Animal Planet's Petfinder.com Initiates Call Center Service to Help California Wildfire Families Find Foster Homes For Pets

Animal Planet's Petfinder.com Initiates Call Center Service to Help California Wildfire Families Find Foster Homes For Pets

Petfinder.com Foundation sets up donation fund to benefit CA Wildfire Pets

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help families affected by the disastrous California wildfires, Petfinder.com, the largest online database of adoptable pets, announced today that it has initiated a call center service to assist displaced families find temporary homes for their pets.

The service, which is available to pet families in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-866-654-4732 or by logging onto www.petfinder.com, will allow the thousands of evacuated families to address their immediate needs and still ensure their pets are cared for. Volunteers interested in fostering a pet affected by the California wildfires can register to help at www.petfinder.com.

"It is critical for all pet owners affected by these horrific wildfires to know that their pet is safe and cared for while they take the time they need to pull their lives back together," said Betsy Saul, co-founder of Petfinder.com and senior vice president with Animal Planet Media. "We learned an important lesson from the aftermath of Katrina - many people will not evacuate without every member of the family, including their pets. Now we must provide the supports they need not only at the point of evacuation, but throughout the long rebuilding process."

Additionally, people from all over the country can make a tax-deductible donation to help California families with pets affected by the wildfires at www.petfinder.com/foundation/donate.html.

About Animal Planet's Petfinder.com:

Petfinder.com is an online, searchable database of animals that need permanent homes. A directory of over 10,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the USA, Canada and Mexico, the organization's technology helps users search adoptable pets in their area that fit their family's individual needs and preferences. In addition, Petfinder.com offers a wealth of knowledge about how to select the most compatible pet for your home and how to raise and care for an animal. Petfinder.com is free to use. Animal shelters and placement groups can register to join Petfinder.com online and can start entering pets the same day.

In November of 2006, Petfinder.com was acquired by Discovery Communications through Animal Planet Media. Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, connects humans and animals with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for entertainment, information and enrichment. APME consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in over 89 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

   CONTACT:    Shanley Stern Gravel                     Katy Layton   212-455-8076                             212-455-8029   sgravel@cooperkatz.com                   klayton@cooperkatz.com  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Animal Planet

CONTACT: Shanley Stern Gravel, +1-212-455-8076, sgravel@cooperkatz.com,
or Katy Layton, +1-212-455-8029, klayton@cooperkatz.com, both of Cooperkatz &
Company, Inc. for Animal Planet

Web site: http://petfinder.com/
http://petvideo.com/
http://www.animalplanet.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment