Petfinder Blog

When a fellow animal rescuer dies, the loss is felt by every person and animal touched.

On November 13, 2008, longtime animal rescue advocate Ingela Levett passed away after a long battle with leukemia. After her retirement form the corporate world, Ingela devoted her life to animal rescue, creating Rawhide Rescue in 2001.

Based out of New Jersey, Ingela worked hard to create a phenomenal network of volunteers and foster homes across the state with the mission of saving homeless dogs.

The organization she created has re-homed thousands of dogs since it began. In addition to helping the animals, Ingela inspired countless people to become involved in animal rescue.

On behalf of everyone at Petfinder, we are honored to have known and worked with Ingela.

Visit Rawhide Rescue on Petfinder.

When we last heard from A Dog Named Christmas author Greg Kincaid, he and his wife Michale Ann had decided to adopt a shelter dog -- then realized they had very different ideas about what makes the ideal dog. Read all of Greg's posts here.

I tried to explain the concept of the dog I wanted in perfectly simple terms. "I want a dog that looks like he can discuss the finer aspects of elk hunting and is potty trained for a bass boat."

My wife looked at me strangely and said, "But you don't hunt and don't own a bass boat."

"Exactly."

Her head cocked to one side. "Yes?"

"This dog has to say MAN all over it. This has to be a dog that can carry my fishing pole ..."

"Even though you don't fish?"

"Precisely. This dog should jump excitedly within 100 yards of a shotgun hanging in the back of pick-up truck."

"That you don't own?"

"Right. Do you understand now?"

"Not really."

Over the next few days, I sent Michale Ann a flurry of e-mails suggesting dogs posted on Petfinder who looked well-suited for me, including Izzy, a 2-year-old basset hound/lab mix waiting for a home at Heart of America Humane Society in Kansas City, KS.

I just read an interesting story in the Washington Post about a herd of 2,000 wild mustangs due to be euthanized by the Bureau of Land Management.

According to the article:

[Y]esterday, at a public hearing in Reno, Nev., to discuss the issue, a solution arrived on a white horse, so to speak.

Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens, made known her intentions to adopt not just the doomed wild horses but most or all of the 30,000 horses and burros kept in federal holding pens. Lifelong animal lovers, the Pickenses just a few years ago led the fight to close the last horse slaughterhouse in the United States.

Until now, I'd only known of T. Boone Pickens as a super-rich advocate of energy independence. How nice to hear that he and his wife are not only animal lovers, but people who use their wealth to quite literally save animals' lives.

But a little Internet digging revealed that, in fact, any qualified person can adopt a wild horse or burro. Find out how after the jump.

Last month we told you about Montana, the puppy abandoned by the side of a road in Georgia, malnourished and suffering from mange and parvo, who was rescued by Kaci Deater of Statesboro, Ga.

You left such nice comments that we had to send them to Kaci. She sent us this letter in return, and included this heartbreaking "before" photo of Montana and an incredible "after," which you can see after the jump.

Thank you so much for putting Montana's story out there so that everyone can see. She is so special to me and I find it comforting to see all the positive feedback that it's been getting.

As the holidays approach, you may remember the decorative, ornate holiday sweaters that were so popular in the '80s and '90s. Some of you might even pull yours out as Thanksgiving rolls around -- hey, what better way to get into the festive mood?

However, all of us in the pet-loving community know the only thing better than a not-so-fashionable holiday sweater is an ugly pet sweater. So send us yours!

Whether it belongs to you or your pet, post it here in the comments section (here's how) or e-mail it to us at blog (at) petfinder.com by Nov. 23 to share a couple of laughs.

And here's the best part: One ugly pet sweater will be made into a holiday e-card!

For many of us who love animals, "Save the Whales" were probably the first words we ever learned that showed us protecting other creatures could be a collective and even political effort.

But as we got older and started taking action close to home and saving the dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, etc. -- and as laws such as the Endangered Species Act were passed and society in general became more aware of ecological and animal-welfare concerns -- well, we probably figured the whales were okay.

Well, guess what? They're not.

The Japanese are still hunting whales by the thousands, under the banner of research (i.e. using a legal loophole -- you can learn more about the controversial practice here).

Petfinder's sister company, Animal Planet, has been documenting the efforts of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a fearless group of activists who quite literally put themselves between the harpoons and the whales in order to save these giant, gentle creatures.
 

Greg Kincaid wrote about shelter dogs in his novel A Dog Named Christmas, and after researching the book, was inspired to adopt one himself. He's chronicling his adoption journey each week on the Petfinder blog. Read all his posts here.

Most of our pets wandered onto our farm looking for dinner and then hung around for the next 80 dog years.

They picked us, and we cared for them because they needed a home. A few showed up attached to my wife, Michale Ann, or one of our kids, who was pleading, "Please ... please ... please, can I keep him?"

I'm not good at "no," so for long periods
we've had bumper crops of pets. Until I
found Petfinder, I had never had the opportunity to engage in a well thought-out selection process.

Michale Ann and I haven't had a "walk-on" for quite a few years now and we were down to only one dog, a little dachshund named Ruthie who seems surgically attached to my wife's hip. With the exodus of our now-grown children, the house has grown still, particularly in the evening hours and on weekends.

The idea that maybe I should carefully choose just the right dog for me was a concept that made its way from my subconscious and into A Dog Named Christmas. Todd, the main character, spends hours at his local animal shelter, picking just the right dog for him.

My wife said that this was a clear manifestation of my latent desire to adopt a dog. Translation: She wanted another dog.

Everyone knows that there are adoptable cats and dogs on Petfinder -- but we list many other homeless pets in need as well. One example: ferrets.

One of the liveliest household animals, ferrets can always keep their pet parents entertained with their antics. But when households have questions about the care of ferrets or can no longer care for the pet, there are ferret-specific rescue groups with expertise that can help.

Texas Ferret Lovers Rescue is part of the Ferret Lovers Club of Texas, a group that provides expertise to the general public, pet stores and existing and potential ferret parents. This is an invaluable service that not only strengthens the bond ferret guardians feel to their pets, but can also offer the support needed to help a ferret stay in his or her current home. But when ferrets are in need of re-homing, the rescue division of the club steps in and helps.

Visit Texas Ferret Lovers Rescue on Petfinder.

During my life I've had many cats. All but one were normal and well-adjusted. But the first was not. It was this one weird cat that prompted my lifelong interest in senior pets. Here is our story.

When I was in college I saw an ad in the paper for a free cat. She was a 16-year-old Calico named Callie. I thought we were a good match. I could help a cat in need and get her love in return. And, because of her age, I figured she'd pass away before I left for graduate school. Perfect timing for both of us.

Her owner had died, and she was the one pet his family wouldn't take in. I might have inquired why they didn't want her with an open mind and understanding heart, but instead, I was simply aghast (just a wee bit judgmental). After all, I was 20 and issues of animal welfare were pretty black and white.

I'm far too stubborn to be a hypocrite, so over the next months, my noisy criticism of her previous family strengthened my resolve to make this strange cat love me. For four months she lived in the kitchen cabinet (actually in my lazy Susan) only to come out to relieve herself on the carpet. Wall-to-wall became bare wood.

In Month 6, she moved into a new space, under my bed. Eventually, she began to sneak out until her days were spent with me instead of the dust bunnies.

Since I last reported on Obama wanting to adopt a shelter dog, but having concerns about daughter Malia's allergies, two things have happened: (1) The story has only gained ground, and (2) I realized that the buzz is that Malia wants a goldendoodle (not a labradoodle).

I'm thrilled that so many people have urged the Obamas to find their next pet on Petfinder, including Best Friends Animal Society, The Oregonian and author and blogger Carole Raphaelle Davis. And after the jump, I've included links to some of the adoptable goldendoodles listed on Petfinder.

I also learned some interesting information from Petfinder staffer Kim Saunders that could be useful to anyone with pet allergies:

There are plenty of hypoallergenic breeds, but there are actually no non-allergenic dogs (or cats). However, dogs with soft, constantly-growing hair -- like the Poodle or the Bichon Frise -- may be less irritating to some people. This might even be because they are bathed or groomed more frequently.

If your or a family member's allergies are uncomfortable but not life-threatening, you can take these steps to reduce the symptoms:

1. Wash pet bedding regularly and change your air filters frequently. You should also use a high-efficiency HEPA air cleaner in the home.
2. Create an "allergy free" zone in the home -- preferably the bedroom -- and strictly prohibit the pet's access to it.
3. Brush your pet four to five times a week to reduce pet dander.
4. Choose the right pet brush -- one great option is the FURminator.
5. Consider getting allergy shots to improve symptoms. Steroidal and antihistamine nose sprays and antihistamine pills can also work to make you feel better.

If you have any other tips for living with pet allergies, let me know!