My Friendly Pets

Most people are familiar with the website www.petfinder.com . This website is a product of Animal Planet and began in 1996. The purpose of the site is to try and match people with pets of any type. The animals to be adopted are mainly from rescue and shelter organizations, especially the dogs and cats. The database search website takes credit for the adoptions of over 12,000,000 animals over the past 13 years. On the website, there is also great information about adoption issues as well as tips for caring for many different types of pets. This site makes the search for a pet easy and fun. There is even a Petfinder.com Foundation, which raises money to help pet organizations and shelters around the country. For example, in the April 2008 newsletter, put out by Petfinder.com, Care and Feeder grants were awarded to animal shelters in six cities to purchase enough vaccines to inoculate all their incoming canines against kennel cough* for approximately one year. That is a phenomenal effort and one to be applauded!!

Now, on the television station Animal Planet, a new reality show has been developed that takes the Petfinder concept even further. The show, that has the same name as the site, matches shelter animals with families searching for their perfect pet. Of course it wouldn’t be a reality show without drama and that’s just what you get. Family members fight over which animal they believe is best and in most cases the family members have completely different ideas about what animal would make the perfect pet. That is where the hosts, Jarod Miller and Dina Zaphiris come in. They not only work to bring the best pet into the home but they also offer advice and guidance to viewers about how to pet proof your home so that it is safe and secure for the pet and family members alike. Both hosts, while very talented on camera are also educated and experienced in their fields of study. Miller has a degree in zoology and Zaphiris has her degree in psychology from University of California-Davis. The entertainment they provide is great and the information is even more valuable. The show is on Saturday nights at 9:30 e/p times. Check it out when you get a chance!