We’re so thankful that www.adoptapetgifts.com is supporting the Halo Pet Foundation with $1 from each purchase. Check out this new Gund dog plush toy with a necklace!

See the Life/Style story on our News page.

12 year old Keith Webster will tell anyone that Ned, his adopted Jack Russell Terrier, is the center of his world–”I play with Ned every day of my life because I care about him so much.”

Freekibble.com’s Kibble Krusader Kontest winner, Keith’s heartfelt essay won $1,000 of Halo Dinner Party which was donated to the Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County in Alderton, WA where he adopted Ned (read about Halo’s donation to the shelter here).

Animal shelters recognize the very special relationship between adopted pets and their new families and maintain a structured adoption process that allows them to make the best match for both parties–the goal is always to find a pet a lifelong home.

In addition to actually choosing a new pet, the adoption process usually involves filling out an application, an interview, a waiting period, a contract, fees and often a trial period.

Click here to read more about the adoption process.

It’s Yay! May! and on the Ellen Show Tuesday, May 4th, one lucky audience member, Morgan Driskill, was given a huge surprise!

She and her husband have 3 dogs and 2 cats; and they are also expecting a child. They have been having a tough time since her husband’s layoff over a year ago.

Ellen tells her, “Here’s one thing I know I can do; I have a pet food company Halo, Purely for Pets. It’s expensive to feed 5 animals; so I’m going to give you a year supply of my pet food.”

Watch the video to see the entire segment of the show:

On school days, Laurie Montfort of Cuthbert, Georgia teaches life sciences and biology to junior high and high school kids. During most of her other waking hours, Montfort pursues her passion: saving the scores of dogs facing death in a gas chamber at a nearby shelter.

“It’s horrible in South Georgia, when people don’t want a dog or puppy they just dump them somewhere,” says Montfort, who does 100 percent of her work from her heart, as she is not an official rescue and can’t take donations.

With so many homeless dogs and so few homes to take them in her rural area, Montfort ships them off to other states as far away as New Jersey and California, with a larger pool of dedicated forever families. “We’re glad when they can leave the area,” Montfort says, “because I know they got a better chance.”

But before the pups leave the area, Montfort fortifies them with canned Halo Spot’s Stew, thanks to Freekibble.com and Halo’s donation of 2,100 meals earlier this year. Montfort shared the donation with 10 other people in her area who have found and taken in abandoned dogs, people who pay for food and vet care out of their own pockets. One recipient family has 29 dogs, another has 15 dogs and 20 cats. “I’ve had such a good time sharing,” says Montfort, who noticed all of the nine dogs she’s caring for have shinier coats since they started eating Halo. Says Sanctuary Animal Refuge founder Palena Dorsey, who arranged for Montfort’s donation: “She is one wonderful woman that takes rescue to great levels.”

About a year ago, the 54-year-old Montfort made her first rescue, a momma dog and three puppies she found next to a trash trailer. Since then, word got out that Montfort would find homes for these tossed-off creatures or make room for them at her own house, in spare rooms or in the new kennels her husband built for the strays in their back yard. “I have taken in some that were almost starved to death,” says Montfort, who pays for vet costs from her own pocket, “and had no fur due to mange.”

The cost is worth more than money. In the last year, since Montfort started rescuing dogs, not one has been put to sleep at the shelter.

If you are interested in one of the dogs Montfort has rescued, please email her at lfmontfort3@gmail.com.

By Rachel Menard, Adoptapetgifts.com

When we were invited to partner with HALO, Purely for Pets and the US Postal Service to promote the Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamps and 1 Million Meal donation program, we said, “Absolutely yes.” We are a small team of animal lovers and with over thirty years of experience designing and manufacturing keepsakes and jewelry. The opportunity was a perfect fit for us.

Going into the project, we wanted to design a line of stylish jewelry, ornaments and pet accessories, but also ensure the safety and quality that Halo guarantees with their natural pet food. The designs feature adorable accents like red glitter hydrant charms, silver glitter bone charms as well as a charm featuring one of the Adopt a Shelter Pet stamp images. And each piece is produced right here in the USA, lead and cadmium free.

Knowing how our pets are our family, we also wanted to make something that could be personalized, so we opted to offer custom engraving on our site. We’ve received quite a few orders for custom pet tags as well as “Thank you” gifts from newly adopted pets to their owners. Not only are these Internet-savvy animals showing how thankful they are for their new homes, they are also giving back to their not-so-fortunate friends. With each item purchase, we donate $1 to the Halo Pet Foundation, which provides yet additional support for shelter animals in need.

The newest edition to our collection is an imported Gund stuffed puppy with our Golden Retriever stamp necklace. The puppy comes pre-packaged in a gift bag and the necklace can still be customized with engraving, a great Mother’s Day gift for an animal-loving mom. While you’re shopping, add an additional $1 donation to your cart for the Halo Pet Foundation. One more donated dollar buys health and happiness for a shelter cat or dog until he too finds his forever home.