Elyse’s Adoption Diary: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are reading this with a full belly and a furry pet on your lap. I’m about to list stuff I’m thankful for, and it is going to be mushy. Verrrrry mushy. So consider yourself warned. But if you weren’t into mushy you wouldn’t be reading this in the first place, right? OK, here I go… I’m thankful for you wonderful readers who come back every

So, now that Bolt is in theatres, let us know…did you like the movie as much as we did? Back in July, we told you Miley Cyrus joined the ASPCA in launching Bolt Across America—a coast-to-coast fundraising event to promote the Disney film Bolt, which stars Cyrus. Bolt Across America centers around four Bolt fans who are rolling from city to city in a giant hamster ball attempting amazing feats

If you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got. Caption away! Congratulations to last week’s winner, Kathronovich, on MySpace. Thanks to everyone for your participation! To enter your caption in the contest, just send it as a comment and remember to include your name! The winner will be posted next week with a new photo. This contest is

Shelter animals need you on Thanksgiving, too! If you’re already signed up to be a volunteer, won’t you please stop by your local shelter and walk a dog? What better way to burn the exorbitant calories from your feast! Word to the wise, though—cat socializers might want to play with the kitties before your meal so the poor felines aren’t taunted by the scent of turkey on your hands! We kid, of

If you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got. Caption away! Update: Winning entry from Kathronovich on MySpace: “Oh my gosh! Then what did you say?” Honorable Mentions: From My Heart is Breaking (avatar) on MySpace: “* Gasp * Whatever you do, do NOT turn around...” From Karen on MySpace: “Look into my eyes....you will adopt me...you

“She sits on the desks and file cabinets! Just like a houseplant, only prettier,” chuckles Kristi Templeton, ASPCA Animal Behavior Counselor, when asked why Midnight would make a good pet. Midnight is currently being fostered in the ASPCA Adoption Center office by a handful of staff behaviorists; this mellow gal laps up all the attention in her own quiet way.But don’t worry—you needn’t be a

For an ultra efficient—and critter friendly—search engine, switch to Dogpile.com. Dogpile uses a metasearch to yield the best results from all the top search engines (yes, including Google). While that’s reason enough to use it, the shining star here is that the ASPCA gets a donation from Dogpile with every single solitary click! So search, people, search! Search your hearts out! The more you

Who is more enticed by the delicious scents of Thanksgiving dinner than your pets? Who is more jolly than a dog during the holiday season? And who is more curious than a cat when face to face with a bow-adorned box? The answer to all of the above: no one! Your pets are family, so do include them in your holiday celebrations—but do it safely. To find out how, join us for a live online chat with

Elyse’s Adoption Diary: So all the mushy stuff I said about mama cats and their beautiful love for their kittens? Their protective nature that makes them hiss when anyone comes near their babies? I guess that applies to their fierce instincts when they have newborns. Once the kittens are a few weeks old and can fend for themselves a bit better, mama is ready for a break!! “All kittens here and

When you guys get a load of the amazing adoptable animals we feature on our website, MySpace and Facebook, you often tell us you would love to adopt one if you lived in New York, where our Adoption Center is located. Thanks for the luv! We thought of a cool way for you to adopt the pet of your choice right from your living room! If you’ve got Facebook, add our “Adopt An ASPCA Animal”

“Hypoallergenic” is the latest buzz word concerning Mr.Obama and his quest for the First Family’s dog. His daughter, Malia, has allergies, and so he’ll need to find the right breed for her. Fear not, Mr. Future President! We’re here to help. There is no such thing as a truly non-allergenic or hypoallergenic dog. Dogs (and cats) produce allergenic proteins that can be found in their dander and

Is it bad that Thanksgiving isn’t for another couple of weeks and we can’t get food off the brain? But.friends, family and feasts—the main ingredients for holiday fun—can actually result in distress for pets. Not only can too many table scraps set furry tummies a-rumble, but many animals get anxious at the change in household routine. Says the ASPCA’s Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President,

If you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got. Caption away! Update: Winning entry from “Cars 4 Causes” (avatar) on MySpace: “When I count to 10, turn and...bark!” Honorable Mentions: From Queen Goddess Of The Known Universe (avatar): "Stick 'em up?" From Amanda Karabinos on MySpace: "You wanna wear it?" Congratulations to last week’s

If ever there was a pit bull on a mission to prove the world wrong about the breed’s bad rap, it’s Ava. Our six-year-old sweetie thinks life is one big love fest—and everyone’s invited to the party! “Ava is a favorite of the staff and volunteers,” boasts ASPCA Manager of Shelter Behavior and Training Victoria Wells. Ava is deaf, but Wells insists that dogs who can’t hear are just as easy to

Elyse’s Adoption Diary: At the ASPCA Adoption Center, we have Habitats and we have Cat Rooms. The Habitats are for the social meowsters who make friends easily. The cats in the Cat Rooms all live together but in individual cages. When I visited one particular Cat Room, it was just before mealtime. They were having their own kitty happy hour (minus the booze) as they meowed across the room to one

If you’ve got a creative caption for the photo below, enter our contest and show us what you’ve got. Caption away! Update: Winning entry from Ana Lou on MySpace: “Don't you wish your boyfriend was hot like me?” Honorable Mentions:From Aiko on MySpace: "That was the best aquarium trip EVER!"From W: “My impression of a sassy penguin.”Congratulations to last week’s winner, “A Fine Piece of Mind” on

Just call her MacGyver—you know, that extremely resourceful secret agent on TV! “Macy can make a toy out of just about anything,” says Katie Watts, ASPCA Feline Behavior Counselor. A simple item such as a food dish or a paper towel roll has been known to bring her hours of entertainment! Dubbed Leader of the Band by our behaviorists, Macy isn’t content to sit around and twiddle her paws. In her

*Part four in our ongoing series to celebrate Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month Flora Breed: Pit Bull Mix Color: Tan/White Gender: Female Age: 2 years Rescued by the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement in April 2008, Flora is an adrenaline-packed action star who loves other dogs and aerobic activities. Here she reflects on maintaining a youthful glow, her native gait and the problem with cats. ASPCA: Hey,

Elyse’s Adoption Diary Long before I became a mother, I was always in awe of the notion of maternal love, largely due to the observation of mama cats. Their raw, instinctive desire to protect and provide for their kittens is the standard of this great love that I so admire and can only hope to live up to as a mom. When I arrived at the adoption center, mama cat Mandy was out for a walk,

November 4: What’s in it for the Four-Leggeds? So how did the animals fare on Election Day? Pretty darn well, and on both coasts, too! You dudes and dudettes in California passed Proposition 2, the Standards for Confining Farm Animals Act! And the masses in Massachusetts passed a ban on dog racing! One particular pooch is going be barking with pride as new “First Dog” in the White House.