Petfinder.com Offers Enhanced Support for Military Families and Their Pets

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Petfinder.com today announced the release of its Military Services Pet Tips and enhanced support solutions to help enlisted personnel find the right solutions for their pet before leaving on a tour of duty. This critical information was developed as a result of a recent member survey conducted by Petfinder.com. The survey found that over half of its shelters and rescue groups located near U.S. military bases experience significant increases in surrendered pets surrounding large deployments.

Petfinder.com's Betsy Saul offers tips to the community that surrounds the military to assist soldiers in making sure their pets are kept safe and ready for them upon their return from serving their country. In addition, Petfinder.com has also stepped up efforts to support its military base shelters and rescue groups to help find appropriate deployment foster care in the event that a friend or relative is not available. Many Petfinder.com members have reported that while some soldiers have chosen the option of foster care for their pets, it is a relatively unknown option to many preparing for deployment.

"Petfinder.com is here to help soldiers and civilians work together to take care of pets impacted by military deployments," said Betsy Saul, Petfinder.com co-founder. "We as a nation, and communities surrounding military bases, can support our service members by contacting our local Petfinder.com rescue organization and offering available homes as a solution."

  Petfinder.com Military Services Pet Tips include:

  -- Pre-arrange for a family member or friend to care for your pet in your
     absence
  -- Have a written agreement outlining the pet care arrangement with the
     person caring for your pet. Issues to consider include what happens to
     the pet if the caregiver can no longer keep the animal, what happens if
     you don't reclaim your pet, and what happens if the pet is injured or
     becomes ill in the temporary home
  -- Complete a pet personality profile to assist the caregiver in
     understanding your pet's particular needs and routines
  -- Provide veterinary information, including past vaccinations, contact
     information and health records to the person caring for your pet

Michelle Froehlich, president of the Phelps County Animal Welfare League encounters military pet needs near the Ft. Leonard Wood Missouri military base. She shares a common theme with many Petfinder.com members. "One thing is for certain, our military sacrifices all for us, the least we can do if find happy homes for the furry family members."

About Petfinder.com:

Petfinder.com is an online, searchable database of animals that need permanent homes. A directory of over 10,500 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the USA, Canada and Mexico, the organization's technology helps users search adoptable pets in their area that fit their family's individual needs and preferences. In addition, Petfinder.com offers a wealth of knowledge about how to select the most compatible pet for your home and how to raise and care for an animal. Petfinder.com is free to use. Animal shelters and placement groups can register to join Petfinder.com online and can start entering pets the same day.

In November of 2006, Petfinder.com was acquired by Discovery Communications, Inc. Animal Planet Media Enterprises (APME), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications Inc, connects humans and animals with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for entertainment, information and enrichment. APME consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in over 89 million homes in the US; online assets http://www.animalplanet.com/, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

  CONTACT:
  Thea Linscott                      Shanley Stern Gravel
  CooperKatz for Petfinder.com       CooperKatz for Petfinder.com
  212-455-8045                       212-455-8076
  tlinscott@cooperkatz.com           sstern@cooperkatz.com