Petfinder is an internet company that operates the largest online pet adoption website serving all of North America.
[ The company reports that it currently lists “more than 315,000 adoptable pets from nearly 14,000 animal shelters and rescue groups.”][ Most of the pets listed on Petfinder are ]dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
s and cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
s, but they list all types of animals available from shelters and rescue groups, from small fish, reptiles and birds to horses and livestock.
History
Betsy Banks Saul and Jared Saul came up with the idea of Petfinder.org in early 1996, when Betsy was working for New Jersey's urban forestry program while completing her Master's thesis at Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...
.
In 2005, Petfinder launched a large database of pets rescued from the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Major animal welfare agencies cooperated to assist in reuniting pets with their owners through the Animal Emergency Response Network (AERN). The database eventually had nearly 23,000 pets listed, 3,200 pets of which were eventually returned to their owners. The database also included nearly 26,000 requests for rescue from people who left animals behind and another 8,000 lost-animal notices.
In 2006, Discovery Communications
Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Chan ...
bought Petfinder for $35 million.Animal Planet
Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily ...
Media Enterprises, but was later moved out of Animal Planet and into Discovery Communications' digital media group. Betsy Banks Saul was still involved with Petfinder as were many of Petfinder's original employees. Betsy Banks Saul and Jared Saul are also founding board members of the Petfinder Foundation.
In 2013, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company announced the acquisition of Petfinder from Discovery Communications, noting it was Nestle's first major acquisition of a digital property.[ The company said it plans to add information on pet nutrition and welfare to the website.][ ]
Awards and accolades
In 2008, ''Time'' magazine named it as one of the 50 Best Websites. Because of her impact on animal welfare, Betsy Banks Saul, Petfinder's co-founder, was named by ''Woman's Day'' magazine as one of 50 influential women who are changing the world. Its mobile site was launched in 2008 and received a People's Voice Webby award
The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories includ ...
in 2014. Petfinder was featured in an iPhone commercial. In 2010, Time magazine named it one of the top 10 iPhone apps.
Petfinder Foundation
In 2003, Petfinder started the Petfinder Foundation, a nonprofit that provides grants to other charities or organizations
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
that help prevent the euthanasia of pets. The program is supported by private donors and corporate partners like Orvis
Orvis is an American family-owned retail and mail-order business specializing in fly fishing, hunting and sporting goods. Founded in Manchester, Vermont, in 1856 by Charles F. Orvis to sell fishing tackle, it is the oldest mail-order retailer i ...
and Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
, among others.
See also
* DogsBlog.com—a similar program in the UK
References
External links
* {{Official website, www.petfinder.com
American websites
Pet websites
Animal welfare
Organizations established in 1996