Looking for your next furry friend? Start your search online -- just look at these adoptable, cuddly cuties featured as Petfinder's Adopt the Internet All-Stars!

Name: Riley
Shelter: Saving Paws Animal Rescue, Appleton, Wis.

This Treeing Walker coonhound mix is a fun-loving, eager-to-please 2-year-old who loves to go for long walks and runs. He has very good manners around the house and can be very cuddly. Riley is quite sensitive and eager to please and tries to do the right thing. He would do best with laid-back and fun people.


Name: Beverly
Shelter: Peninsula Friends of Animals, Sequim, Wash.

This adorable cat is a very sweet and lively gray, orange and white tabby mix. Beverly is very loving and demonstrative, and she can play all day long. She's about 2 years old, has put on a little weight at the shelter, and would love to find someone to play with to get fit again.

As much as this thing we call the Internet has changed the lives of humans all over the planet, it's had perhaps an even greater impact on another, slightly furrier species: shelter pets.

The Internet has connected millions upon millions of lonely shelter puppies and kitties with forever homes, facilitated a boom in pet fostering, and changed the way we look at adopting pets altogether. One of the adoption innovators responsible for this shelter pet revolution is none other than Petfinder co-founder Betsy Saul.

As part of our coverage of Petfinder's Adopt the Internet Day (March 15), Paw Nation got the chance to chat with Saul about Petfinder's humble beginnings, the joy of rescuing pets and the letters she gets about some of the 17 million animals that have been adopted through Petfinder.

Petfinder.com has been going strong since 1996. Can you give us a little history of how the whole Petfinder phenomenon came about?
When Jared Saul, my ex-husband, and I started Petfinder 15 years ago, we never dreamed it would be as powerful as it turned out to be. I remember hoping that we could save at least one life a month. And I remember fantasizing about being able to do it as a part-time job -- and really give it the attention it deserved. This year we expect to help find families for 2.5 million pets and there is a whole team of people working full-time to make sure we meet our goal to end the euthanasia of adoptable pets.

One of the things we love about our jobs here is the fact that we get to bring attention to great causes, one of the main ones being pet adoption. Tuesday is a big day for helping homeless pets because it's Adopt the Internet Day 2011!

Petfinder created this day in honor of its 15th birthday to help spread the word about ways everyone can help homeless pets.

How You Can Participate
Short of bringing home a new furry friend there are many ways you can help.

- You can take a pledge to tell at least one person about pet adoption (and also be entered to win a Pet Hair Eraser® Vacuum from Bissell -- score!).

- Donate your Facebook status and photo to an adoptable animal on Petfinder.

- Use Twitter to share an adoptable Petfinder animal, and more, all of which can be found on Petfinder's Adopt the Internet page.

On Tuesday, March 15, every single one of our posts will be dedicated to the topic of pet adoption, so be sure to check them all out. It's a topic we're passionate about, and we hope you'll join us in helping adoptable animals find loving forever homes!

Ever wonder if your pet's name is really as unique or creative as it seemed back when you dreamed it up? Now you can find out: Petfinder has surveyed its massive database of adoptable cats and dogs to put together a list of 2010's most popular pet names.

Obviously, choosing the right name for your pet is important, because it says a lot about the pet -- and even more about the pet owner. You want your pet's name to be original, because you don't want a whole pack of dogs to answer to your dog's name at the dog park. However, you don't want your pet's name to be too obscure or hard to pronounce. And, of course, you want it to be something you're comfortable yelling in public.

A look at Petfinder's top 10 list of names for dogs and cats reveals some big differences, but there's also a surprising degree of overlap. For example, Buddy dominates the list of dog names for the fourth year in a row, but it doesn't appear in the feline category anywhere. The number of owners who got out their Italian-English dictionaries and selected the name Bella, however, rose in both canine and feline categories.



Top 10 Dog Names

1. Buddy
2. Max
3. Daisy
4. Bella
5. Lucy
6. Jack
7. Molly
8. Charlie
9. Sadie
10. Rocky

Elle Decor: Think a pet-friendly home has to look like it was decorated by animals? ElleDecor.com features a slideshow of homes belonging to the likes of director Michael Bay and actress Ellen Pompeo and proves that you can have a puppy and a totally posh pad.

Zootoo: We just honored our service men and women last week, but now Zootoo is bestowing a bit of honor on service dogs and looking at how one veteran is living a whole new life thanks to his service dog, Addison.

Petside: It's nearing that time of year when excess reigns supreme, but Petside has a list of seven great ways to go green when it comes to your pet. What better time than now to reduce your paw print?

USA Today's Paw Print Post: In news that's sure to bring a smile to your face, an 80-year-old woman was reunited with her stolen Yorkie after the woman who purchased the pup saw a news story and realized she'd bought a hot dog.

People Pets: We might find it hard not to love Robert Downey, Jr. these days, but apparently, RDJ had a hard time not falling in love with one of his "Due Date" co-stars. Sunny, the French bulldog, had the actor interested in adoption, but the breeder turned him down.

Petfinder: Not only does Petfinder have a sneak peek at a chapter in Greg Kincaid's latest book, "Christmas With Tucker," but they're also giving away a signed copy of the novel, which is the prequel to "A Dog Named Christmas."

Petsugar: Does your dog dig playing with new people, or is he scared of strangers? There are several factors to look at that might help you know what to expect from your dog around new people.

GNN: Some children in South Korea were in for a real treat when an amusement park in Yongin released 12 penguins dressed as Santa and his reindeer. Happily for us, the whole thing was caught on tape.

Gadling: SeaWorld has announced that it will replace Shamu's "Believe" with a new show in its Orlando, San Antonio and San Diego parks. No word yet on whether trainers will remain out of the water, as they have since the February death of killer whale trainer Dawn Brancheau.

People visiting an animal shelter intending to adopt a new dog often find themselves having to decide between a puppy and an older dog. While both adult dogs and puppies have their pros and cons, what about the senior animals? Or the animals that have disabilities or are sick? What happens to them?

Unfortunately, older or sick animals usually are passed over at shelters for younger, more energetic dogs that have a long life ahead of them. However, one group in Westchester, Ill., is trying to change that through education. The nonprofit organization has placed numerous senior animals with individuals and families of all backgrounds, and teaches the community that dogs of all ages need and deserve love, not to mention that older dogs give back just as much as their owners give them.

Benefits of Adopting A Senior Pet
"Many people are afraid to adopt a senior dog because of the fear that they won't live very long," says Mary Ann Minick, executive director of All Pets Wellness Foundation. "How do you convince people that adopting a senior dog is better than adopting a puppy or a younger animal?"

Petfinder.com has created a list of ten of these benefits in honor of Adopt-A-Senior-Pet Month. Some of their observations include:

-- Senior dogs are often housetrained or more easily trained than puppies with small bladders.

-- Older animals are fully grown and fully developed emotionally so you will be able know if the dog's size and personality will fit in with your family.

-- These more mature pets are often content to just relax in your company, unlike younger pets, who may get into mischief because they're bored.

Why is it that some shelter animals have dozens of people clamoring to adopt them, while others are disregarded, leaving these dogs and cats to languish in shelters, often for months at a time? "Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish one feature that makes them less adoptable or why they are perpetually passed over," Betsy Saul, co-founder of Petfinder.com, tells Paw Nation. Other times, it's obvious.

Why Some Pets Are Left Behind at Shelters
Adoptable pets that are blind, deaf or otherwise have "special needs" are often hard to place, states Petfinder.com. So are pets that are older, shy, have dark fur, are too large or can't live in a home with other animals. Then there is breed prejudice, with pit bulls being the most common type of dog being put down in shelters.

A troubling survey by Petfinder.com -- which has over 13,000 shelters and rescue groups listing adoptable pets on its website -- prompted the organization to proclaim September 19–25 to be "Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week."

Nearly all of the shelters and rescue groups that Petfinder surveyed reported having "extreme difficulty" finding homes for some of their animals. More alarming, 33 percent of Petfinder.com members had pets listed on Petfinder.com for one to two years. Another 27 percent have had pets listed for even longer than two years. By bringing attention to the plight of these overlooked animals, Petfinder hopes to find permanent homes for pets considered less desirable.

Reasons to consider adopting a "less adoptable" pet
- Older dogs have already gone through the hyperactive puppy or kitten stage and have fully formed personalities, which means you know what you're getting.

- Many of them are already housebroken or know how to walk on a leash.

- A deaf dog may be less likely to bark at your loud neighbors.

Anna and I have found an apartment. Located deep in the New Jersey suburbs, it's the ground floor of a house, actually. It's much bigger than our place in Hoboken, but then again, most people's crawl spaces beneath their staircases are bigger than our place in Hoboken. We've got plenty of space for storage, including ample closets, a basement and, most importantly, our own washer and dryer.

There's even a backyard, if you consider a few unpaved square feet in front of the driveway a backyard. This will come in handy, however, because, despite our previous fears, we found a landlord who is forward-thinking enough to let us have a dog. We think he's going to let us have a dog, that is. According to the terms of the lease, our little canine friend has to be pre-approved, presumably to make sure he or she's not too big or loud.

In any case, we have begun scouring the earth (or at least the Internet) for some fine un-feathered friends. Anna really fell hard for an adorable abused puppy named Raina -- who had a pirate-like black patch over his eye -- but when she called to ask about him he'd already been adopted. Arrrrgh!

We're also keen on this terrier/Labrador-retriever Mix, this wirehaired-terrier mix, not to mention Bo and Burger here. Tell us in the comments which dog you like best. Oh, and don't even think about swooping in and adopting them. At least, not until we've made our decision.

Thanks in part to all of the stories and words of advice shared by readers, Anna and I are exploring adoption of a rescue dog. (A dog that has been rescued, that is. Not, like, a St. Bernard carrying a barrel of whiskey around its neck, or a puppy in a cape.)

We've been perusing Petfinder.com in our spare moments, and have come upon a number of lovable-looking candidates, one of whom we're making plans to go see. One thing struck us as interesting, however: the amount of so-called "bully breeds," i.e. the bigger, sometimes more aggressive dogs with bad reputations. In Northern New Jersey, at least, there seems to be an inordinate amount of American Staffordshire terriers, pit bulls and pit-bull mixes.

Sure, Michael Vick now is playing down the turnpike for the Philadelphia Eagles, but that doesn't really explain it. So I consulted Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com's vice president of shelter outreach and public relations. "Certainly in the Northeast and the New York metro area there's a predominance of bully breeds in need of homes," she told me. "People get them for the wrong reasons, they come from areas where they're not spayed and neutered as often, and there are a lot of unfortunate stereotypes about the dogs, which are not deserved."

I have a thing for disabled animals. Ever since my dog became three-legged, I just love the heart and courage of any animal who deals with a disability. That's why today is so special.

August 12th has been declared "Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day."

Petfinder, one of the largest pet adoption sites with more than 12,000 adoption groups, has dedicated a section of its site to old, crippled, and mostly ignored animals in need. The purpose of today is to try and get the word out about these lovable pets looking for a place to call home.

Petfinder surveyed its rescue partners and found that almost half of the agencies have pets who have been in their system for over a year! Age, size, and medical conditions like incontinence and FIV seem to be the leading causes for amazing animals to be overlooked.

If you're looking to adopt, don't hesitate! Today (and any day for that matter) is a good day to look past the adorable kittens and find out just how rewarding adopting one of the underdogs (or cats!) can be.

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