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Thanks to the community-minded spirit of more than a half dozen companies and organizations, in partnership with online animal adoption resource and education network center Petfinder.com, more than 1.5 million orphaned animals found loving homes in 2003.

According to Petfinder.com President Betsy Saul, who started the adoption website in 1996, 1,551,627 pets went home last year as a result of the sponsorship and support of companies and organizations including Purina, PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc., Pethealth, Inc., the PETCO Foundation, Merial, Bissell Homecare, Inc., and ASPCA. In total, Petfinder.com's shelter partners found homes for 2,675,218 animals last year, with approximately 60% of those adoptions directly attributable to Petfinder.com and its partners.

"It is the coming together of these allied but diverse partners in the interest of saving lives that accounts for these dramatic numbers," Saul said. "Their contributions were vital to our success, and they each continue to play a significant role in our growth and development."

Petfinder.com provides online services for 8,000 shelters in the U.S. and Canada, creating a daily searchable database of 142,029 adoptable pets. Shelters provide photos and descriptions of adoptable animals, which potential adopters can locate through general area searches or specific breed or species queries. The service is free to both the shelters and the adopters, thanks to Petfinder.com's sponsors.

"Petfinder.com has brought about a revolution in animal welfare," Saul said. "But we could not be doing what we're doing without the support of these companies and organizations."

Petfinder took its first great leap forward to go national in 1998 when it partnered with the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Julie Morris, Senior Vice President of the ASPCA National Shelter Outreach (NSO) Department commented, "We value our relationship with Petfinder and believe in the important services it provides to shelters across the country. Petfinder uses an effective combination of technology, marketing and compassion to assist shelters with one of the most important and challenging aspects of their work -- finding permanent, loving homes for shelter animals."

Purina signed on as the Web site's premier sponsor.

"Purina's sponsorship of Petfinder.com aligns with our mission of advancing the lives of pets. We are thrilled to help Petfinder.com unite shelters with pet adopters," said Michael Moore, Interactive Marketing Director for Purina.

Other exclusive sponsors are BISSELL Homecare, Inc., a manufacturer of home cleaning and floor care products, and Merial, maker of the number one veterinary-recommended flea and tick preventative FRONTLINE®, and heartworm preventative HEARTGARD®.

"BISSELL admires Petfinder's vision and passion for the pet community," said Jim Krzeminski, BISSELL's senior vice president of product development, sales and marketing. "Given their dedication, we're not surprised at this incredible accomplishment, and are proud to be a part of their success."

Petfinder.com has also partnered with Pethealth, Inc., to provide the gift of ShelterCare, paid for by Petfinder.com, to every dog or cat adopted from a Petfinder.com member-shelter in approved states and provinces. Pethealth, Inc. is the largest provider of pet insurance in Canada, second largest in the United States and fastest growing pet insurance provider in North America. The gift of ShelterCare is the first of its kind.

"The effective distribution of our ShelterCare insurance would not have been possible without Petfinder," said Pethealth President and CEO Mark Warren. "Our ShelterCare insurance program, along with Petfinder's unmatched relationship with the shelter and rescue community, allows us to protect over 340,000 dogs and cats through our insurance programs to date."

PETCO, a leading specialty retailer of premium pet food, supplies and services, with a commitment to quality animal care and education, has also supported Petfinder.com from the online adoption agency's inception. It operates more than 670 neighborhood stores in 44 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading destination for on-line pet food and supplies at www.petco.com, supporting adoption efforts through in-store adoption events and fundraisers.

"PETCO has always supported adoptions, and the PETCO Foundation continues to play an integral role in the company partnerships with animal welfare organizations in our store communities," PETCO Foundation Director Paul Jolly said. "Our relationship with Petfinder.com has enabled us to help animals all over North America, including areas where we do not currently have stores."

The PETCO Foundation, PETCO's non-profit organization, has raised more than $17 million for animal welfare since inception in 1999. More than 2,000 non-profit grassroots animal welfare organizations from around the nation have received support from the Foundation.

Petfinder.com is an online pet adoption source, partnering with more than 8,000 animal welfare organizations nationwide to find homes for orphaned animals. For more information, or to find a new friend, log on to www.petfinder.com.

SOURCE: Petfinder.com