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Black cats are always the last to go at adoption shelters – especially around Halloween. Until now. October 29 is a new worldwide holiday: National Cat Day!  a holiday to celebrate cats for their unconditional love and companionship, and to welcome those in need into our lives through animal rescue. Remember, however, that black cats need extra protection around Halloween. Here are a few simple tips to keep your kitty safe. And adoption shortfalls don’t end with black cats. More cats than dogs are euthanized every year, mostly because they usually arrive at shelters without any owner identification. The Animal Miracle Network estimates that approximately 4 million cats enter shelters every year, and 1 to 2 million of them are euthanized.

The primary goal of National Cat Day is to facilitate 10,000 incremental adoptions of shelter cats nationwide on October 29. This will be the first year that the Animal Miracle Network attempts to track the numbers for cats, but similar National Dog Day initiatives in the past have exceeded the goal by more than 12,000 dogs.

National Cat Day founder Colleen Paige explains, “We put a lot of manpower into communicating with our affiliate event promoters and shelters around the country that signed up to participate. We’ll only take credit for the numbers we directly receive from our adoption sources.”

You can still help homeless cats on National Cat Day if you’re unable to take on another pet. Visit a local animal shelter and offer to volunteer by cleaning cages or playing with the cats. You could also host your own event such as a bake sale and donate the proceeds to a shelter in honor of National Cat Day.

If you’re already a proud cat owner, take some time on National Cat Day to show your pet how much you appreciate her. Paige recommends spoiling her with treats or a new litter box, or simply showing her some love. “In this difficult economy, if all you can afford is time, spend some of it with your furry feline,” recommends Paige. “That’s more important to them then all the catnip in the world.”

If you’re looking to give a homeless cat a loving home, visit Petcentric’s Adopt-a-Pet.com-powered pet search tool to meet your new best friend. With pet adoption, you’ll find that National Cat Day will be the first of countless great ones to come.

Colleen Paige is the Editor-in-Chief of Pet Home magazine. Visit www.nationalcatday.com and www.colleenpaige.com for more information.

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RedandHowling: Musings on Dogs, Cats & Other Bundles of Love.

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What better way to celebrate Howl-o-ween than a gigantic dog costume contest in a dog park? New York City has taken the concept to a whole new level with their Halloween Howl, an annual event in Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Thousands of spectators cheer on as hundreds of dogs strut their stuff vying for prizes in the various cat-egories, plus there are booths you and your family (canines included!) can visit to learn all about healthy food, treats and more for your dog’s wellness. We love the 3 minute video that our friends at Petcentric posted from one of the past year’s events. Even if you can’t make it to NYC for this year’s festivities, you can get into the spirit of Halloween by watching the video online right here! Event details below…

The 2011 event is on Sunday, October 23, 2011 (Rain date October 30) from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. — check out the park’s website event page http://www.carlschurzparknyc.org/events.html for more info!

A little kindness goes a long way.

RedandHowling: Musings on Dogs, Cats & Other Bundles of Love.

Meet four-legged heroes who help soldiers cope behind enemy lines! Meet Bougie, Victory and Jasmine. Even though they look like normal dogs, they are anything but! Theses dogs all come from the war zone of Iraq. They now enjoy a better life in the US, thanks to the love of the military personnel that found them and Operation Baghdad Pups, the organization that brought them to their new home in the US. You can see these dogs in action in this video feature on PetCentric TV which includes an interview with the organization’s founder, and the soldiers who benefitted from the pet both while they were serving in Iraq, and now back home.

The Operation Baghdad Pups website says: “U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan befriend local animals as a way to help cope with the emotional hardships they endure every day while deployed in a war zone.  The Operation Baghdad Pups program provides veterinary care and coordinates complicated logistics and transportation requirements in order to reunite these beloved pets with their service men and women back in the U.S. These important animals not only help our heroes in the war zone, but they also help them readjust to life back home after combat.”

What a wonderful organization, and what a way to show gratitude to the men and women of the military!

Did you like this article? Click an icon below to share it on Facebook, Twitter, and more!

Helping sick or injured shelter pets has never been easier, thanks to a special campaign that helps animal shelters and rescue groups with veterinary costs for the pets in their care. Here’s how you can help: For each new “Like” we receive on our Facebook page between now and May 31st, we’re now adding $.25 (up to $20,000) to the Purina Veterinary Diets® Adopt-a-Pet.com Veterinary Care Fund, which gives grants to animal shelters and rescue organizations to offset the veterinary costs of pets in their care.  It’s that simple!

The Purina Veterinary Diets® Adopt-a-Pet.com Veterinary Care Fund was established  in 2011 with an initial donation of $50,000  from Purina Veterinary Diets® . Be sure to check out the recipients of the Purina Veterinary Diets® Adopt-a-Pet.com Veterinary Care Fund 2011 program.

Getting ready for the big game this weekend? Or have no idea what we’re talking about? Either way, you can have some super fun and a chance at scoring big in the Purina® Prize Bowl Instant Win Game! The Game began at 12:00:01 p.m. ET on 1/22/14 and runs through 3:00:01 p.m. ET on 2/12/14 so there’s plenty of time to play, and you can play once a day too, for some pretty paw-some prizes to pamper your pet and help you clean up after your pets and your party! Visit PureLoveForPets.com and follow the on-screen instructions to register for the Game. Once registered, you’ll be invited to play the Prize Bowl Instant Win Game, where you use the mouse or touch pad on your computer or mobile device to click or rub off the shaded area of the interactive game piece on-screen to reveal whether or not you are a potential winner. If you have more questions, visit the game site’s FAQ click here for more information! Game on!

Our friends over at Petcentric are ready to party with their pets! They say, “Love to party but want to get your fun-loving “party animals” involved, too? From novel ideas to pet safety, we’ve got the lowdown! Parties aren’t just for humans. From birthdays to parades, pets enjoy dressing for special events, and we enjoy seeing them dressed up. Are your pets party animals?

Let’s Play Dress-Up

Since gathering with friends and family is one of our favorite ways to celebrate a special occasion, the dogs also get in on the action. Over the years they have sported decorative dog sweaters or seasonal-printed bandannas to get into the party spirit.

When choosing clothing for your party animals, keep these tips in mind:

• Don’t obstruct the pet’s ability to see, walk, or breathe.
• Choose an accessory or clothing made specifically for pets.
• Pick a quiet outfit (without bells and squeakers) that won’t startle or annoy your pet.

Special Party Treats

Although I look forward to indulging in a piece of celebratory cake or a tray of cookies, these sweet treats aren’t good for pets. In fact, chocolate is poisonous to both dogs and cats.

Commit to keeping your pets healthy and happy during a party. I like to keep all candy out of reach and head to the pet store to pick out something special for my dogs. I enjoy selecting a variety of soft, chewy, and crunchy treats.

Going Out on the Town

There are many ways to get involved in the community for seasonal celebrations. Local shelters and rescue groups often host holiday party-themed fundraising events. For a small entry fee that helps adoptable pets, you can take part in a parade, costume contest, or pet party — or even wander through a corn maze in the fall.

In the past, I have served as the emcee for a local costume contest for pets. I think the pet owners were having just as much fun as the party animals. There were many “ooohs and ahhhs” coming from the crowd as each pet took its turn on the runway.

Whether you dress up your pets with colorful bandannas or surprise them with special party treats, your four-legged family members will love the extra attention during a celebration — and you’ll cherish all the funny snapshots of them indulging in the moment!

Join the party online here by posting your comments on Petcentric’s article !

We love photos of smiling pets! Our friends over at Petcentric posted pics of 7 smiling pets here, and we have to agree, pet smiles are contagious! We’ve added a seven smiling dog and cat photos of our own below. Pets sometimes smile with their eyes, but in these photos we think their grins are pretty visible too! Petcentric says, “Check out their adorable warm, furry grins, and get ready to smile. Whether it’s getting a new toy, taking a long walk or enjoying a little extra cuddle time on the couch, pets have a lot to smile about. The best part about pet smiles is that they make people smile, too. Check out these adorable cat and dog smiles that are sure to leave you grinning.” If you have a photo of your adopted pet smiling, why not share with other pet people to inspire them to adopt a pet too! You can do that on the Petcentric Facebook page here.

All photos above are of adopted pets taken by me, Jennifer Warner Jacobsen, Director of Shelter Programs, Adopt-a-Pet.com.

Daylight Wine Co. is donating $1 for every bottle of their Badgerhound 2012 Zinfandel Sonoma Valley sold through their website to Adopt-a-Pet.com in hopes of being a small part in more amazing transformations just like Winnie’s, an amazing comeback story. One of their resident dachshunds, Winnie, transformed from the fearful and anxious dog they rescued, into a confident, beautiful and loving office hound.

Daylight Wine Co. has this to say about this particular wine offering: Looking for a tentative Zinfandel? You won’t find it here. Just like the dachshund himself, this wine leads with a great nose. A tenacious Zin in every sense of the word, it is HUGE in character. Candied fruit leads the charge, and is perfectly balanced with black pepper. Soft and velvety tannins provide great mouthfeel without overwhelming the big fruit flavor. Tarragon and fennel notes at the tail end.