Actress on a Mission to Help 1.5 Million Pets Find Homes

After 10 years of successfully helping millions of orphaned pets find homes, Iams Home 4 the Holidays announced that two-time Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank will serve as the drive's 2009 North American ambassador.

Swank will share her personal experience with adoption and rescue in an effort to help educate others about how they can make a positive impact on the lives of homeless pets. Along with founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center and nearly 3,500 participating animal organizations from around the world, the program has set a goal to help 1.5 million pets across North American find homes.

The program runs October 1, 2009 - January 2, 2010 and is in partnership with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies , Swiffer and Febreze.

"I'm so proud to be working with Iams Home 4 the Holidays to help raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption," said Swank. "Last year, the program's adoption goal was to get 1 million pets adopted in just three months, but this year the goal is even bigger - we're on a mission to find loving homes for 1.5 million orphaned pets during the campaign."

Swank has adopted many pets throughout her life, including her two dogs Karoo and Rumi. She rescued Karoo from the side of a road while filming in South Africa a few years ago and adopted Rumi last fall from a participating Homes 4 the Holidays shelter in Los Angeles.

Dogs & Cats Meet in Cyberspace!

New York, NY – Attention all dog and cat lovers, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) – invite you to log on to www.meetthebreeds.com to learn more about dogs and cats.

The site is a comprehensive one-stop-shop for all things dog and cat, and is inspired by the upcoming Meet the Breeds™ event that will be held October 17 & 18, 2009 in New York City.

For those of us who can't be in New York for the main event, we can still participate in cyberspace!

The Meet The Breeds website features:

Meet the Dog and Cat Breeds – Learn about 160 dog breeds and 41 cat breeds.
Meet the Breeds Game from ZooToo – Test your breed knowledge and compete for the top score. Each round asks you to choose the correct dog breed from three choices.
Declare your Pet Preference! – Are you a doggy devotee or a feline follower? Weigh in on this centuries-old debate by taking our definitive one-question survey and tell us why dogs or cats are your preferred pet.
Virtual Sticker Downloads for your Social Media Pages – Choose your favorite breed and download a virtual sticker to your Facebook or MySpace page, Web site or blog.
Meet the Breeds Blog from AOL’s Paw Nation – Follow the latest news, learn about who will be attending and get in on all the behind-the-scenes action at the Meet the Breeds event.

“If you’re crazy for cats or passionate about pooches you cannot miss Meet the Breeds both online or in person,” said AKC spokesperson Gina DiNardo. “Both meetthebreeds.com and the event itself present an entertaining way for friends and families to enjoy quality time together while learning how to become responsible pet owners.”

Dog Lost Near Airport is Found... by Another Dog

Two-year-old "Opal" -- a Maltese X Poodle -- was en route to a new home... but she had plans of her own. When the door to her kennel was opened, so her new owner could put her on a leash, the little white dog bolted.

After eight long and worrisome days looking for her new pet, the distraught pet guardian called in the big guns... or shall we say the big nose! "Heidi", a Labrador X who came to her rescue, is one of eight dogs in the USA who are part of an organization called "Dogs Finding Dogs."

Heidi lead them to a hole in a fence, that lead them to an airport, where the run-a-way was safely captured.

Dogs Finding Dogs is a group of highly trained handlers and dogs that can track and find a lost pet. The program has eight dog/handler teams that operate in three States.They charge a nominal fee, a portion of which is donated to charity.

The sole purpose of this amazing organization is to reunite people with their pets as soon as possible. More than just tracking teams, the association has been instrumental in reuniting dozens of pet using a variety of methods.

They also provide excellent advise you on what steps to find your lost pet.

Visit their Tale Wags pages to read some heartwarming success stories!

Siberian Husky HomeSafe

When I found my Siberian Husky's collar on the ground in the backyard my first thought was that she had been stolen... since 'Agusta' is a retired champion show dog! I soon discovered, however, that she had escaped by digging a hole under the fence.

Thankfully, Agusta was soon picked up by my local humane society and she was back home in less than 12 hours.

The PetLynx web site helped me not to worry so much because it was another venue to help find my lost dog. With the amount of people that use the Internet [and Petlynx] I was confident that she would be found... even if she had been stolen.

Jason P.
City unknown