Interested in Adopting a Dog or Cat? Petfinder Featuring 15,000 Pets This Weekend Across U.S.
Posted on 13. Jul, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
This weekend, July 15-17, in honor of Petfinder’s 15th birthday, Petfinder shelters and rescue groups across North America are organizing adoption events, hoping to find homes for 15,000 pets in one weekend.
Understanding Your Cat’s Body Language
Posted on 01. Jun, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
An easy guide to understanding what your cat is telling you.
Top Ten Most Popular Dog Breeds Plus One
Posted on 27. Apr, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
The top ten most popular dog breeds from American Kennel Club and why they’re popular.
You Love Your Dog but Will Your Host? Tips on Traveling with Your Dog
Posted on 23. Mar, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
Taking your dog to visit friends? Here are eleven things to keep in mind for a successful visit.
Helping Forever Homes Stay Forever with Train-to-Adopt
Posted on 09. Feb, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
Have you ever heard of parents bringing their newborn home from the hospital only to return their baby a few months later because they weren’t prepared for how much work it was? Of course not.
However, this happens every day with newly adopted dogs. The majority of dogs given to shelters are returned during the first two years of their life primarily because the owner was unprepared for what was involved in owning a dog.
Fortunately, Petfinders has launched the train-to-adopt program, created by Sue Sternberg, to help shelter dogs prepare for family living.
Video Friday: Get Out the Handkerchiefs – Rescued Beagles See Sun and Grass for First Time
Posted on 13. Jan, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
See this tearjerker video of beagles seeing the sun and grass for the first time after being rescued from a test center.
If Your Dog Is Blind, Read This
Posted on 12. Jan, 2011 by Patricia in Pets
If your dog is or may go blind, the solution may be to find a dog willing to help your dog.
Most human guide dogs are Golden or Labrador Retrievers or German Shepherds because of their intelligence, patience and friendliness. These stories, however, show that canine compassion and intelligence exist in many breeds.
Changing Our Thinking About Animals
Posted on 08. Nov, 2010 by Patricia in Pets
Kanzi
“One by one, the berms we’ve built between ourselves and the beasts are being washed away,” said Jeffrey Kluger, author of the recent Time Magazine article Inside the Minds of Animals.
“Humans are the only animals who use tools, we used to say. But what about the birds and apes that we now know do as well?
“Humans are the only ones who are empathic and generous. But what about the monkeys that practice charity and the elephants that mourn their dead?
“Humans are the only ones who experience joy and a knowledge of the future. But what about the U.K. study just last month showing that pigs raised in comfortable environments exhibit optimism, moving expectantly toward a new sound instead of retreating warily from it?
“And as for humans as the only beasts with language? We need to only look at the bonobo chimps at the Great Ape Trust to prove this wrong,” said Kluger.
The Most Vulnerable Time In An Adopted Pet’s Life
Posted on 06. Oct, 2010 by Patricia in Pets
The majority of dogs relinquished to shelters are less than two years old according to a survey by the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science and, in most cases, returned because the owner was overwhelmed by the realities of owning a dog.
Approximately 3 to 4 million or 60% of dogs given to shelters are euthanized.
Studies show that the older a dog is, the less likely it will be relinquished to a shelter, most likely because of a strong bond between the owner and the dog.
These same studies also show that many owners who give up their dogs are unprepared for what it means to own a dog. Overcome by their dog’s behavior, they don’t bond and everyone loses.
If we want to reduce the number of dogs relinquished to shelters, we need to
