PetSugar

Foster a Dog Virtually, Help Feed Them in Real Life

PetSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:00:07 -0700

If you've ever wished you could give a homeless dog a forever home (or could foster a dog until the lucky pup found a permanent family), but don't have the time or space, now you have an easy and fun way to pitch in with the help of Facebook. The Save a Dog Facebook app allows you to virtually care for an actual shelter pup, and by getting friends to co-sponsor or foster their own canine online, you'll earn points that will translate into real food in the mouths of shelter dogs.

DogTime and Rescuegroups.org teamed up to produce the charitable app, and the best part is that it costs you nothing to help out. Just install the app on your Facebook page and you're off and running. Aside from donating a few hours at your local shelter, this has to be the easiest way to help thousands of needy pups.

Pledge Your Time and Be a Shelter Pet Hero!

PetSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:00:53 -0700

Even if you can't spare a few bucks, one thing you can always donate is your time. And what better way to spend a few hours over the weekend (or if you're lucky, during the week) than playing with a few furry friends at a local shelter? Purina's Be My Hero program helps you do just that.

And it's not just about playtime with a few pups - when you pledge to spend time volunteering at one of the 7,500 participating shelters across the country, Purina will donate $5 dollars to pets in need. Hey, if Martha Stewart can do it (that's one of her first kittens), I think you can to.

Give Back: Kuranda Dog Beds

PetSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:00:24 -0800

You may recognize this Kuranda from visits to animal shelters in your town: chewproof with no corner gaps to bite (all fabric's encased in a poly-resin sleeve), these beds are built to last. I'm thinking another reason they're so popular is how easy they are to clean and keep clean, raised off the ground in case of "accidents."

Which brings up my latest Give Back suggestion – purchasing this product for your local establishment. Kuranda’s “Donate A Bed” program lets you buy at 30 to 35 percent off retail prices, and send directly to the rescue organization of your choice in your name. It's super easy, too, as they've created an extensive, searchable database to pick and ship the bed directly to a shelter near you!

How You Can Help Furry Victims of Hurricane Ike . . .

PetSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:00:08 -0700

Thankfully, there were improved plans in place before the recent hurricanes hit, but I'm reminded that plenty of pets still need help in the storms' aftermath. Shelters including the Houston Humane Society and the Galveston Island Humane Society are working around the clock to photograph all the arriving animals to help keep track of the pets, and locate their owners. Much of the area is still without running water, electricity or gas . . . but the stray and injured animals keep on coming!

In addition to accepting monetary donations online, if you're local to these areas (or any place affected by the storms), don't be shy about stopping in to volunteer or bring by some much-appreciated goods. To see the items on the shelter's wish list, read more.

Towels
Batteries (especially 9 volt)
Crates of ALL sizes
Tarps
Bungee Cords
Bottled Water
Cat Litter
King Size Kong toys for dogs
Rabbit Food - Timothy Hay pellets or Timothy Hay
Small TVs with built in VCR/DVD
Soft Chewable Dog Treats
Current Key Maps
Disposable Rubber Gloves
Digital Cameras
8- and 12-Inch Cable Ties (50 lb strength)
Newspapers
Food for Hamsters, Rats, Guinea Pigs, Ferrets, and Gerbils
Halters - small and medium size
Fly Spray and Masks
Thrush Medicine
Mucking Forks/rakes

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The Scoop: Feed Shelter Pets Just By Clicking

PetSugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:34 -0700

Have you ever walked into an animal shelter and wanted to take every single one of those little guys home with you? It's so sad knowing that a lot of them won't make it to a forever home. Becoming a foster parent can help by taking the animals out of the shelter and increasing their chances of survival but, because of monetary constraints, it's just a fact of life that shelters can't always get the food and vaccinations they need. So what can we do to help? In addition to donating money to your local shelters or volunteering to be a foster parent to an animal until they can find a permanent family, now all you have to do is click.

The Animal Rescue Site has set up a totally cool and easy way to get involved. Just by clicking a button on their main page, you can help shelter animals get the food they need to survive. To see how, just read more.

Charity sponsors get ad space on the page, and for each click of the button, donate bowls of food to animals in need. Plus, when you purchase goods from their online store, the sponsors donate even more! One hundred percent of sponsors' advertising fees goes to the charitable partners – one of which is the North Shore Animal League who Mýa has partnered up with during the Tour for Life – so you know your clicking is well spent, and going to all the right places.

Plus, you can also:

Send pet e-cards to friends and family. Each time the card is opened, more funds are donated to Animal Rescue Site's charitable partners.
Buy vaccinations, spaying and neutering services, as well as funding shelters, caring for rescued animals, and help in wildlife habitat preservation.

It doesn't take much, so head to The Animal Rescue Site and see what kind of a difference you can make.

Adam Lippes Adoption Extravaganza

PetSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:00:26 -0700

Seems like another designer wants to lend a helping hand with dog adoptions! Adam Lippes will partner with the ASPCA from April 4 to 6, and host an adoption event right in his Manhattan boutique! Representatives will be on hand to facilitate adoptions of these needy doggies, about 20 of various breeds and sizes will frolic in the windows of the store. What's more is that any shopper choosing to give one of these pups a forever home will receive this limited edition "ADAM Loves Dogs" tee. Adam himself will even be attending on April 5 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and has said, "I can only hope that all of these dogs will find loving homes and will be surprised if I don't walk away with one of them myself."

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Out and About: Arizona's Hermitage Cat Shelter

PetSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:20:41 -0800

Founded by a Russian Orthodox nun in 1965, The Hermitage Cat Shelter started out with about 50 cats as lifetime residents. When Sister Seraphim entered a nursing home in 1989, a board of directors took over the management and began adopting out the cats. The shelter is now both an adoption center and a sanctuary for special-needs cats, including those who are FIV and FeLV positive and cats with other chronic health and behavioral problems such as partial paralysis, neurological problems, blindness, deafness, missing limbs, and diabetes. This shelter is the state's first no-kill, no-cage sanctuary that helps even those felines that are not considered adoptable by other organizations. It's comprised of 4,000 square feet indoors and an additional 4,000 square feet of fenced-in, covered, outdoor play space for those fresh-air kitties.

Click here to share your own tips with PetSugar's Out and About travel group - and stay tuned as our week of Arizona continues!

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Out and About: Colorado's Aspen Animal Shelter

PetSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:30:39 -0800

Let's pretend for a moment. You've decided to take a trip to Aspen but . . . sigh . . . Spot couldn't come with you. You arrive to the snowy town and wander around. People with dogs are everywhere. Hiking on Bernese Boulevard. Shopping near Main Street. Sledding at Snowmass. You're filled with regret. Sadness. Jealousy.

Fear not! Head straight over to the Aspen Animal Shelter and get some quality time with one of their adorably adoptable pooches. For the past 15 years, this shelter has offered a plan to have town residents and visitors take a pet out for a few hours, the entire day, or even overnight . . . for (last time I checked) free! It's a great way to get the pups socialized and exercised, and some people even end up adopting their new friend at the end of the trip! If you're not into the outdoor activities, you can come by to brush and play with the cats, too. Picking up a furry snow lover will make you feel like a local and, for those people who don't permanently reside in animal-friendly homes, you can take a vacation from your pet-free lifestyle . . . without spending a fortune!

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Guess Who?

PetSugar — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:00:36 -0800

That's certainly not a basketball in his hands . . . but who's behind the paw?

What Do You Know About Animal Shelters?

PetSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:08 -0700

Overpopulation is a big problem facing many shelters around the country. There are too many hungry mouths and furry faces, and simply not enough room so test yourself about rescue facts and numbers in this quiz.

Take the quiz