Wishbones for Pets announces dates for 2007 pet goods drive

Wishbones for Pets, a charitable organization benefiting pets in need and hosted by pet sitters throughout North America, is pleased to announce the dates of its fourth annual pet goods/funds drive.

This year’s Wishbones for Pets drive runs from October 15 through November 30. During this time, Wishbones representatives throughout the United States and Canada will work with local businesses to collect pet supplies and other necessities for pet charities in their community. Because of the recent pet food recalls, Wishbones For Pets is encouraging donations of pet supplies and/or donations. Participating businesses will place collection bins and donation boxes in their businesses where patrons can donate to pets in need. Wishbones for Pets pet sitter representatives will then deliver the collected items to the chosen pet charity the week after Thanksgiving.

Janet Depathey, founder of Wishbones for pets, says, “This program is beneficial to everyone involved. It raises public awareness of the services of professional pet sitters, recognizes participating businesses, and most importantly benefits pets in need. And this year, many pet welfare groups are struggling due to the recall and the fact that they had to destroy massive amounts of tainted pet food. We’re hoping we can alleviate some of their burden by donating items that will help them in their mission to help the pets in their care.”

Pet sitters wishing to take part in the program are invited to visit the website, where they’ll find information on how to register as a Wishbones for Pets representative in their area. They’ll also find information on how to get started. Similarly, non-profit pet welfare groups are encouraged to contact pet sitters in their local area to invite them to be a representative for their organization. Working together, pet sitters and pet welfare groups can make a difference for many pets in need.

The Wishbones for Pets website contains a list of pet sitter representatives throughout the country who are participating this year. To find one in your area go to www.wishbonesforpets.com.

Wishbones for Pets was started in 2004 by Janet Depathy, a professional pet sitter in Plymouth, MA. It is the first pet sitter related charity open to all professional pet sitters in North America, and runs annually from mid-October through the week after Thanksgiving. For more information on Wishbones for Pets, see their website at www.wishbonesforpets.com.

News

The Pet Food List Newsletter is now available online. Here’s what we have for you in this issue…

Does My Dog Have Separation Anxiety?
My new puppy has separation anxiety,” the caller on the other end of the line tells me. More likely, the young puppy - a social creature by nature - has simply never been taught to stay alone. Other owners tell me, “My dog won’t stop barking in the yard - I think it’s separation anxiety.” “Could be,” I’ll say, “but it could also be those darn squirrels that are so much fun to bark at.” Read the full story.

Wishbones for Pets 2007
This year’s Wishbones for Pets (WBFP) drive runs from October 15 through November 30. WBFP is a pet sitter driven charity program, by which pet sitters work with local businesses to collect pet supplies and other necessities for pet welfare groups in their local communities. Read the full story.

Pet Food Bloggers Need Your Help!
South by Southwest, the prestigious internet/music/film conference held every March in Austin, TX, is considering a panel on pet bloggers and the pet food recall. Christie Keith, from Pet Connection will be there, I will be there, as well as other pet food bloggers….Ben from Itchmo.com, and David Goldstein from the Huffington Post and horsesass.org. All of our websites gained quite a bit of attention during the recall. If our panel is chosen, we’ll be there to talk about how bloggers made an impact in the recall, and how they are changing the way other major stories are reported. Find out how you can help us get there!