are wonderful cats who simply need love. And… sometimes they are both right. This inspiring story is from the wonderful Way of Cats blog and tells the story of how they fell in love with a kitten at a shelter who had very little chance of being adopted, because of developmental problems. Problems that were from horrible neglect as a tiny kitten. How lucky this kitten was to find them, and vice versa! “Every cat in a shelter has a problem.” Way of Cats writes, “But most of the time, it’s something quite easily fixed: the problem is they don’t have a home.” Click here to read about how their rescued kitten is doing, and make sure you watch the videos at the end!

At Adopt-a-Pet.com, we’re not just passionate about pet adoption, but also about programs that help people keep the pets they already have in their family.  One thing we especially love are pet-friendly employers!  The encouragement and backing of an employer can help prevent pets from being relinquished to an

Just another day at TargetCW

imal shelters.  It’s also beneficial to the company; evidence shows that a pet-friendly atmosphere leads to a more productive work setting and happier office culture, especially in companies where dogs are allowed to come to work with their owners.  Some employers even offer employees partial reimbursement for pet sitting or offer pet health insurance as part of their benefits package.  We’ve heard of several companies that have adopted a few rescued cats and allowed them to live in the office. Here at Adopt-a-Pet.com, we not only take our pets to work, we basically work for them… they kind of run the show, keeping us inspired until every pet has a home.

 

A great example of a company that supports pet adoption is TargetCW. TargetCW, a payrolling company dedicated to customer service, is teaming up with Adopt-a-Pet.com to help homeless pets by offering a matching donation program to their employees, and by providing an Adopt-a-Pet.com pet search right on the company’s web site.  And… best of all, they’ve offered to reimburse their employees up to $100 for adoption fees!

Is your employer pet-friendly?  We’d love to hear all about it.  Email us at info@cms.adoptapet.com and let us know what your company is doing to encourage pet adoption or to support healthy pets.

We are so grateful for all the amazing work that rescues and shelters do every day helping save homeless pets and finding them new loving homes. The Adopt-a-Pet.com family works hard “behind the scenes” to get those rescued pets seen by adopters, while the staff and volunteers at rescues and shelters are on the front lines: taking care of sick, hurt and abandoned animals getting them adoption-ready, taking them to events, scheduling meetings with prospective homes, and seeing the inspiring pay-off of a happy adoption. See below for one heart-warming happy adoption story sent to us by one of our rescue partners today! (ps. If you have a happy adoption story about a pet seen on Adopt-a-Pet.com, we’d love to hear from you too! Email us at info@cms.adoptapet.com.)

Dear Adopt-a-Pet.com,

On Wednesday, March 23rd, there was an informational news blitz about your site Adopt-a-pet.com. We have always used another website in the past, but on Thursday we posted our dogs on your site. I feel a miracle occurred. A senior dog we had posted for over 4 years on the other website got an inquiry from his listing on Adopt-a-Pet.com. Low and behold, the elderly couple made an appointment to come meet Whitey. It was love at first sight. They acted like they knew each other for a lifetime. There was a lot of petting and loving and hugs. When it was time for a decision to be made, there was no hesitation. Darrell, Velma, and Whitey all three headed for the door, all three went to the truck, climbed in and headed to Whitey’s new forever home. Whitey is 8 years old and so deserves a life of love, peace and contentment.

Thank you Adopt-a-Pet.com!
Jan Siener
Act Now Rescue
http://www.adoptapet.com/shelter80157-pets.html

When you’re home your pooch has everything she needs – interaction, attention, companionship.  But when you go out and leave her to an empty house, keeping your dog occupied can help prevent boredom from leading to bad habits like chewing or other destructive behaviors.  Some dogs get anxious and have what is known as “separation anxiety” when they’re left alone in the home.  So if your pup can’t stand to be solo, rest assured there are many things you can do to help her and ways you can teach her to be okay being alone.

One tip is to give high-value chew-proof food-stuffed toys and dog-proof bones (big strong marrow bones that will not splinter) only when you leave the house.  The very last thing you should do before you walk out the door is give your dog the toy stuffed with treats (such as the Pet Gear Bonus Ball) that she loves so much. This will give your furry friend something to do when you’re gone, kinda like a project to work on, if you will!  Also, because stuffed chew toys are so tasty for her, it will give her a positive association with no one else being home.  The best way for this to work well is to make sure not to give these special food-stuffed toys when you are home – they remain valuable only if you give them to her just when you leave, soon resulting in her getting excited for you to get outta the house!  Those food toys will start to serve like canine crossword puzzles and help keep her stimulated mentally when she’s home alone.  At the same time, they’ll be providing a positive association with your absence.

Soon enough your pooch will be more focused on that project she hasn’t seen since the last time you left the house, and she’ll be ready to get working on it as you shut the door behind you. If you’ve got more than one dog at home, make sure you first physically separate them in separate rooms with closed doors or crate them when giving them high value chew toys so as to avoid potential fights. And remember, when you return home, any left over goodies get taken up and put away!  She’ll get them again when you go and she’ll thank you for it.

Although sometimes the symptoms are obvious, it may not always be easy to identify when your dog is sick.  Inherent in a dog’s survival is a tendency to hide illness as a way to protect himself from being seen as a weak link in their pack.  It’s important to be aware of the more subtle indications that your dog may be not well, so make sure you pay attention to your pooch’s everyday demeanor for signs that your dog might be ill.

Occasionally dogs may experience minor digestive problems or upset stomachs that upset their appetite just like we do.  However if you detect a general or drastic difference in your pup’s eating habits it could indicate a serious problem.  There are also many factors that can affect your dog’s energy, but activity level and interest is something to notice.

Many physical and behavioral signals can signify your furry buddy is under the weather as well.  Another tale-tell sign that your dog might be ill is if you have a normally outgoing pet who suddenly becomes aloof and detached.  Overall, if you have any suspicions that your dog is sick based on his behavior or your gut instincts, go ahead and make an appointment with your veterinarian.  No harm can come from getting your pet checked out to make sure he is healthy and strong!

For more detailed information about how to know if your pooch is ailing, and for other terrific pet-related articles, please check out the great resources at petparents.com.

Dear Adopt-a-Pet.com, Thank you so much for lining me up with my new dog – she’s a real sweetie! I signed up for Search Saver just days before you sent me the notice that she was available, and now I have my girl.  She was so happy to get out of the shelter and immediately bonded to me. I drove 3 ½ hours to pick her up – each way.  She was so tired that she slept almost all the way home.  She is calm and smart and a real catch.  Two weeks into her new home, “Maddie” has already fit in with the other two pets, is almost housetrained, knows her name and comes when called (well, almost always).  She is a real “guard dog”, seldom leaving my side, and sleeping on the floor at my side of the bed.  She is healthy and playful and hasn’t chewed up too much of the household.  She is a “giant” which unfortunately means she can reach the tops of most counters and tables, so we really need to use our brains.   She plays constantly with our other shelter dog (5 years old) when they aren’t sleeping it off.   She is calm and sweet and very smart.

I cannot believe how quickly you folks matched me to Maddie.  Thanks again.

Kascha Newberry

Mount Vernon, Washington

Do you have a Happy Beginnings story you’d like to share? Did Adopt-a-Pet.com match you up with your best friend?  Email us and let us know!

Ashley Owen Hill, an animal rescuer in Mississippi, is a true hero, and we couldn’t help sharing her amazing and inspirational story with you.  In addition to rescuing and rehoming healthy, adoptable pets, Ashley does something very special for terminally ill dogs who enter the shelter:  she takes them home and gives them the very best week of their lives.  In some cases, these dogs have never known love before they meet Ashley, but they die knowing that they were finally loved and cherished by their very own extraordinary person. Please read Ashley’s story… we guarantee you’ll be inspired.  Warning: keep a tissue (or several tissues) handy: this is a tear-jerker.

St. Louis Blues star David Backes and White Sox pitcher (and St. Louis resident) Mark Buehrle have a message for the citizens of St. Louis: adopt a shelter pet. Mark and Jamie Buehrle and David and Kelly Backes have partnered with Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption web service, for a public service campaign launching today in the greater St. Louis area.

Saint Louis, MO (PRWEB) March 23, 2011

Release Link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/3/prweb5187494.htm

St. Louis Blues star David Backes and White Sox pitcher (and St. Louis resident) Mark Buehrle have a message for the citizens of St. Louis: adopt a shelter pet. Mark and Jamie Buehrle and David and Kelly Backes have partnered with Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption web service, for a public service campaign launching today in the greater St. Louis area.

Starting today, St. Louis residents will see light-hearted adoption-promoting billboards featuring the Buehrles and the Backeses, and televised public service announcements starring Kelly and David Backes and their three rescued dogs. Funding for the billboards was generously provided by Nestél Purina.

“Pets in St. Louis’ animal shelters are getting a boost today, thanks to these heroes,” says Adopt-a-Pet.com executive director Abbie Moore, “By speaking out about their passion for pet adoption, and educating people that they can go to Adopt-a-Pet.com and see photos and information about pets in shelters, they’re truly making a difference in the lives of people and homeless pets.”

Says David Backes, “We’ve always been huge proponents of pet adoption and we’re excited to partner with our friends at Adopt-a-Pet.com to spread the word. We adopted all three of our dogs and our two cats, and they’re such important parts of our family.”

Kelly Backes adds, “Rescued pets make the best companions. They know you’ve given them a new lease on life and your unconditional love. Every day, so many animals needlessly die – we want to educate people that they can save a life by adopting a pet. It’s only a click away!”

Both the Backeses and the Buehrles are extremely active in companion-animal welfare issues. David and Kelly Backes both serve on the board of directors of the St. Charles Humane Society, where Kelly is Vice President of the shelter. They co-founded “Barkin for Blues”, an annual pet-adoption event held at the Scottrade Center. In addition, they’ve personally fostered and rehomed over 20 dogs, and they network on a daily basis with numerous groups in Missouri to save countless lives.

Mark and Jamie Buehrle founded Sox for Strays, a monthly pre-game adoption event that brings pets from local shelters and rescue organizations to U.S. Cellular Field. They are also major supporters of Hope Animal Rescues, an Illinois-based rescue group, where a building they donated is named in their honor. Jamie serves on the board of directors of the St. Charles Humane Society and volunteers her time at Stray Rescue.

Says Mark Buehrle, “Our dogs add so much to our lives, and our family wouldn’t be complete without them. The shelters are filled with great pets, both mixed-breed and purebred. We recently adopted a purebred Viszla. You can pretty much find any kind of pet you want in a shelter.”

Adds Jamie Buehrle, “It’s easy to say ‘You should adopt a pet because it helps the pet’, but what we want people to know is what an amazing impact adopting a pet has on your life. There’s nothing like having this grateful, loyal friend to greet you at the door every night. It’s the best feeling.”