(NAPSA)—More and more Americans are finding that the animals they adopt from a shelter make for the perfect pet. According to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA), a not-for-profit trade group, more people are adopting pets from animal shelters than buying from pet stores and breeders. In fact, approximately 20 percent of pet owners adopted their cat or dog from animal shelters last year. The trend could be attributed to the efforts pet organizations are putting behind their adoption programs to make the process of adopting a pet an easy and enjoyable experience. One program that has shown tremendous success is the Very Best Pet Network pet adoption program. Launchedlast year, the national program paired more than 250,000 pets with loving families in the program’sfirst six months. American Humane (AH), Purina PetCare and Wal-Mart created the program with the understanding that the process can appear seemingly overwhelming—from finding a pet that is a right fit for the family to knowing how to care for him when you bring him home. “Essentially, we brought the animal shelter and pets straight to potential adopters through the Very Best Pet Network,” said Jodi Lytle Buckman,Director of Shelter Services for American Humane. “By having an adoption bulletin board in Wal-Mart stores’ Pet Departments with photos of available cats and dogs, animal shelter contact information and tips provided by Purina about the proper FINDING THE PERFECT PET—Pet adoption campaign helps makethe pet adoption process easier. care and nutrition for a pet, we’ve raised awareness about pet adoptions at animal shelters and made the adoption process easier.” This program makes pet adoption easy with three simple steps: Step 1: Find the dog or cat of your choice on the pet adoption board located in the Pet Department at participating Wal-Mart stores. More than 2,000 Wal-Mart stores nationwide have partnered with their local animal shelters and feature the Very Best Pet Network adoption board, which is frequently updated with local adoption information and pictures of dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes looking for a new homein their neighborhood. Step 2: Take the information to your local participating animal welfare organization. At the shelter, helpful volunteers will unite you with the pet that is perfect for your family and home environment. They will walk you through the process and help youfill out the adoption paperwork. Step 3: Once you’ve found the perfect pet, it is important to learn how you can enhance his life. Prepare a comfortable place for him to sleep and make sure your pet gets plenty of exercise and a well-balanced diet to maintain an ideal body condition. “Studies have proven that certain pet foods, such as Purina Dog Chow, help maintain your pet’s optimal health and nutrition levels,” said Sandi Sawehuk, DVM at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “Be sure to visit your veterinarian as soon as you adopt a pet to find out what is best for his needs.” Program details and helpful pet care information including proper pet health and nutrition are available year round on www.VeryBestPetNetwork.com.
