Ever considered fostering pets? Now’s your chance! On November 29, Petfinder.com is kicking off the first-of-its-kind “Foster A Lonely Pet For the Holidays” program in partnership with the Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie, A Dog Named Christmas, based on Greg Kincaid’s popular novel.

Inspired by the book and movie, Petfinder is working with its network of 13,000 shelters and rescue groups across North America to give families the opportunity to welcome an adoptable pet into their home for the holiday season, ideally from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day.
Interested foster-parents-to-be can visit Petfinder.com to find the participating shelters …read more

Why am I showing you a photo of Hilary Swank and her pets? Hilary has rescued lots of animals, and she resides with her two rescued dogs, Karoo and Rumi.

I’m also talking about Hilary Swank because she’s an ambassador for Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH) — a program aiming to place 1.5 million pets into loving homes by January 4, 2010. Last year, IH4TH was highly successful, placing 1,202,701 pets in homes! This year, the goal is even higher.
Nearly 8 million homeless animals in the US are waiting for help. Almost half of them are scheduled to be …read more

Think the after-Thanksgiving shopping bargains are just for people? Think again! Several popular pet stores, including Petco and Petsmart, are offering up great deals and bargains for your pet needs this Friday, too.

The added bonus of doing some holiday shopping for your pet is that you can also donate a few dollars to help shelter pets while you’re at it. Petsmart Charities is offering up cute dog and cat Christmas decorations and ornaments, with 25% of the sales going to help save the lives of homeless pets in the US and Canada.
Petco currently has a 72-hour sale going where you …read more

Interested in the Dog Whisperer’s new book, DVD or signed posters? How about VIP tickets to Cesar Millan’s new PackPower Tour?

For a chance to win, visit cesarmillan.culturejam.com and click on “Connect.” Then you can send a Tweet and upload your dog’s photo to the Wolf Wall! That’s it. And it only takes a minute if you’ve already chosen your photo and have a Twitter account. The Woof Wall was built by Culture Jam Labs, known for their interactive online Twitter events.
Upcoming PackPower events include: Friday, December 4 – Rosemont Theatre in Chicago, IL; Sunday, December 6, 2009 – Patriot Center …read more

Though it’s not a good idea to feed your dog the same things you’ll be eating with your Thanksgiving feast, there are a few things you can give them to share a little bit of the holidays.

These easy-to-make dog biscuits are made with canned pumpkin (make sure you’re not using the canned pumpkin pie mix!) and peanut butter for a tasty and healthy snack. They also smell pretty good while they’re baking!
Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
from allrecipes.com
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees …read more

How do you deal with a bossy cat or remove skunk odors from your dog?
If you need to know that and more, enter this contest to win a copy of the newly released Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Cats.
The winner will also receive a copy of Worst-Case Scenario Pocket Guide: Dogs, which was just released this April.

Both books are hardcover pocket guides for cats, dogs and their lucky owners. The pet guides are co-written by David Borgenicht, creator and co-author of all books in the Worst-Case Scenario series.
If you’re a person who likes to be prepared, you might also enjoy the …read more

We don’t usually buy any extra holiday gifts or treats for the dogs, though we may sneak an extra snack to them in the morning while we’re opening presents on Christmas (admittedly, that’s more for our benefit than theirs — they don’t know the difference!).

Talk To Me Treats would make a great stocking stuffer for your pooch, even if they’re the only thing in the stocking!
Talk To Me Treats are mint chew treats for dogs made with real dill, parsley and mint. Not only are they great tasting but are also low-fat and provide fresh breath. The treats …read more

Ask.com, the leading brand for questions and answers online, recently performed their end-of-year recap. They found that people curious about pets asked these 10 most popular pet questions on Ask.com in 2009:

Why do cats purr?
How long do dogs stay in heat?
Why do cats knead?
How do you potty train a puppy?
Do fish sleep?
What do lizards eat?
Can Guinea Pigs be trained?
How long do rabbits live?
Are dogs colorblind?
Can dogs take aspirin?

I’m going to cover a few of the answers in this post. Why do cats purr? They do it to convey contentment, but a …read more

Over the last few years, watching “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” on NBC after the Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving has become a tradition. While the turkey is cooking, the cranberries are chilling and the pies are baking, we have the TV on so we can see all the beautiful dogs in all shapes as sizes as they strut across the floor in Philadelphia.

Hosted again this year by John O’Hurley and expert analyst David Frei, this year’s show will be a little different: Viewers will now get a chance to participate and vote in their own “Viewers Choice …read more

The American Kennel Club has announced they’re recognizing three more dog breeds as the 162nd, 163rd, and the 164th AKC registered breeds.
The three “new” breeds are the Bluetick Coonhound, the Boykin Spaniel and the Redbone Coonhound (pictured above), and will be eligible for full AKC registration and competition in their respective groups at conformation shows held on and after December 30, 2009.
“We are happy that Boykin Spaniel, Bluetick Coonhound and Redbone Coonhound will be joining the ranks of fully-recognized AKC breeds,” said Mari-Beth O’Neill, AVP of Customer Service. “Although these breeds have been classified in two different groups, all three …read more