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Finding the perfect pet
Local groups use Web to place animals in permanent homes


Reprinted from The Daily Southtown, Wednesday, October 13, 2004

By Vickie Snow, Staff writer
Tabby the cat was about to have kittens, and Stephanie Kreidler waited patiently to assist. In another room was Lizzie, a coonhound due to have puppies any day.
As a foster care provider, Kreidler brings animals young and old into her Romeoville home until permanent homes can be found.
That used to be a time-consuming process - relying on word of mouth can leave animals such as Tabby and Lizzie in limbo for months on end. But thanks to a partnership with Petfinder.com, the process just got a little easier.
Shelters - including nearly two dozen in the Southland - have a system now to advertise animals needing homes online, and people looking to adopt a pet can do so from the comfort of their home thanks to Petfinder.com. It's faster and easier than trying to attract new owners at a pet supply store or hoping people will come to a shelter, officials say.
The Web service has a database of nearly 8,000 groups posting more than 162,000 animals throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Bahamas.
"Some adopters locate a pet in their own local shelter or rescue group," said Kim Saunders, Petfinder.com director of public relations. "Others find the perfect match and travel long distances to get them."
Information and photos of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, reptiles, cows, horses and hamsters are listed so it's not hard to find a pet that matches a family's needs, be it a small dog that travels well or an adult cat that's good with children.
Visitors can either look up animals at shelters that are close to their home or specify the type of animal they're seeking, narrowing the search by ZIP code or state if they want.
"With foster homes, people don't know where to locate the pets," Kreidler said. "Without Petfinder.com, people wouldn't know we were here."
Not only can Kreidler and others rely on Petfinder.com to reach thousands of potential pet owners, the service also finds people who are willing to shelter and rehabilitate animals. Lizzie, the coonhound, for example, was days away from being euthanized in Ohio when someone contacted Kreidler about giving her a temporary home.
Since hooking up with Petfinder.com three months ago, Kreidler has placed 12 animals in permanent homes.
"It's all due to being able to receive messages back and forth on Petfinder.com," she said.
By seeing a photo of her adoptable pets online, potential owners can simply pick up the phone to find out more before planning a visit.
As well, people interested in adopting a specific type of animal can post a message specifying what breed they're interested in. Animal welfare groups that might have that type of animal can then make contact.
"We can look at surrounding states to see who's looking for animals," Kreidler said. "It's kind of like a telephone book for us."
To help animal lovers answer common questions and save money, Petfinder.com has an extensive library of pet-related information and offers a free month of pet insurance for every cat or dog adopted - the first to offer such a benefit for shelter pets.
The Illinois database has 236 participating shelters, foster groups and animal hospitals. The numbers can vary greatly by region, with Texas posting 559 and Utah only 72.
Among the 14 Chicago-area groups to recently partner with Petfinder.com are Tender Loving Care (TLC) Animal Shelter in Homer Glen, VCA Animal Hospital in Joliet, County Line Pet Hospital in Steger, Homes for Huskies-Siberian Husky Rescue in Lockport and the Will County Humane Society in Shorewood.
The new Southland partners are finding the more people they can reach via the Internet, the greater the number of pet adoptions.
"It seems to be working," TLC shelter coordinator Janine Carter said. "The more exposure we get, the right person may be reached."
The national exposure translates into a quicker turnaround for placing animals.
"If you check the Web site on Friday, you need to come as soon as possible on Saturday," Carter said.
TLC's Web site, www.tlcanimalshelter.org, is updated every Friday. At any given time, the shelter has 40 to 50 animals ready for adoption.
Since hooking up with Petfinder.com, TLC has fielded dozens of calls and e-mails from out-of-state people, Carter said.
And for many people, seeing the animals online first is easier than going to a shelter.
"A lot of people won't go to a shelter because they're afraid of seeing animals in cages," Kreidler said. "They feel bad and want to take all of them home."
The Web site also highlights the successful adoptions they've had in its "Happy Tails" section.
"That's one of my favorite parts," Kreidler said. "It shows the animals are going to good homes and families who are perfect for them."
The shelters have not abandoned the more traditional ways of finding homes for animals. Kreidler is holding dog and puppy adoptions at Johansen Farms in Bolingbrook, and TLC will conduct programs to bring in potential owners, such as its Holiday Magic craft show and bake sale on Nov. 13 and its annual open house on Dec. 11.
But such events require manpower - not aways in big supply for organizations that rely on volunteer staff and limited budgets. That's why Petfinder.com's service has been such a blessing, Kreidler said.
"They don't charge us anything," Kreidler said. "They host our Web site at no cost, help us with our volunteer search, provide technical support and get us in contact with breed experts. They've got everything covered."
Petfinder.com is able to do so because of its sponsors, such pet food company Purina and Merial, an animal pharmaceuticals manufacturer, which underwrite the service, Saunders said.
Tucson, Ariz.-based Petfinder.com was started in 1996 with a handful of organizations, and went national in 1998. Last year, the site found homes for 1.5 million pets.

Shelters and agencies in the south suburban area on Petfinder.com include:
People's Animal Welfare Society, Tinley Park
Pet Adoption League, Bridgeview and Frankfort
Illinois St. Bernard Rescue, Burbank
South Suburban Humane Society, Chicago Heights
Animal Welfare League, Chicago Ridge
Shih Tzu Rescue, Homer Glen
Love for Lolo Animal Rescue and Shelter, Richton Park
Plantation Animal Rescue-Dalmatian Rescue, Steger
Critter Corral Guinea Pig rescue, Steger
Tender Loving Care Animal Shelter, Homer Glen
VCA Animal Hospital, Joliet
County Line Pet Hospital, Steger
Homes for Huskies-Siberian Husky Rescue, Lockport
Will County Humane Society, Shorewood
Kreidler's Critter Sanctuary, Romeoville
Animal Rescue Foundation in Bolingbrook
Humane Heaven Animal Shelter in Bolingbrook
Humane Society, Plainfield
German Shepherd Rescue, Plainfield


Vickie Snow may be reached at vsnow@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5981.