If I'm not very active online this month, Gentle Readers, please understand that it's for good reasons. After more than thirteen months I've finally reunited with the primary tool of my trade, the "good," Internet-free desktop computer. Time to catch up with several personal projects, and the difficulty is reminding myself I can't do them all at once. They include the "big" nonfiction book of the kind my mother always wished I'd write.
Now, on to the animal photo contest. For new readers, this is a weekly feature where I pick three of the most adorable photos of adoptable animals on Petfinder. Three obvious things need to be reiterated:
1. I generally try to avoid fancy breeds that cost more than the usual mixed breed dogs and American Shorthair cats. That does not mean that fancy breeds, even with pedigrees to prove that they're the "irregulars" from registered breeders, never turn up in shelters. It means that shelters are likely to charge as much money as breeders charge for animals that are officially defined as "unwanted" and can be euthanized in a few months. I don't like to support this practice. People whose hearts are set on a fancy breed can find the look they want on Petfinder, though...it just takes time, and I recommend they adopt a more typical shelter animal in the meantime. Most dogs and cats do better in homes where there's another member of their species. They may seem to spend all their time avoiding each other, but even that gives them some mental exercise.
2. Picking the cutest animal photos in a category is all about the photography. If you visit the actual shelter you may find that an animal who wasn't photographed, or whose photo came out blurry or funny-looking, on Petfinder is much more appealing in real life than the one whose "pic" I picked.
3. Most people who read and write blogs about animals already live with an animal, or animals, and can't adopt them all. This is fine. These photos are for sharing with catless and dogless people. Posting them to social media is highly recommended. There is no commission system; if you visit an animal's Petfinder page you'll usually get the option of sharing one or more other photos, even videos if you use social media platforms that support those, and Petfinder will offer a generic computer-generated text to go with the pictures. The benefit to you, like the benefit to me, will be being able to check next year and see whether the animal has found a home. If you do not actually live in New York, Washington, or Atlanta, Petfinder will also try to nudge you in the direction of shelters closer to where you are, where you'll find different animals. This is good. The more animals we can "picture home," the better. Petfinder tends to get suspicious of people who jump from page to page more than ten or fifteen or so times, but if you want to search for adoptable pets on the West Coast and share their links, that would be pawsome.
This week's theme is pets who've been given unusual names...not that they've necessarily been in the shelter long enough to have figured out that those are supposed to be their names.
Zipcode 10101: Cronut from NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/cronut-78079858/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/
And it's recommended that Cronut be adopted together with his remaining sibling, Cruffin: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/cruffin-78079831/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/
The fluffy white kitten in the cage with Cruffin was called Croissant. Croissant has already found a home. Kittens need other kittens to play with. These two spring kittens are described as typical cute, lovable tabby fluffballs.
Zipcode 20202: Peary in DC
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/peary-78111771/dc/washington/humane-rescue-alliance-foster-homes-dc03/
Peary is already in a foster home. You can e-mail the foster family directly from Peary's web page to find out about her siblings. Adopt one and get a 50% discount on the other. Again, spring kittens, so not much is known about their purrsonalities yet.
Zipcode 30303: Peep from Tennessee by way of Atlanta
Peep has medium hair--not long enough to be super-messy, but long enough to feel super-soft and caressable. She is another spring kitten. There is also a cat called Marshmallow on the Petfinder page but he has a contagious disease and should not be physically adopted into the same home as Peep.
Zipcode 10101: Hula from NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/hula-76359887/ny/new-york/the-good-life-dog-rescue-ny993/
This seven-year-old, nine-pound Chihuahua mix could live another seven years or more. He's not had the opportunity to be a real pet, first kept by an "overwhelmed" owner who didn't have time for him and then placed in a crowded shelter, but they say he's learning fast.
Zipcode 20202: Noodle or Noodles from Texas by way of DC
Homeless for almost half of his probable lifespan, Noodle(s) was a street dog, rescued after being hit by a motor vehicle and having a leg broken in 2023. The leg has healed and he's considered healthy and adoptable. He will be delivered to DC if you don't want to take a road trip.
Zipcode 30303: Tallahassee from Tennessee by way of Atlanta
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/tallahassee-77865177/ga/atlanta/your-local-fur-mama-tn1052/
Shows that nobody really knows anything about her yet. She's a spring puppy. They think she's mostly retriever, though the white spots show she's a fair bit of something else as well.
All of these pets are adorable! I hope they find great homes.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t know shelters charge a lot for purebred animals.