Foster A Lonely Pet for the Holidays

Everyone deserves a home, even if it’s just for the holidays. Inspired by the book and Hallmark Hall of Fame movie “A Dog Named Christmas,” Petfinder.com launched the first-ever “Foster A Lonely Pet for the Holidays” program, giving families the chance to welcome an adoptable pet into their home for the holiday season (ideally from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day).

Beginning as a bestseller novel by Greg Kincaid, “A Dog Named Christmas” tells the story of a developmentally challenged, kind-hearted young man who sets out to convince his family — and their whole rural community — to participate in a local animal shelter's inaugural “Adopt a Dog for Christmas Program.” While it’s every shelter’s dream to find all their adoptable pets forever homes, foster parents are very much needed to care for homeless animals temporarily, often to alleviate overcrowding.

When Hallmark Hall of Fame decided to make a movie about the heartwarming story, Petfinder.com joined in to bring the tale to life. As the largest online database of adoptable pets, Petfinder.com reached out to its massive network of shelters and rescue groups signing on 2,100 adoption organizations to participate. The movie aired on November 29 with a message about the program, directing interested families to http://www.petfinder.com/foster-a-lonely-pet to find a group near them.

Prior to the launch, CK began working seamlessly with Petfinder.com, CBS, Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Kincaid on media outreach. Together, the team has secured more than 110 placements, including top-tier hits with the Associated Press, USA Today and the CBS Early Show.

Betsy Saul, the co-founder of Petfinder.com, discussed why this program is wonderful for so many reasons. "Not only are we providing homeless animals with the chance to spend time with a loving family for the holidays, but we will also be giving shelter volunteers and staff a well-deserved break," she said. "Furthermore, fostering a homeless animal is a great way for families to determine if they are ready to be pet parents."

There are currently more than 300,000 animals listed for adoption on Petfinder.com.