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dog adoption

Joy

It's here: A website that uses an algorithm to match you with the perfect dog for your personality

Not sure what kind of dog is perfect for you? This website kinda is.

via Pinterest

What dog is best for you?

PawsLikeMe might know you better than you know yourself.

Hello from the other siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!!! I'm a dog and I love youuuuuuuu!!!

Because PawsLikeMe knows about your dreams.

Your DOG dreams, that is.

How? A dog-human personality quiz!

A sophisticated one, too! From their website:

"The personality assessment is based on 4 core personality traits that influence the human-canine bond; energy, focus, confidence, and independence."

It also takes into account environmental factors and other special circumstances as well.

It's not uncommon for dogs that are adopted to be returned because they just aren't compatible with their owner's life.

PawsLikeMe aims to stop dog-owner mismatch by playing dog matchmaker! Its goal is to help people find the right dog for them.

Need a dog that's friendly with kids but loves learning tricks and is also house-trained? DONE. Have other specific requirements? DONE!

Ya got options.

When you go on the website, you can opt to just answer the four most important questions in a dog owner's life:

1. What's your energy level?

2. What kind of parties do you like?

3. What kind of dog personality do you want?

4. What is your personality like?

After those four questions, you can begin searching for a doggie match.

Or you can opt for the full questionnaire (you should) ... and basically feel very, VERY understood.

I took the full PawsLikeMe quiz, and when I saw the results I was kindof taken aback:

PawsLikeMe GETS ME!

Then I was the whisked away to dogs who are just ready to love me.

Listen. My apartment in NYC doesn't allow dogs. But if it did? I'd be 91% ready to adopt Carli. She's perfect, and I love her. CUE ADELE and her songs of lost opportunities to love!

With all the 80 gajillion personality quizzes out there in the world, this one is hands down THE BEST.

Take it for yourself! You won't regret it.

This article originally appeared on 11.06.15

From Your Site Articles

dogs

Joy

'Pawternity leave' is a real thing and a few companies are leading the way

All of our loved ones deserve the care they need.

Photo by Isabela Kronemberger on Unsplash

Pawternity leave is a real thing.

Getting a new puppy or kitten can be life altering in the best way, but those first few days can be a doozy. Trying to get a new animal acclimated to your home and schedule isn’t always easy and if you have other pets, it can make it downright impossible to do without taking some time off to monitor everyone. That’s where the concept of pawternity leave is helpful. You may be thinking pawternity leave sounds made up, but it’s actually a real thing for some companies.

It’s totally true. Several companies offer some form of pawternity or furternity leave for employees to welcome and acclimate new pets into their home. The range of time varies from 10 hours of paid leave to up to two weeks. MParticle, a company that offers two weeks of leave, has one stipulation on those two weeks. You must be adopting a shelter pet to qualify. Some companies even offer paid pet bereavement time. After all, these little furry guys are members of the family, so when we inevitably have to say goodbye, being able to take a day or so without guilt is important.

Pets can help with things like anxiety and depression, and some can be trained as service animals to help people live safely in the world around them. If someone adopts an animal from a shelter, they’re helping to clear out some of the overpopulated shelters to make room for other animals in need. Employers trying to be more in tune with what their employees need and providing some sort of leave when adding a new pet or during the time of pet loss is a wonderful step in the right direction for so many reasons.

Which companies are providing this unique benefit? There are a few. For example, Rover and Mars Petcare provide employees with 10 hours of leave and up to a week off for a new pet, plus the added perk of bringing the pet to the office after the 10 hours is up. MParticle pays for up to two weeks' leave if the employee adopts from a shelter. BrewDog, a Scottish beer company, offers a week of leave. Collective Measures, a marketing company in Minneapolis, and Zogics, an industrial cleaning supply company, also offer pawternity leave, while Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants of San Francisco, The African Garden, VMware, Maxwell Health, Trupanion and Drugmart.com all allow for some form of pet bereavement leave.

Though these companies are in the minority with their pet leave policies, we can only hope that more companies will join in the future to allow an easier transition for new pet parents.

From Your Site Articles

pet rescue

Joy

Baby Girl, the pup who went viral after being found tied to a fire hydrant, has been adopted

Every dog deserves a home.

The Wisconsin Humane Society/Kylie Englehardt/Facebook

After a fraught few weeks, Baby Girl, the Wisconsin dog, has found a new home.

It's been about two weeks since a sweet 6-year-old pup named Baby Girl was found tied to a fire hydrant in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The story went viral after the Wisconsin Humane Society shared a post about the dog. Now there's good news to report: Baby Girl has found a new home. The organization announced on May 12 that the dog had been adopted by a new family, only a few days after becoming eligible. That is great news!

"UPDATE 5/12/22: Baby Girl was made available for adoption today and had a few folks eagerly waiting to meet her right when we opened She has officially found a new home! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" it wrote in a Facebook post.

In an update on Baby Girl that was dated May 10, the Wisconsin Humane Society shared more info about the pup ahead of her being available for adoption.

"After abnormalities in her initial assessment, our veterinary team worked with a consulting clinic and determined that Baby Girl has Diabetes mellitus (canine diabetes) which causes elevated blood sugar," they wrote.

"Her future adopter will need to work with their veterinarian on a plan, which is expected to include daily glucose monitoring, a restricted diet, and at-home insulin injections. It can be an expensive disease to manage, requiring a monthly purchase of insulin and potentially other medical supplies (in total, it’s possible this could cost hundreds of dollars a month, depending on your own veterinarian’s assessment and cost of supplies in your area).

"She will also need routine veterinary visits with full physical exams, bloodwork, urinalysis, and/or other diagnostics as deemed appropriate by the primary veterinarian. WHS will provide initial prescriptions and a glucose sensor. While diabetes can be costly and tough to manage, we know there is a loving adopter out there for this special girl!"

Canine diabetes is similar to human diabetes in that it is a disease of the endocrine system where the body fails to produce enough or respond properly to insulin. Similarly to humans there are three types, including gestational diabetes. According to PetMD, there are certain breeds that are predisposed to canine diabetes, as are female dogs and middle aged to senior dogs as well. It is definitely manageable with a care plan from your dog's veterinarian.

Baby Girl has definitely had a very intense couple of weeks. On May 5, the Wisconsin Humane Society posted a picture of her secured to a fire hydrant in the middle of the road with a backpack placed next to her and indicated that the dog's previous owner had left a note explaining why they could no longer care for the pup.

"First and foremost, we are so sorry you had to part with your best friend. It’s evident just how much you loved her and we can see you did your best while struggling with your own medical complications and challenges of life," the Humane Society's wrote in a compassionate public message to the owner.

The Wisconsin Humane Society did indicate in its update that it had been in direct contact with Baby Girl's previous owner, and that it was "grateful for the chance to connect with her, and honor her wishes for Baby Girl to find a new home." It's good to hear that not only is Baby Girl doing well, but that she has found a new family to love her.

From Your Site Articles

dogs

Joy

This adorable dog named Cow had the best reaction to reuniting with the family he'd lost

We really don't deserve dogs.

Louisiana SPCA

Cow and his family.

Dogs love their humans and have the best reaction when they return home, even if they just left to go to the mailbox. It’s happy tails and doggy kisses when you get back, so it’s heartbreaking when a pet actually gets separated from its family. A dog named Cow found himself in just that predicament. Cow was somehow stolen from his family, according to the information received by Louisiana SPCA from the pooch’s family. The dog found his way to the animal shelter after being found tied to a fence outside the SPCA. Cow was afraid of his new surroundings at the shelter and it took him a while to warm up.

NeNe Lewis of the Louisiana SPCA told The Dodo “He was very fearful and would low growl when meeting new people. When he was given treats and people would ‘baby talk’ him, he would stop. Since he was found tied to our fence, it makes his reaction common.” VCA Hospitals report that “Fear- and anxiety-related aggression are commonly manifested in the veterinary hospital or in situations of social approach and handling. Dogs that display aggression are not mean or bad dogs. They are simply afraid/fearful and anxious/nervous about a perceived or anticipated threat or unpleasant outcome.”

In the case of Cow, it’s understandable why he would be displaying fearful aggression after being in a new environment away from the family he knows and loves. Cow began to relax in his new environment after being there a while as the staff members searched for a family to adopt the black and white pup. To Cow and the SPCA’s surprise, the perfect family was the one he was missing all along. In March, the shelter found out that Cow’s family had been frantically searching for their lost dog and were ecstatic to find out he was safe in the shelter.

Cow

Louisiana SPCA

While Cow had gotten used to his new people at the shelter, he was beyond excited when his owners showed up to take him home. He jumped off walls and his owner's back after lunging directly into her arms to be held like a baby. It’s clear that he missed his family and he was in his rightful place, right in their arms. The workers at the SPCA had never seen Cow so happy. Shelter life is generally hard on dogs, as they're constantly trying to protect their space from different people coming through. Dogs often become anxious when they're sheltered too long, always on alert and prone to panic, which is why Cow’s initial reaction is so common.

According to the ASPCA there are approximately 6.3 million pets in animal shelters across America right now, about 3.1 million of those are dogs. Each year more than 920,000 animals are euthanized, which is why the push to “adopt don’t shop” is so prevalent. While animals are in the care of shelters, they are looked after and treated by veterinarians until they are placed into a forever home or reunited with their family, which is always favorable over euthanization. More than 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year and around 810,000 of them are lucky enough to be reunited with their families, just like Cow.

If you’re interested in adopting a shelter animal, check out your local animal shelter or ASPCA.

From Your Site Articles

The adorable dog from the Betty White Oscars tribute was immediately adopted by John Travolta

via Wikimedia Commons and Wikimedia Commons

John Travolta and Betty White.

The infamous Slap Heard Round the World at the Academy Awards on Sunday night stole all of the event’s headlines but there were some very sweet moments that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The speech by Best Supporting Actor winner Troy Kotsur for his performance in “CODA” was a real tear-jerker. There was also a tribute to Betty White featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, who took the stage with an adorable dog named Mac & Cheese. White was a tireless animal rights advocate who helped countless animals throughout her lifetime.

"Day in and day out for almost a century, she was a woman who cared so much for not just her two-legged friends but for animals just like this," the actor said. "So, the greatest gift you could give Betty White is to open your heart and your home and adopt a rescue dog just like Mac & Cheese from (the nonprofit organization) Paw Works."

See on Instagram

Curtis left the theater after the tribute and received a text message with a photo of actor John Travolta holding Mac & Cheese in the green room. “I thought it was so beautiful to see him,” she said of her “Perfect” co-star. Travolta was preparing to hit the stage for a "Pulp Fiction" reunion with Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson.

Evidently, Travolta and Mac & Cheese shared an immediate bond because the next day, Curtis shared a photo of the "Grease" star with the dog along with his 11-year-old son, Ben. After meeting Mac & Cheese at the ceremony, Travolta decided to adopt the pup.

See on Instagram

Curtis was overjoyed that Mac & Cheese found a forever home with the Travoltas.

“I thought it was so beautiful to see him with her and then today I found out that he and his son, Ben have adopted beautiful little mac & cheese and are taking her home today. It is an emotional end and a perfect tribute to Betty White,” Curtis wrote on Instagram.

Travolta is clearly an animal lover. His Instagram feed shows that he has two dogs, one of which is a mini pin named Jinx. According to Celebrity Pets, he adopted a cat named Crystal last year. There’s no doubt that Betty White would have been elated to know that she played a role in another dog finding a forever home.

When White passed away on New Year’s Eve last year she left an incredible legacy of caring for animals. She worked for decades championing animal rights, published a book on the subject and starred in the nature show “Pet Set” in 1971.

After her death, she was honored by the ASPCA.

“Betty White demonstrated a lifelong commitment to helping animals in need, including dedicated support for local shelters and animal welfare endeavors, fiercely promoting and protecting animal interests in her entertainment projects, and personally adopting many rescued animals,” Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president and CEO, said in a statement.

Thank you for being a friend, Betty.

From Your Site Articles

dog adoption

It's here: A website that uses an algorithm to match you with the perfect dog for your personality

Not sure what kind of dog is perfect for you? This website kinda is.

PawsLikeMe might know you better than you know yourself.

How? A dog-human personality quiz!

When you go on the website, you can opt to just answer the four most important questions in a dog owner's life:

Or you can opt for the full questionnaire (you should) ... and basically feel very, VERY understood.

With all the 80 gajillion personality quizzes out there in the world, this one is hands down THE BEST.

'Pawternity leave' is a real thing and a few companies are leading the way

All of our loved ones deserve the care they need.

Baby Girl, the pup who went viral after being found tied to a fire hydrant, has been adopted

Every dog deserves a home.

This adorable dog named Cow had the best reaction to reuniting with the family he'd lost

We really don't deserve dogs.

The adorable dog from the Betty White Oscars tribute was immediately adopted by John Travolta

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