Supporting “Less-Adoptable” Pets

As a culture we talk a lot about striving toward equality by reducing discrimination and prejudice within our society. But when it comes to pets, those loveable creatures whom many of us consider to be members of our own families, we do not always apply the same principles.

Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, points out that all too often people will visit an animal shelter in search of a puppy, kitten, or other animal that is a preferred breed or color; nearly always bypassing those animals that are older, darker in coloring or that have special needs. These pets are deemed “less-adoptable” not because they wouldn’t make great additions to a family or would love you any less, but because they have certain physical features that make them less desirable.

So that no pet is overlooked simply because of their age, breed or color of their fur, Petfinder.com kicked off Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week from September 19 – 25 to help find homes for these loveable animals and bring awareness to the issue. CooperKatz assisted in surveying Petfinder.com’s network of members and found that 95 percent of animal shelters and rescue groups have adoptable pets for which they are having extreme difficulty finding a home. In fact, 33 percent said they have had adoptable pets listed on Petfinder.com for one to two years, and an additional 27 percent said they have cared for pets that have been homeless for even longer.

Petfinder.com launched the first ever Adopt-A-Less-Adoptable-Pet Day in 2009 and extended this year’s initiative to a full week so that more less-adoptable pets would be given the chance to find a loving home. Petfinder.com also featured a gallery of less-adoptable pets on its website during the weeklong event to highlight just how many pets need to be given a chance.

Having received over 200 media hits including several from top-tier outlets, this initiative was a big success for both Petfinder and CooperKatz. You can see some of the coverage we secured here: About.com, AOL Paw Nation and PeoplePets.