Pawcurious: With Veterinarian and Author Dr. V

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Home For the Holidays: let’s make some magic!

by

I despise the week between Christmas and New Years.

Why? Because without fail, I see piles upon piles of new holiday pets. Pets from pet stores, whose owners overpaid for them and can then not afford to treat them for the parasites, distemper, or congenital disease they all too often wind up with. It happens every year.

In 1999, Mike Arms at The Helen Woodward Animal Center decided to change that. With 14 local shelters, they launched the “Home for the Holidays” campaign to encourage people to adopt a pet instead of buying one.

To say that it was a success is a bit of an understatement. Since its modest beginnings in 1999, Home 4 the Holidays has seen the placement of 4.6 million pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, and birds. It has grown from 14 Southern California shelters to over 3,500 animal organizations in over 21 countries.

Helen Woodward has partnered with Iams to make this program a worldwide movement. This year’s goal is to adopt 1.5 million animals and donate 5 million bowls of food to shelters in need. You can help make this a reality! Here’s how:

1. Adopt a pet in need and/or encourage others to do so.

Even if you aren’t ready to adopt a pet yourself, I bet you know someone who is. Someone who has mentioned they are looking for a dog/cat/ferret/whatever. You’d be surprised how many people are still not aware that the shelters and rescues are overflowing with puppies, kittens, purebreds, and whatever it is they think they won’t find there.

Petfinder is one of my favorite sites in the whole world and I still meet people every day who had no idea it exists.

2. Leave a comment here.

Seriously. It’s that simple. Comment on this post and Iams will donate 25 meals to a shelter in need. Any comment counts. Tell your friends, tell your Facebook buddies- we have ONE WEEK to drive this as high as we can. My goal between now and November 8th is 400 comments. Can I do it? Can we do it? I need your help!!

3. Post a picture on my Facebook page to generate FIFTY meals.

  • “Like” Iams on Facebook.
  • Go to the pawcurious Facebook fan page.
  • Upload a picture of your pet with a caption that says what your pet is most curious about. Get it? curious? 😀
  • Make sure the picture is tagged with @Iams to select their page. That tag is what will generate the 50 meal donation.
  • To sweeten the pot I will pick one picture from this group to receive a prize. Don’t ask me what since I don’t know what it will be yet, but it will be a prize and it will be delightful.

Easy, right? Can I count on you guys to help me get 400 comments this week?

GO! GO!! GO!!!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Happy to do my part. My furbabies are all rescues. Our precious Abbie left us this year and took a piece of our hearts with her, and we are currently nursing our sweet kitty Molly back to health after emergency surgery to remove a tumor on her intestine two weeks ago. Truman was our original ‘rescue’, abandoned in a cardboard box at just a few weeks old. And Bailey is our easygoing, well-behaved mutt from the pound! We just added a Beagle puppy to the mix. We hope that many many pets find their forever families soon!

  2. All our pets have been rescue pets and we always tell anyone considering a new pet to adopt rather than buy and explain why.

    Good luck with this idea!

  14. As a shelter worker I’m always a bit split about holiday pets. On the other hand, I’m glad the people I see are adopting, not buying from a pet store. On the other hand, we still see far too many (for my taste) pets come back because the family thought they were ready and then the reality hit somewhere in the next two weeks that they weren’t. Still, I do see lots of great animals find great homes!

  19. I love Petfinder too! My family has adopted 4 dogs sp far using that site, including my 2 furkiddos!

  20. This is wonderful! All 3 of my purebred Boston boys came from rescues listed on Petfinder! Keep posting people!

  22. My [pure bred according to doggy DNA test] boxer pupster found me via Petfinder. 🙂

    This donation is fantastic, I know many shelters will be grateful!

  30. I don’t tweet, but I will pass this on! I will get to the people I know who have huge email lists!

  38. My daughters friend is looking for a puppy…I keep telling her to check out the humane society website!

  41. Yay for 25 meals to a shelter! We foster dogs and are always excited when we find them good homes. The shelters are so crowded! Animals are such great companions, I can’t imagine my life without them.

  48. Yay, Dr V, for supporting this cause!! I’ve adopted all of my pets as rescues (from shelters) or strays, and they’ve been the best pets ever!

  54. Yahoo! More food for shelters and the wonderful animals who should get adopted soon! Sending this out now to all the folks I know.

  57. I have a Petfinder beagle, two Petfinder bunnies, and a shelter cat too (though I found her the old fashioned way, no online searching needed!)- hooray for shelter pets!

  58. This is easy 🙂

    I can’t wait until I am able to adopt a cat again. My living situation right now doesn’t allow me to have a pet, but when I am ready, my cat will be coming from a shelter!!

  66. What a wonderful idea! Unfortunately, this year we have lost two pets but decided to go to shelters to get two new members of the family. We now have a very handsome black kitten and a gorgeous Calico kitten who are becoming best buddies and partners in crime. 😉 Please adopt!

  70. There are 14 rescue cats and one rescue dog at our house. That’s 28 meals a day I dish out. 25 would leave three cats hungry – anyway, y’all are doing great and I wish you success.

  88. Petfinder is a grand site for finding adoptable pets – but so too is http://www.adoptapet.com

    For those of you involved in updating these online pet databases check out a ‘one stop uploading shop’ : https://www.petadoptionportal.org/

    That website saves time for folks trying to get the word out about wonderful adoptable pets because it distributes the information to many other searches: Facebook’s Save a Cat and Save a Dog application, Petsmart.com, AdoptAPet.com, DogTime

    And who can’t use a little time back in their day while we do our best to help others?

  90. I can’t tell you how many times someone has mentioned wanting to get a new pet and another person pipes up about the local shelter. Good to get the word out.

  91. This is amazing! One of our “babies” was from a shelter, and the other was from a crazy cat lady that realized she couldn’t take care of them all anymore. Adopting is totally the way to go!

  98. I always promote adopting from shelters over breeders but it is amazing how many people think shetler dogs are defects. That’s one reason why I love to take my dogs everywhere. Friday at school (teach high school science) I dressed up as a vet and brought Pickle along as my surgical patient. She was AWESOME throughout the day and the students and staff LOVED here. She had two costumes – fairy princess (Princess Pickle!) and bumble bee. Everyone wants to know where I got her and I LOVE that I get to say a rescue 🙂

  109. I just finished From Baghdad, With Love, a story about Lava, a dog in Iraq who i’s rescued by a Marine and the journey to bring him back to the US. It was a great read (highly recommend!!) and Mike Arms and his staff at Helen Woodward Animal Shelter were instrumental in making it happen. It was pretty to cool to realize that I recognized the organization from your blog. Yay for adopted pets!!

  110. I am owned by eight shelter cats and one outdoor cat who showed up at our door and who we are trying to convince that indoors is better then outdoors! Wish I could have more, but hubby says–enough already!

    Great site.

  113. Thank you Iams for making this deal with Dr. V. AKA Jessica. Being the proud owner of my second rescued pup, I know how important it is to take care of these sheltered animals. Christmas is about giving and since most animals give so much unconditional love without ever expecting anything in return this is the least we can do.

    Thank you again, this is a wonderful and generous gift!!!

  117. I adopted my first pet (Bailey, a Pomeranian), January of 2009 from the NVSCPA and it was one of the best decision i made for that year.

  129. This is great! I have 6 cats, all rescue! Started out with 1 and I couldn’t stop. Would love to have more, but can only afford so many. Would love to adopt ALL the homeless pets!
    I hate the holidays too. Wish people would really think before they do.

  135. For the last 25 years, I have adopted nothing but rescues. I always adopt adult dogs because they seem to have a tougher time finding forever homes. My most recent was 10 when I adopted him. D.O.G. (pronounced dough-gie) is now 12 1/2 and going strong! Love my lab cross!

  136. though none of my animals have come from shelters or rescue groups.. none of them were purchased from a pet store. Mine were all found without homes.. barns.. wandering lost.. the latest puppy was found in my very own driveway because some people have decided to let their female un-spayed dog run free in our neighborhood. 2 of the puppies of the litter were never found. 🙁 I do however very much support adopting pets from shelters and animal rescues and am a super huge supporter of spay and neuter programs. Go Iams and go Pawcurious Dr. V!!

  137. My amazing border collie Molly, who is contentedly chewing on an antler as I type, was at a shelter for seven months before I found her…I am so, so grateful that someone helped pay for her food and gave her a chance at a happy life! Thank you to Iams and Pawcurious for helping us enable someone else’s future friend to have a little longer to find him/her

  140. Love it! I’ve been encouraging friends to check Petfinder.com – even if they can’t adopt, they might want to think about making a Christmas donation to shelters for the Christmas aftermath. 😀

  145. I think my cats would rather that my comment feed them 25 bowls of food, but they’ll have to make do with their dinner. Let’s fill some tummies.

  147. how could i not comment? with two ex-shelter pets sleeping on the sofa (well, one sleeping, one purring) here with me i’m all for getting meals to other shelter pets…25 right here! 🙂

  149. Posted my pic! It took a few tries and a few deletes to get it through. I’m enjoying looking at all the pics.

  166. This is a wonderful idea. I wish I could adopt all the homeless doggies and kitties out there and give them a loving home, but I suppose giving them 25 meals is pretty awesome and much more practical. 🙂

  174. I wish I could adopt a pet, it simply wouldn’t be fair to him/her to do so because of my job and travel schedule.

  177. I just adopted 2 kittens from my local shelter. I get to pick them up tomorrow!! So excited!!!! Ive also had my poodle for 11 years.. Hes a shelter dog too. =]

  181. Great initiative! I have adopted a cat and she’s the best! Hope to do the same with a dog in the future. Will definitely share this!

  185. I loVe rescues!! No one is happier to be loved than someone you saved! Please, everyone, ADOPT!!!!

  193. I’m so happy for this, I love animals. My father adopted a dog, and he’s now two years old and my whole world. I love ozzy to death, and I hope that this holiday I will be able to scrape up enough money for his shots and to take him to the vet. Since my dad doesn’t care enough to do it, and I don’t have the money right now. But I am saving!

  196. My 2 kittehs are from the shelter (I actually picked ’em out on Dec. 26, 6 years ago) and they are the best!

  198. I’ve been trying to encourage my sister get her next dog from a shelter. Maybe I can take her there to check them out when I am home at Christmas. Shelter dogs FTW!

  201. I am so glad that Iams is doing this. Every Christmas my boyfriend and I stock pile items the local shelter needs and drop them off. I hate seeing pets in need, and we love doing everything we can to help.

  210. When my family and I go to find a new dog to join our family, we will definitely be bringing home a rescue dog from a shelter 🙂 I hope this campaign really takes off!! 🙂

  211. Hope you reach the goal! I’ve alerted MY masses to come, make a comment, and like you on Facebook!

  212. both our dogs are rescues, but I think it was them who rescued us. We couldn’t imagine our lives without our boys!!

  213. What an awesome idea and God Bless! Animals need to be loved and have a home on the holidays too!!

  216. Proud and very happy owner of an energetic and loving shelter-rescue dog. Can’t imagine my life without him! Good luck with your goal; I’m going to tell all my friends to come help too.

  218. I’ve never posted a comment (anywhere!) before, but if it helps dogs/cats/shelters even a little, how could I not? Thank you for making it so easy.

  222. Hello thank you for doing this I will be posting a picture of my pet on facebook as well. Thank you to Iams as well for donating the meals! I volunteer at my local Humane Society and animals are very important to me!

  243. Thank yiou to IAMS & to all of those who support the animals of our communities – especially 2nd Hand Purrs Cat Shelter in Milwaukee, WI!

  252. We participate in Home for the Holidays to get our German Shorthaired Pointers home, where they belong! We’re picking this year’s stars (we feature four of our fosters for the month). It is a GREAT promotion!

  255. I think it’s a wonderful cause. It’s too bad this even is sponsored by the makers of such horrible food (it has been recalled so many times.) Iams is bad pet food. Period. A nice way to get free publicity while doing some “good”. I hate that for good causes we need to sleep with the enemy. 🙁

  261. This is to all of our dogs who we have adopted from a Shelter and to all the others out there who need homes…

  264. My little shelter dog was a sort of anniversary gift to ourselves. She’s the best decision we ever made, even if she did come with heartworms! 🙂

  278. One of the best things I’ve ever done in my life is adopt a dog from a breed rescue organization. No more abuse, cheap food or living outside. Now he lives indoors, gets frequent hugs, good food, and walks.

  281. Considering I have three adopted animals in my home, I think that it is only fitting I support this cause as well… 🙂 Here’s to some more foodies for the babies. <3

  285. This is awesome. I have 2 cats that I got from PetSmart via the local shelter, and 2 more that were strays we brought inside! All animals deserve a loving, safe home!

  299. What a fantastic charity! I’m off to go post a picture of my baby kitties (OK so they aren’t young babies but they are still my babies) on the facebook page!

  311. I’ve been lurking about this blog for a few months. First comment! One meal in honor of my rescued terrier Kit!

  313. I <3 puppies!
    im glad im able to help in some sort of way, this makes me sad and i hope you can reach ur goal 🙂

  339. “A dog wags it’s tail with it’s heart.” (Martin Buxbaum)
    Let’s help Iams make lots of tails wag!

  349. I’ve spread the word as much as I could, uploaded pictures and will continue to raise awareness! I have 3 cats who were all rescued and I love them with everything I have ♥

  352. I hope my comment will help. 😀 Thanks for all the things you do help the cute little animals.

  363. what a great cause! I’m spreading the word! 🙂 My puppy is my life. <3 and all animals deserve a good life!

  364. This is great. I don’t really have the money at the moment to donate to a shelter or society, however, I can comment here and post a picture to my facebook account/the Paw Curious page.

    This is a great way to get involved and I’m really happy that Iams is giving us the chance to do this! You rock! 🙂

  392. I’ll help…but I can’t help but add that anyone who pays an “adoption fee” buys. And that if everyone who bought a pet only bought one from a responsible breeder who ALWAYS takes back at any time the dogs they bred that don’t work out with their owners, then there would be FAR fewer pets in shelters. All breeders are not created equally….and most of them are fabulous and caring and have rescued far more dogs than they will ever breed.

  395. I’ll second Dawn-Renée and also say this is a good thing as well, though it will not fix the problem it can help.

  397. I volunteer at the Rancho Cucamonga shelter and am adopting a pet from there, as well as having fostered several puppies. Good work for shelter animals.

  417. Comment, comment comment! How easy it is and so worth it! Way to go, Dr V! This is awesome 🙂

  422. I love my Sawyer Dog, and he is the best pound puppy ever. May many more people realize that saving a dogs life will just enrich their own lives.

  424. If there was any possible way I could adopt a pet right now, I would! Want a puppy so bad – but my living arrangements right now won’t allow it. Trust me, as soon as I’m in a “pet friendly” place, I will be heading to my local shelter!

  426. This is AWESOME … and I’m so excited I can help all 3 ways … just RESCUED & ADOPTED 3 kitties from the Orange County Animal Services thru their Pet-Smart adoptions … leaving a comment about how awesome this is & will share with everyone I know … and last but not least … I’ll post photos of my new babies, Abbie, Darcy & Bella on your facebook page!! ~ thanks Dr. V. your the best ~ hugs & kisses xo

  428. glad to help! i might upload a picture of my cat, which recently passed away 🙁 but yeah, this is a great cause! ;D

  429. Adopted animals are the sweetest & most grateful. And who doesn’t love a new buddy anyways? 😉 Thanks for helping.

  431. i just adopted by dog 4 months ago and i love him to death, my previous dog RIP was also adopted…its an awesome way to help innocent animals..already uploaded a pic.
    THank YOu

  432. This is so amazing. I love animals and knowing that I can help so easily makes me really happy! Thanks for this amazing opportunity!

  434. Please adopt a dog/pup or cat/kitty from your local shelter. Every animal needs a loving mama and daddy and family <3

  436. I adopted a kitty this week. I asked for a sweet cat who will be a buddy for my other cat (his best friend died last month). I asked that the people at the Humane Society give me the cat who fits that and has been waiting for a home the longest. My new family mamber is everything I’d hoped for… and had been waiting a year and 3 months for a home

  439. It’s a so good idea! I like pets (dogs in particular) and if I can help just posting a comment… If I could, I’d adopt a dog or two but I live in a tiny flat and I’m a student so I wouldn’t have time to take care of it, and I know dogs are really sensitive to solitude. Yeah, so, hope it helps. Good luck!

  441. This is such a amazing way to help animals. I was wanted to help but didn’t know how! Thanks Iams!

  442. Love my adopted pets! Love your website. My daughter is an emergency vet tech and sent her your link, too!

  443. I can’t adopt another kitty (or a dog) just now…but I do my best to care for those who HAVE been adopted when they come see me at the clinic! Here’s to all those adopted babies (and oldsters).

  444. I’m only too happy to help for such a wonderful cause. Madgie, Emmett, Rosie, Forrest, Mack & I are all rooting for you!

  450. I am more than happy to help…I know my dog means the world to me and I would love for every animal to get that chance… Adopt a pet!

  463. What a great idea for the holidays! If my apartment allowed pets, I’d totally have one here!
    Keep it up!

  468. What an amazing idea! Adopting my dog was the best thing I ever did, and I’m so happy to be able to help other shelter dogs in need.

  469. I love all our little furry friends and always go to shelters to adopt. Never had a pet that wasn’t so wonderful, loving and thankful to be in a forever home. Ginger

  474. This is such a great idea! I can’t imagine life without my dog and its great to see that other dogs that don’t have as much food will be able to benefit from this.

  476. Thanks to Iams and Pawcurious for caring for those four footed friends waiting to be adopted. Your program is heart warming to say the least.

  478. this is an excellent campaign and a great way to generate donations! animals are awesome and i can’t wait until i can complete our family with a fur child!

  487. I LOVE my shelter doggie. You can find the most loving, adorable animals at shelters. Many of them have this ability to provide unconditional love and seem to be forever grateful for your sharing your love with them. Please adopt a shelter animal when looking to add to your family!

  488. I hope that many more pups and kitties find their furever homes as a result of all this awareness!

  503. Let’s keep this going. Just donated a bunch of dog food for the area’s foodbank.

  505. I love the find ways to help out animals the ANIMALRESCUE SITE has a button u can click on 2 feed homeless animals! It just takes a second seriously.
    WE NEED TO SPEAK UP FOR THINGS THAT CAN’T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!!!

  507. My daughter loves this idea & we volunteer with the Hanover Humane Society and she goes to the Animal Rescue Site everyday so she can help feed homeless animals.

  510. meow! meow! meow! meow! meow! that’s from my five kitties saying “thank you for feeding others and helping them find a home”

  512. What a great thing for the animals. I worked at North Shore Animal League when Mike Arms was there.

  513. I got all my babies from shelters, and if I could, I’d take them all home. My husband would not be thrilled, however. Here’s hoping the ones who are still waiting for their forever homes have a blessed Christmas. 🙂

  514. I got all my babies from shelters, and if I could, I’d take them all home. My husband would not be thrilled, however. Here’s hoping the ones who are still waiting for their forever homes have a blessed Christmas. 🙂

  518. All domesticated animals rely on human beings for their care. It is our responsibility to make sure the needs of these animals are met. It is unfair for someone to have an animal and not care for it properly. They rely on us! Thank you for donating!

  521. As you do i love animals too. i have 3 cats which are beautiful. i am so glad people have the possibility of helping animals by leaving a comment in this page. i wish more people would help by this way to help a lot of animals

  524. Thank you so much for bringing such an important topic to our attention. I will direct others to your page as well.

  525. Talk about an outstanding program – and it’s so easy too. Can’t believe that me one little comment can make such a difference in the life of an animal. Good going @IAMS.

  530. Omg this is such a great idea !! im going to like iams and post a picture of my adorable little dog !:p

  531. I’m glad i could help just by commenting 🙂 i don’t have a dog yet but i’m pretty sure i’m going to get one for xmas !!!!! wooof

  532. Thanks for sharing! My husband and I are considering adding a shelter dog to our family before the holidays. I’m so excited 🙂

  559. i think this is amazing, after my friend sent me this link i have been trying to post the comment i have wanted to leave. I have 2 cats named Oreo and Snickers, and a possible 3rd cat named Wolf, and a dog named Indy, i love animals and i love my animals, i love dogs and cats when they are nice and amazing. This site is a miracle sent to all animal lovers to help out sheltered dogs and cats. I think this is an amazing opportunity for everyone to make a change and help out so much. thank you creators of the site, thank you for wanting to make the changes you are making and continue the work and believe me, next year lets shoot for over 500 comments or maybe 1000??? lets keep pushing this before the day is out!

  563. Here’s another comment to add to the total. Wow, you are going way past the original goal, congratulations!

  566. Wow! Only Friday and you’ve got almost 600 posts! Lots of doggies and kitties with full tummies!

  569. I had no idea that the ‘holiday pet’ thing was that common.. maybe my hopes for common sense in people are still too high..

  573. A good thing Iams is doing. If they would make their dog food without cereal and organic with 90% meat as a true candine diet consists of, I would buy it.

  582. What an awesome idea! I dread Christmas as I can’t rescue all the dogs that have been dumped while their owners go on holidays. But I can rescue one…

  587. How did I miss this?! Luckily for me Teal’c was being a camera loving doggie yesterday so I posted one of his pics!

  596. I found my pup on Petfinder and she is peacefully snoring next to me right now. She has been such a joy in my life. Here’s to feeding more pups! Thanks for this idea, I love to help where I can.

  601. Great article with the story of a great organization! I shared it on my FB wall and hope to hear more success stories this holiday season. I rescued my Terrier Mix-Siren- from Stratford (CT) Animal Control on August 1st, and my boyfriend and I absolutely love her! She is energetic, smart, happy, and LOVES walks at the park, and she has been learning more commands as time goes on. Looking for a new pet? Please think adoption!

  602. I have two Yorkies Which I adopted from Partners For
    Pets at Pet Smart in Glen Carbon IL They keep me active. I also have a cat wich I recuseed she is very loving

  610. ADOPT a PET this Holiday season. Don’t buy from pet stores while millions of animals die in animal shelters every year due to lack of homes.
    Wonderful program Iams is supporting to help more homeless animals find new homes each holiday season.

  611. we got our little border terrier and daschund mix from our local s.w. michigan humane society and she has given us nothing but love and joy and laughter for the last 6 yrs.

  612. As a professional pet sitter for many years I have seen a positive trend towards adoption and away from purchasing. So messages like the above do make a difference! Keep up the good work!

  614. We adopted a new pup from the MD SPCA – a little early for the holidays – but we can’t wait to spend her first Christmas with us and our older SPCA alumna.