Pets and estate planning

Older woman with dog

What happens if you die before your cat or dog? It's a question being addressed increasingly as more people are including pets in their estate planning. Pets are property In the eyes of the law pets are property. But ask any pet guardian - otherwise known as a pet  owner - if Fido or Fluffy is on equal footing with their other possessions and most will say 'no.' Increasingly, dogs, cats and other companion animals are the subject of bitter custody fights when couples divorce, and are gaining the upper paw when it comes to estate planning. While the law classifies pets as property, it does Continue reading …

How to keep your pet safe in winter weather

Dog with red ball

You can keep your pet safe in winter weather by following some basic tips to help your dog or cat negotiate the perils of the season. The harsh reality of winter has nearly everyone feeling the chill, including your pets. At Pets for Patriots, we picked through many of the helpful lists on how to keep your four-legged friends safe, healthy and warm this winter to bring you an abbreviated set of easy, mostly common sense suggestions for winter pet care. Good for you, good for your petOf course, you could keep your pet inside until the spring thaw arrives, but that’s not practical or Continue reading …

Pets for Patriots shelters get Freekibble holiday gift

Screen Shot 2012-01-10 at 9.03.37 AM

Four-paw salute to our friends at Freekibble for their generous donation of Halo pet food to five Pets for Patriots adoption partners around the country!  The Freekibble Holiday Koast-to-Koast Kibble Drop delivered 40 tons - yes, that's 80,000 pounds! - of all natural, delicious and nutritious Halo Spot's Stew to animal shelters in need. That adds up to an impressive 400,000 meals served to homeless dogs and cats hoping to be adopted. The last piece of kibble was delivered just before the Christmas holiday, benefiting more than 40 animal welfare groups from the East to West coasts, and many Continue reading …

Last chance to make your 2011 donation

Mario Kona live serve love

If you haven't already included Pets for Patriots in your year-end giving plans, there's still a few hours left! In addition to the tax benefits of contributing to our cause, your gift will support veteran and service members of the United States military whose lives are forever changed through companion pet adoption. Your support of Pets for Patriots helps fund our work that provides: Direct financial support to military members towards the purchase of pet food and other essentials Surrender prevention for last-chance pets adopted through our program by helping to make pet adoption Continue reading …

Changing lives coast to coast

Jacob, Sophie and family

When I wrote to you earlier this week I told you that we were changing lives coast to coast and had 60 honorable adoptions to celebrate. That number is now 62, and will likely grow in the coming days as a record number of veterans and service members are joining our program to give a last-chance pet a second chance at life. Since my earlier message, we had two adoptions that highight our growing national footprint. In upstate New York, Leland, a Navy veteran, honorably adopted an adult cat named Cow (yes, Cow!). On the other coast, a formerly stray Boxer mix named Sophie was saved by a Continue reading …

Pets are not presents

black dog with bow

Responsible pet adoption during the holidays can be summed up very simply: pets are not presents. Many dogs and cats given as gifts end up at animal shelters shortly after the New Year, facing an uncertain future. You might find it difficult to resist surprising your kid with a puppy or kitten, or presenting a pet to your parents, but the reasons not to do so are more compelling: A pet is forever...or at least a good 10 years. Although lifespan varies by species, breed and other factors, nearly 40% of dogs live more than 10 years and the average indoor cat will live between 12-15 years. The Continue reading …

Two years connecting veterans and last-chance pets

Pets for Patriots website

At Pets for Patriots, we're offering new ways to connect veterans with last-chance pets as part of a major relaunch in celebration of our two-year anniversary.  Since receiving our not-for-profit status, Pets for Patriots has transformed more than 100 lives of pet and person through our honorable adoption program. Veterans who have benefited from our charity range from a young Air Force couple who saved a three-legged Great Dane to a 90 year-old WWII veteran whose adoption of a little dog named Gizmo was a one-in-a-million event. Since its launch, Pets for Patriots has started its program Continue reading …

National Adopt a Senior Pet month helps older pets find new homes

Woman and old dog

November is National Adopt a Senior Pet month, during which time the benefits of senior pet adoption are promoted by shelters, rescues and humane societies around the country. At Pets for Patriots, we focus on adult and other “at risk” shelter pets year-round because we know that while many people think they’re less adoptable, they often make the best companions. So what makes a pet a senior? While there’s no absolute standard, many animal welfare organizations and veterinary specialists consider a dog or cat to be a senior citizen after five years of age; for others it’s seven and Continue reading …

Stigma and superstition plague black pets

black cat

Pity the black dog or black cat waiting when it comes to pet adoption; they have an additional challenge: Black Dog/Black Cat Syndrome. There are many myths, superstitions and stigmas surrounding cats and dogs of the darkest color. For instance, did you know that a black cat crossing your path from right to left is bad luck, but from left to right is said to be good? Were you aware that, according to ancient folklore, the apparitions of black dogs were believed to be the unquiet ghosts of wicked souls? Did you know as well that here and now, in modern times, black dogs and cats are the last Continue reading …

How pets improve your health

Woman and dog

Companion pets do more than make us smile; they're actually good for our health. From reduced incidence of depression, lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, a four-legged friend might be the best health plan money can’t buy. At Pets for Patriots, we advocate for the adoption of "last-chance" pets that face near-certain death if not adopted: dogs and cats two years or older, dogs 40+ pounds regardless of age, and special needs pets. Collectively, these are animals that are most often overlooked in shelters, but that have many years of love and life to give. And because most are Continue reading …

RSS Feed

Subscribe

Contact Us

You Tube

You Tube Playlist

Go to our You Tube Page