As a strong campaigner on better animal welfare standards it is with great delight that Tracey supports yesterday’s launch of a new website for re-homing pets – Find a Pet. It matchmakes rescue pets all over the UK with their perfect new owners, allowing members of the public to find new pets quickly and easily – and helping shelter pets find the loving homes they deserve.
Rescues list the pets in their care, and potential pet owners use a powerful search tool to pinpoint just the right pet for them. They can search by breed, location, age, sex and even temperament.
So, whether someone is looking for a dog that’s good with children, a rabbit that’s happy to live indoors, or the perfect lap cat – Find a Pet is the place to meet their new best friend.
Journalist, Serena Cowdy set up Find a Pet to address some of the serious pet welfare problems that exist in the UK: Irresponsible breeding, and pets being sold like household goods online.
Figures from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) indicate that some 250,000 pets come into rescue centres every year. The Find a Pet project wants to get the ‘adopt don’t shop’ message out to as many people as possible.
Find a Pet is also a fun, engaging, family-friendly experience. A user can share pets they find on social media, build their own ‘favourites’ pinboard as they search for their perfect companion, and even sign up for email alerts, so they’re told as soon as their perfect pet is listed on the site.
Figures from the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) indicate that some 250,000 pets come into rescue centres every year. The Find a Pet project wants to get the ‘adopt don’t shop’ message out to as many people as possible.
Find a Pet is also a fun, engaging, family-friendly experience. A user can share pets they find on social media, build their own ‘favourites’ pinboard as they search for their perfect companion, and even sign up for email alerts, so they’re told as soon as their perfect pet is listed on the site.
Serena explains why the project is so important to her:
“In my work with pet charities, I’ve seen and heard some heartbreaking things. When you come across yet another kitten that’s been dumped in a bin because no one wants it – or yet another dog that’s been used in an illegal dog fight, you realise just how big the pet welfare problem is in the UK.
“I believe that Britain is still a nation of animal lovers – and with so many wonderful pets waiting patiently in rescues, I would encourage any potential pet owner to adopt, rather than to breed or buy.
“If you take on a rescue pet, you really are helping to save a life. Find a Pet just makes it as easy as possible to be a hero!”
Tracey commented:
“In my work as Chair of the Pet Advisory Committee we see so many animal welfare issues that are getting worse. This year we have looked at puppy farming and puppy trafficking with the help of campaigns by Celebrity Vet Marc Abraham’s Pup Aid and the RSPCA.”
“Irresponsible breeding is a huge issue in the UK with more people turning to the internet for a cheap and easy purchase. This has fuelled irresponsible breeding of animals and I am delighted to see such a fabulous counteraction and position use of the internet.”
“Also as the mum of two very lovely rehomed black cats, Mungo and Basil, I know how rewarding providing a forever home can be.”