The holiday season is here and our thoughts turn to home and family. But millions of dogs and cats across the nation face a bleak holiday season. For the fortunate ones, sitting in a cage will be the way it’s spent and the unlucky ones face euthanasia before Christmas day.

Eleven years ago, Iams partnered with Helen Woodward Animal Center and organized 14 San Diego area shelters and found homes for 2,563 orphaned pets. The program has now gone nationwide and the goal this year is to find homes for 1.5 million pets before Jan. 4. As of Dec. 2, the Home 4 the Holidays Web site was showing 496,657 pets adopted for 2009. “Shelter pets are not damaged pets, quite the contrary,” said Steve Fries, division manager for Moreno Valley Animal Services, “New shelter pet owners report great success after adopting.” Each pet is sent home with a “Welcome Home” package that includes Iams product coupons and other items to help the new pet owner get a good start. “The great payoff in adopting a shelter pet is a daily experience for the new pet owner,” said Fries, “companion animals offer much and ask for little in return.”

Link: http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_petcolumn07.3b38333.html