Petfinder.com, the Animal Planet website that helps people search for adoptable pets, will now allow members to post video clips of animals available for adoption.
“Getting to see first-hand a pet’s clever antics or their calm, peaceful demeanor will help people choose the right pet that much faster,” says Betsy Saul, Petfinder.com’s founder. “We see this as one more way for our adoptable pets to come alive for the viewer and help more individuals find the pets that best match their lifestyles.”
Saul says animals with photos on the site are seen 20 times more often than those without images. “We want new adopters to have as much information as possible to choose the right pet,” Saul says. “People will also find the videos really entertaining.”
Saul launched Petfinder.com with husband Jared in 1996 as a New Year’s resolution to help homeless pets. The idea was to create a national online database of adoptable animals that people could search from their home computer.
“Many people find visiting shelters traumatic, especially those who feel guilty when they can’t take all the pets home,” says Saul, who sold Petfinder.com last year to Animal Planet but remains involved in running the site.
Susan Ragland, president of Animal Rescue Force in East Brunswick, N.J., says her organization has posted profiles of available animals on Petfinder.com since 1996. “Petfinder adoptions account for three out of every five dogs we place,” Ragland says. “It’s hard to imagine what we did before them.”