During the terrible destruction of Hurricane Katrina and other storms over the past year, thousands of animals were separated from their families during the evacuation efforts. This was either because the evacuation was established primarily to save the lives of human beings, not pets. Second, even if families evacuated on their own and could have brought their pets, many of them could not have been able to find during the chaos of natural disasters.

In response to this important need to reunite families with their pets, Petfinder.com and Maddie Fund formed the Emergency Response Network Animal (Aern). According to the site Aern website, 3,200 animals taken from the destruction of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, were united with their families, or were resettled in new houses, thanks to Aern database.

What is Petfinder.com?

Any organization that do wonderful work to save animals throughout the country deserves recognition. So what is Petfinder.com? Petfinder is a wonderful service that offers online database of animals throughout the continent of North America that need homes. It includes, and is supported by over 10,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations. Petfinder essentially serves as a central database for pets alone and helpless in the country and a wonderful method for families who have homes for pet lovers as to easily find a perfect pet that fits into the family.

Surprisingly (because the site is so professionally done, and the operation is so well managed), Petfinder is a nonprofit organization consisting of professionals and members of the public who volunteer their time to update and maintain this database. This is proof that there are some very good people there.

How does the Petfinder database?

The Petfinder database provides search across thousands of company listings using several criteria:

• Animal
• Race
• Age
• Size
• Gender
• Location

And the advanced search section allows searches based on:

• Animal type and race
• Age
• Pets with a certain name
• Only pets as a particular special needs, declawed, or just those recommended for children.

The results will return the name (if applicable), race, gender, and even a photo. Clicking the link will take you to the housing or rescue organization listed.

A Portrait of PET with Your Pet's name

If you are an organization, taking into account the inclusion of a pet, a very unique way to give a pet that really counts is to have A portrait photo of the pet. This not only attract a lot of attention but could also offer a portrait as a bonus to the family of the fate that has this animal back to a loving home. Pet Portraits are sweeping the country as a popular way to recognize how pets mean to families.

The best portraits of pets in the country are created by the artist Nikky Hughes of Los Angeles. Nikky is classically trained in the school of the Mission Renaissance art, and focuses on capturing not only the beauty but the uniqueness of each animal. Be accepted photographs by e-pet, and then create stunning portraits of the images. Pet portraits are ideal because you can do from a photo (as put in to get your pet to "pose" in a study.)

Other options on Petfinder

Petfinder provides other great services on its website, including a monthly newsletter you can receive each month. Just click on the "Sigh up today!" Located at the bottom left of the website. There is also a search box to find animal welfare groups your local area. There is an online library where you can learn more about the different breeds, a section where you can learn how to personally volunteer locally to help pets, a training section with training videos of dogs and cats, lost and found pet classifieds, a blog and a community forum, a shop where you can find animal-oriented art, and even a "fun" section for children where there is free ecards and some fun games.

Petfinder is not only a website where you can go to find a pet, is a place that does a great service to communities across the continent, and is also a website you can go just to spend some time and take part in activities that are available for animal lovers worldwide.

About the Author:

I'm a Los Angeles based oil painter. I specialize in Pet Portraits. I currently teach art and paint for a living. I've enjoyed combining my love for pets, with my love for the arts. You can find my online portfolio at: Pet Portraits by Nikky

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Pet Finder - the Easiest Way to Find a Lost Pet

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