North America’s largest pet adoption website is Petfinder. The company advertises “over 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups.”

Honors Received by Petfinder

In 2008, Time magazine recognized it as one of the 50 Best Websites. Betsy Banks Saul, the co-founder of Petfinder, has been recognized by Woman’s Day magazine as one of the 50 influential women who are making a difference in the world, thanks to her significant contributions to animal welfare.

The mobile site of this platform was launched in 2008 and was honored with a People’s Voice Webby award in 2014. Petfinder was showcased in an iPhone commercial. In 2010, Time magazine recognized it as one of the top 10 iPhone apps.

Petfinder Foundation

The Petfinder Foundation, a foundation that awards funds to other charities or groups that work to stop the killing of animals, was established in 2003. Private philanthropists and business partners like Orvis and Volvo, among others, sponsor the initiative.

How and Why Petfinder Was Created

In 1995, Betsy and Jared Saul created Petfinder. They had the idea while driving to dinner on New Year’s Eve. Both were passionate about helping animals find new homes, so using the internet to match shelter animals with prospective adopters seemed like a terrific way to help.

Initially, Betsy contacted animal shelters, and they faxed the couple information on available creatures. Then they posted data regarding pet adoption on their website. In 1998, the website extended nationwide, and in 2000, Canadian organizations were included.

Betsy sought corporate assistance to improve the website and keep it free for adopters and shelters.

Since then, Petfinder has donated over $10 million to shelters and rescue groups through its foundation. They have an iPhone app.

Petfinder connects prospective pet owners with adoptable pets. Search technology helps customers find the right pet for their home and family.

Animal welfare organization-Petfinder

As previously indicated, Petfinder established a charity organization to aid animals in need in addition to the Petfinder service. Petfinder’s stated goal is to prevent any adoptable pet from being euthanized due to a lack of a suitable home.

The Petfinder Foundation offers funds through three main projects to carry out this mission:

• Level of Living
• Emergency and Disaster Response
• Support a Pet

All of these initiatives aim to keep homeless animals secure and healthy while also assisting in their adoption by pet parents.

Clicking the “Sponsor” button on a pet profile will allow you to make a direct donation to the care of the animal through the Petfinder Foundation if you want to help but are unable to adopt a pet.

How Petfinder Keeps Its Reputation

Through the Petfinder Pro app, Petfinder only permits respectable animal welfare and rescue organizations to sign up as members. The shelter can access the database and post pets for adoption once they have been examined and approved.

Several other sorts of organizations, including the following, are eligible for membership, according to the Petfinder website:

• City-owned public shelters
• private abodes
• Pet Rescues who take care of animals directly
• Animal hospitals that rehome animals

To protect their reputation, Petfinder does not work with businesses that place pets for a profit, hobby breeders, or anyone else.

The complete list of groups not permitted to join is as follows:

• Referral-only or Networking Groups
• Pet owners who rehome their own animals
• Hobby or Show Breeders
• Any placement of pets for profit
• Outside of the United States, Canada, or Mexico, organizations

Pounds and Shelters

The “dog pound” is a common location for most people to discover unwanted pets. Stray and unwanted animals are taken in and typically housed for a predetermined amount of time by local government-run animal control centers and shelters. When there is no more room, animals must be put to death in these institutions, which must accept any animal.

In contrast, organizations that have the freedom to pick and choose the animals they accept avoid having to put animals to sleep because of a lack of space. These groups are frequently referred to as “no-kill” groups.

Medical care may or may not be available at county shelters. Some adoption centers neuter or spay animals before placing them with new owners, while others demand that this be done shortly after the adoption.

Based in Foster Homes

The Internet or distant pet adoption websites are frequently quite important to foster-based rescues. Typically, until they are adopted, the animals are kept in private homes by these all-volunteer organizations. These organizations are typically full since they do not put animals to death unless they have severe medical or behavioral issues. These groups may consist of several individuals or just one house. Prospective adopters typically make an appointment or attend an adoption day offered at a store to meet one of these animals.

Petfinder groups

Rescues of specific breeds

Breed-specific rescues only take in animals of the given breed, as the name suggests. Regardless of their age, health, or veterinary needs, many will accept them. Most of the time, these organizations are “no kill.” They accept owner surrenders and animals of their breed from animal shelters.

Extra Groups

In addition to the official rescue organizations and shelters, there are listings on Petfinder for veterinary clinics and medical colleges that regularly rescue stray animals, as well as a few smaller organizations founded and maintained by kids.

Beyond Canines and Felines

There are specialized rescues for animals other than dogs and cats, which are comparable to “breed rescue.” There are organizations dedicated to the rescue of horses, ferrets, birds, and reptiles. Even a pig can be found on Petfinder. These organizations are less common on Petfinder, but their numbers are increasing.

Tips to Adopt a Pet

Which pet is the best fit for you?

To choose the perfect pet for your family, consider your personality, lifestyle, obstacles like space constraints, and the amount of time spent at home. Ask shelter personnel for advice and research various breeds—they are specialists at finding the best fits!

When thinking about adopting a cat:

Cats have a reputation for being elegant, athletic, playful, sensitive, and loving.

• Ensure that everyone in the home is ready to welcome a cat.
• Cats are very independent. Ensure everyone knows that the fun only starts once the cat feels secure and has all of her requirements addressed.
• Once everyone is prepared for feeding, changing the litter, and grooming the cat, you can assign jobs among family members so that everyone is ready to care for the cat before she arrives.
• Spaying or neutering your new feline friend is crucial, just like with dogs.

Making Your House Pet-Friendly

Before adopting, secure your garbage cans and watch out for holiday hazards. Keep hazardous foods, pet-unfriendly plants, and harmful home items out of paw’s reach. Here are some tips for getting ready for a new pet.

• Place a comfortable bed for your pet in each space. If pets have appealing alternatives, they are considerably more likely to stay off of furniture.
• If you have a cat, consider covering furniture with double-sided tape or carpet runners turned upside down to prevent her from scratching.
• Avoid things that can strangle you, like long cables, extravagant tassels, pooling drapery, and vertical blinds.
• Install high-quality metal screens on all of your windows if you have cats.
• Rolling up attractive rugs and storing them until your new dog is completely housebroken can be a good idea.
• Give your new cat a range of perches and scratching posts.
• When your new dog is home alone, keep him contained with gates and dog cages until his good house manners allow you to release him unattended.
• Give your dog lots of “legal” objects to gnaw on. He will be far less likely to munch on your possessions if he has appealing toys and bones of his own!
• Verify whether the plants near your house and its surroundings are safe for pets to eat.

What exactly is covered by the adoption fee?

Everything a pet will require for a successful start in its new home is included in the adoption fee:

• By the veterinary staff, spay/neuter surgery
• Embedding microchips into cats and canines
• First shots, including rabies if the pet is older than four months.
• Accept Trupanion Collar’s offer of free health insurance for 30 days.
• Cat carrier for short-term use
• Canine temporary leash
• The first session is free for dog adopters and comes with a lifetime discount of 20%!

Considering the extra expenses associated with pet ownership is a good idea. A new pet may incur additional costs for food and water bowls, toys, beds, training aids, litter boxes (for cats), and leashes and harnesses (for dogs). Food, litter, grooming, flea control, immunizations, and other medical costs are examples of ongoing costs.