Features

Learning New Tricks

Whether you’re new to animal welfare or have been working with animals for years, it is always great to learn new ways to do what we do.

Increasing Cat Adoptions Webinar
Are you wondering what you or your organization can do to increase cat adoptions at your shelter? Petfinder and Best Friends invite you to find out. Take part in the webinar on December 4 at 6:00 ET (3:00 PT) or December 5 at either 4:00 ET (1:00 PT) or 5:15 ET (2:15 PT) featuring Susan Cosby, Executive Director of Animal Welfare Association. There is limited space available so RSVP today to webinars@bestfriends.org.

Adoption Options Locations for 2009
Dates are still pending, but the locations for Petfinder’s wildly popular one-day seminar series have been chosen. Check the Adoption Options page for updates on dates. If you’ve already been to a past seminar and want to share your thoughts or network with other attendees, visit the Adoption Options Forum in the message board.

Shelter Challenge Contest

Keep voting in the $100,000 Shelter Challenge! Visit the Animal Rescue Site to see where your group rates in the challenge – and then use the tools provided on that site to get the word out to your supporters.

Congratulations to the winners so far!
Week 8: South Wood County Humane Society
Week 7: Natchitoches Humane Animal Shelter
Week 6: Rhode Island SPCA

Blog Highlight

If there is one thing that makes everyone universally say “awww,” it is a piglet. However, we all know that piglets don’t stay tiny for long! For the less than educated pet parent who mistakenly adopts a piglet believing s/he will stay small or for those who have had changes in lifestyle or location, pig rescues are in demand ...Read More.

Promote Your Pets beyond Petfinder

Featured Pet Module

Any Web page can feature adoptable pets, just as we do on the Petfinder.com homepage. Click here to access a file that you can take to local businesses to get them to target your pets. Or, tell them to visit our Featured Pet Module page. This module features one pet at a time. You can specifiy that the module draw from the pet list of one adoption group or many.

Add Petfinder's Pet Search to Your Site

Our Pet List Scroller dramatically increases visitors to your pet list. Your whole pet list can be featured on any Web site. Use this to show off your Adoptable, Stray, or Happy Tail pet lists. You can specify just your organization or several.

From Our Library

Basics of a Successful Adoption Program

It is the responsibility of the animal shelter to seek permanent, responsible homes for the adoptable animals placed in their custody. To that end, shelters need to formulate written policies and guidelines that will be followed when processing adoptions.

While the majority of adoption guidelines are in fact just that, they are still items that must be considered prior to making an adoption decision. It is not effective to rely solely on the individual discretion of the adoption counselor.

It is impossible to act in the best interest of the animals if there are no guidelines. Animals should not be adopted just to prevent euthanasia or haphazardly without forethought of the animal's welfare.

Acting as the temporary guardian of an animal and making a "correct" determination about adoption placement is a difficult task (continued...)