Over the past few weeks I’ve read a couple stories indicating a possibly growing new trend: humans locking themselves in animal shelters to raise awareness for pet safety and rights. In the first, a woman lived in a small, cramped space for a week, live streaming the whole thing online. The point was to raise awareness for the conditions under which dogs are often forced to live in puppy mills and similar facilities. Then at the beginning of the month, according to the Miami Herald, a man moved into a dog run (a kennel) for a weekend to promote an … Continue reading →

I know people who aren’t comfortable with adopting pets from shelters. They have good reasons, such as being uncertain about the animal’s background. Some of them even had specific negative experiences, encountering severe behavioral problems that sometimes come with shelter pets. After all, animals sometimes end up in shelters after leaving neglectful or abusive homes, and that leaves a mental mark. I try to reassure my friends in these situations, tell them that honestly as long as they don’t buy from pet stores or puppy mills, that reputable breeders are always a positive source for pets. But I try to … Continue reading →

Do I look cool/cute enough to take home? I have a horrible addiction: I love to look at pictures of dogs and cats on petfinder.com. I know I shouldn’t, but sometimes I just can’t resist. I’ve always been an avid Petfinder follower. I’ve spent time looking at it since I was in high school, and I found the first two pets of my adult life through the site. At this stage I can reasonably say I’m a Petfinder expert. One thing I’ve learned from Petfinder is the importance of creating a good profile for the pets. I’ve seen some pet … Continue reading →