Petfinder.org
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Petfinder.com (also Petfinder.org), is an online database of homeless pets in the care of about 10,000 animal welfare organizations in the U.S., Canada and beyond. The site has facilitated ten million adoptions in its first ten years. At any one time, 200,000 pets are listed-- dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, small furry animals and more. Some animal welfare groups report that they have more than doubled their adoptions as a result of Petfinder listings. Users can search by kind of animal, breed, gender, size and/or age. The results of the search are ranked in proximity to the user’s Zip Code. Each shelter and rescue group has its own home page and pet list on the site. The pets have their own home pages, too-with a description and usually a photograph. Shelter personnel and volunteers keep the lists of pets continuously updated, so the number of pets changes daily.
The site also includes discussion boards, a resource library and classified ads.
Petfinder.com is sponsorship supported and free to potential adopters and to its members.
[edit] History
Betsy and Jared Saul came up with the idea of Petfinder.com in early 1996 as a resolution to do something for homeless animals. They were not active in the animal sheltering community, but had skills with computers and graphic design. Overriding that, was a strong interest in animals. At first, the site was limited to their home state of New Jersey and was simply a labor of love. Demand and popularity led to rapid national and international expansion.
On November 2, 2006, Discovery Communications announced the acquisition of Petfinder.com. Betsy Saul, petfinder.com's president and co-founder will report to Maureen Smith under Animal Planet Media Enterprises.[1]
[edit] Katrina Aftermath
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In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Petfinder.com served a vital role in reuniting displaced residents with the pets they were forced to leave behind. Animal welfare groups converged on the city of New Orleans, the flooded parishes, and the Gulf Coast to save hundreds of abandoned pets. As a voluntary project Petfinder.com created the Animal Emergency Rescue Network, where over 17,000 (?) pets were eventually posted. Rehoming has gone on for over two years following the disaster.
